Daily Power and Prayer Devotion - Myles Munroe

Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
More Titles by Dr. Myles Munroe
Introduction
January
January 1: Everyone Prays!
January 2: The Greatest Common Denominator
January 3: An Effective Prayer Life
January 4: God Is Faithful to Answer
January 5: What Is the Purpose of Prayer?
January 6: Let Us Make Man in Our Image
January 7: We Were Created for Dominion
January 8: Man’s Dominion on the Earth
January 9: We Are God’s Offspring
January 10: What Is the Nature of Prayer?
January 11: Who Prayed the First Prayer?
January 12: Prayer Is Essential for God’s Will
January 13: God’s Purpose for Your Life
January 14: Our Confidence in Prayer
January 15: Prayer Is Exercising Our Authority
January 16: Broken Relationship, Broken
Effectiveness
January 17: God’s Purpose for Us Is Eternal
January 18: Putting Prayer into Practice
January 19: Principles of Purpose for Prayer
January 20: The Right to Pray
January 21: God’s Purposes Reflect His Character
January 22: God’s Redemption through Jesus
January 23: Jesus Is the Second Adam
January 24: Jesus Reigns with Authority
January 25: Jesus Transferred Authority
January 26: Accept Your Authority in Christ
January 27: Delivered from Darkness
January 28: Jesus Is Our Model of Authority
January 29: Are You Willing?
January 30: Putting Prayer into Practice
January 31: Principles of Authority in Prayer
February
February 1: How to Enter God’s Presence
February 2: Enter with a Pure Heart
February 3: Holiness and Integrity
February 4: A Double-Minded Man
February 5: A Kingdom of Priests
February 6: A Faithful Priest Forever
February 7: A New Nation of Priests
February 8: Entering His Presence as Priests
February 9: He Is Faithful and Just to Forgive
February 10: Receiving Forgiveness
February 11: Putting on Righteousness
February 12: Putting on Truth and Honesty
February 13: Cleansed by God’s Word
February 14 Worship Rises Like Incense
February 15: Separate Yourself to the Lord
February 16: Faith in God’s Power
February 17: The Power of Jesus’ Blood
February 18: Give God the Glory
February 19: Remain in the Anointing
February 20: Putting Prayer into Practice
February 21: Principles for the Priesthood of
Believers
February 22: A Lifestyle of Prayer
February 23: Too Busy to Pray?
February 24: Prayer Saves Time
February 25: My Father Is Always at Work
February 26: Manifesting God’s Thoughts
February 27: Jesus Was Naturally Supernatural
February 28: Common-Union with the Father
February 29: Prayer Does Not Come Automatically
March
March 1: When You Pray…
March 2: Our Model for Prayer
March 3: Our Father in Heaven
March 4: It’s Your Kingdom, Lord
March 5: The Lord’s Provision Is Daily
March 6: Please Forgive Me, Lord
March 7: Choose to Forgive Others
March 8: Keep Me Far from Temptation
March 9: The Kingdom, Power, and Glory
March 10: Did the Disciples Learn the Secret?
March 11: Putting Prayer into Practice
March 12: Principles of Prayer from Jesus
March 13: Have You Found a Quiet Place?
March 14: Be Still and Know…
March 15: Come Let Us Adore Him
March 16: Adoration from Your Heart
March 17: The True Heart of Confession
March 18: David’s Agreement with God
March 19: Confess It Quickly
March 20: Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart
March 21: A Deep Passion in Prayer
March 22: Be Specific in Your Prayers
March 23: Secure the Promises of God
March 24: A Daughter of Abraham
March 25: Can You Plead Your Case?
March 26: Persistence with the Judge
March 27: Whatever You Ask for in Prayer…
Believe
March 28: Living in Thankful Expectation
March 29: Practicing Active Belief
March 30: Putting Prayer into Practice
March 31: Principles for Effective Prayer
April
April 1: Learning about Prayer versus Practicing It
April 2: Mental Assent versus Faith
April 3: Evidence of Things Not Seen
April 4: Hearing the Word but Not Absorbing It
April 5: Growing Your Faith
April 6: Let the Message Sink in
April 7: Meditation: A Twofold Process
April 8:Hope Is Not Faith
April 9: When Hope Is Wishful Thinking
April 10: Are You on “Someday Island”?
April 11: The Size of Your God
April 12: Neglecting Prayer Altogether
April 13: Putting Prayer into Practice
April 14: Principles for Overcoming Hurdles to
Prayer
April 15: Everyone Lives by Faith
April 16: Created to Walk in Faith
April 17: The Word Is Near You
April 18: The God Kind of Faith
April 19: Faith Comes by Hearing
April 20: Faith Comes by His Word
April 21: The Word of Faith for Salvation
April 22: Jesus, You Are My Owner
April 23: You Will Not Be Ashamed
April 24: Are You Planted by the Stream?
April 25: Dwelling on the Riverbank
April 26: Are You Living in Reality?
April 27: Putting Prayer into Practice
April 28: Principles for Cultivating the God Kind of
Faith
April 29: The Power behind Prayer
April 30: Handling the Word of God
May
May 1: Revealing God’s Nature
May 2: The Word Is Alive
May 3: The Power of the Word
May 4: If…You Abide in Me
May 5: If…My Words Abide in You
May 6: The Word Builds Faith
May 7: Are You Living by Doubt?
May 8: God’s Promises Are “Yes”
May 9: Faith for Difficult Circumstances
May 10: God’s Word Is His Will
May 11: Speak God’s Words, Not Yours
May 12: Faith-Filled Prayers
May 13: Heroes of Faith
May 14: Preparing Us for Prayer
May 15: Putting Prayer into Practice
May 16: Principles of the Word in Prayer
May 17: The Impact of Sin
May 18: Fear Is Faith in the Negative
May 19: Do You Struggle with Guilt?
May 20: The Sea of Forgetfulness
May 21: Do You Feel Unworthy?
May 22: Do Your Prayers Deserve Answers?
May 23: Come Boldly to Pray
May 24: You Are My Beloved Child
May 25: What Are Your Motives?
May 26: The Danger of Bitterness
May 27: Forgive as You Are Forgiven
May 28: Do Your Relationships Need to Be
Repaired?
May 29: Idols of the Heart
May 30: Putting Prayer into Practice
May 31: Principles for Overcoming Hindrances to
Prayer
June
June 1: Do You Understand Fasting?
June 2: Fasting: A Natural Part of the Christian
Life
June 3: Fasting Puts God First
June 4: Fasting Creates an Environment for Prayer
June 5: Fasting Helps Us Hear from God
June 6: Fasting Brings Power from God
June 7: Christ Is Our Example
June 8: Breakthrough in Difficult Situations
June 9: Only Prayer and Fasting
June 10: The Right Way to Fast
June 11: Fasting Brings Restoration
June 12: Putting Prayer into Practice
June 13: Principles of Fasting
June 14: Not a Magic Formula
June 15: The Power of Jesus’ Name
June 16: Use Your Covenantal Rights
June 17: What’s in a Name?
June 18: Names Signify Purpose
June 19: “I Am Who I Am”
June 20: Son of God, Son of Man
June 21: Jesus’ Name Meets Our Needs
June 22: Call on His Name
June 23: Jesus Has Power of Attorney
June 24: The Holy Spirit Helps Us to Pray
June 25: The Key to Heaven
June 26: Every Knee Will Bow
June 27: Putting Prayer into Practice
June 28: Principles of Praying in Jesus’ Name
June 29: Become a Person of Prayer
June 30: God Desires You as His Partner
July
July 1: God’s Purpose in Vision
July 2: Vision as the Source
July 3: Our Need for Vision
July 4: The Gold inside You
July 5: You Have a Unique Vision
July 6: Vision Is Inspired by God
July 7: The Force of Vision
July 8: Your Purpose in Life
July 9: A Sense of Personal Purpose
July 10: A Clear Purpose
July 11: What Is Your Dream?
July 12: Born to Be Distinct
July 13: What Has God Wired You For?
July 14: The World Can’t Forget
July 15: Known for Her Love
July 16: Known for Your Vision
July 17: Your Purpose Is Your Passion
July 18: What Is Godly Passion?
July 19: Purpose of a Heroine
July 20: What If They Had Said No?
July 21: You Were Born at the Right Time
July 22: His Eternal Purpose in Your Heart
July 23: Your Gift Will Make a Way
July 24: The World Will Make Room for You
July 25: Stirring Up Your Gift
July 26: Don’t Be an Imitator
July 27: You Can Be an Innovator
July 28: Jesus, the Greatest Innovator
July 29: Vision Always Comes from Purpose
July 30: Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision
July 31: Principles of Purpose and Vision
August
August 1: What Is the Heart?
August 2: The Tablet of the Heart
August 3: Completed in Eternity
August 4: Purpose before Production
August 5: The Project Start-Up
August 6: A Glimpse into the Future
August 7: Vision Is about God
August 8: The Dream That Won’t Go Away
August 9: God Speaks to You
August 10: Vision Is Unselfish
August 11: Vision Brings Fulfillment
August 12: A Vital Connection with God
August 13: Vision Is Personal and Corporate
August 14: We Need Teamwork
August 15: Problems in Corporate Vision
August 16: Drawing Out the Vision
August 17: I Need Your Vision, You Need Mine
August 18: Action Steps in Fulfilling Vision
August 19: Principles of the Nature of Vision
August 20: Vision Is Specific
August 21: Vision versus Mission
August 22: No Need for Competition
August 23: The Trap of Wishful Thinking
August 24: Are You Committed?
August 25: Seeking Balance
August 26: Trying to Do Everything
August 27: A Jack-of-All-Trades
August 28: The Cost of Vision
August 29: Your Purpose Is Greater Than Your Past
August 30: Let Your Life Be Fueled by Vision
August 31: Principles for Understanding Vision
September
September 1: Follow His Directions
September 2: Principles for Fulfilling Personal
Vision
September 3: The First Principle: Have a Clear,
Guiding Purpose
September 4: The Why of Existence
September 5: A Job versus a Purpose
September 6: What You Were Born to Do
September 7: What Do You Want?
September 8: Vision Is Future-Focused
September 9: Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision
September 10: Principles of Vision as Guiding
Purpose
September 11: The Second Principle: Understand
Your Potential
September 12: The Power at Work within Us
September 13: Take a Tour of Your Vision
September 14: Perfect for Your Purpose
September 15: Say Yes to Your Dream
September 17: Principles of Vision as Potential and
Ability
September 18: The Third Principle: Develop a Clear
Plan
September 19: Ideas Are Seeds of Destiny
September 20: Don’t Float through Life
September 21: A Blueprint of Your Vision
September 22: The Importance of Planning
September 23: Acknowledge God’s Work
September 24: Fulfilling Your Destiny
September 25: Who Runs Your Life?
September 26: Setting the Right Goals
September 28: Principles of Vision Planning
September 29: The Fourth Principle: Possess the
Passion of Vision
September 30: Enabled by Passion
October
October 1: Faithful to the Vision
October 2: Vision Is the Source of Passion
October 3: Resistance to the Vision
October 4: Paying the Price
October 5: Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision
October 6: Principles for a Passion for Vision
October 7: The Fifth Principle: Develop the Faith of
Vision
October 8: Vision in the Heart
October 9: Things As They Should Be
October 10: Creative Thoughts and Words
October 11: The Negative Power of Words
October 12: Life the Way You See It
October 13: Your Vision Should Outlive You
October 15: Principles of the Faith of Vision
October 16: The Sixth Principle: Understand the
Process of Vision
October 17: God Chooses the Route
October 18: In the Midst of the Process
October 19: Preparing for the Purpose
October 20: Your Vision Awaits an Appointed Time
October 22: Principles of the Process of Vision
October 23: The Seventh Principle: Set the
Priorities of Vision
October 24: Not Everything Is Beneficial
October 25: The Beneficial Things
October 26: Good versus Best
October 27: Keep Your Eyes on the Mark
October 28: My Yoke Is Easy
October 29: Vision Protects You
October 30: Vision Disciplines Your Choices
October 31: Discipline Is a Teacher
November
November 1: Make Your Life Count
November 2: Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision
November 3: Principles of the Priority of Vision
November 4: The Eighth Principle: Recognize the
Influence of Others
November 5: Choosing Your Friends
November 6: The Law of Association
November 7: Vision Wakes Up the Opposition
November 8: The Tobiah Syndrome
November 9: The Protection of Disassociation
November 10: The Protection of Limited Association
November 11: Expand Your Association
November 13: Principles of Influence on Vision
November 14: The Ninth Principle: Employ the
Provision of Vision
November 15: Everything You Need
November 16: Does Prosperity Mean Excess?
November 17: Does Prosperity Mean Future Needs
Are Met Today?
November 18: The Nature of Real Prosperity
November 19: Prosperity for the Purpose
November 20: Provision Is Right for the Vision
November 21: “Spare Parts” for Your Vision
November 22: Warehouses in Heaven
November 23: The Inherent Wealth of Land
November 24: God’s Promise of Land
November 25: The Ability to Work
November 26: Motivation for Work
November 27: The Ability to Cultivate
November 28: The Ability to Reserve for the Future
November 30: Principles of Provision for Vision
December
December 1: The Tenth Principle: Use Persistence
December 2: The Courage to Stand
December 3: Overcoming Challenges in Life
December 4: Is Your Vision Larger Than Your
Opposition?
December 5: Destiny Demands Diligence
December 6: Jesus Encourages Persistence
December 7: Fight Through to Victory
December 8: We Are Warriors
December 9: Character under Pressure
December 10: Test Your Vision for Authenticity
December 11: Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision
December 12: Principles of Persistence in Vision
December 13: The Eleventh Principle: Be Patient
December 14: The Fullness of Time
December 15: Patience to Overcome
December 17: Principles of Patience for Vision
December 18: The Twelfth Principle: Have a
Dynamic, Daily Prayer Life
December 19: Encouragement for the Fight
December 20: Prayer Is the Essential Resource
December 21: Attached to the Power Supply
December 23: Principles of Prayer for Vision
December 24: Seasons under Heaven
December 25: Realizing Your Vision
December 26: Draw Solid Blueprints for Your Life
December 27: How to Write Your Personal Vision
Plan
December 28: Finding Your True Vision
December 29: Principles for Life
December 30: Identifying Resources
December 31: Commit to Your Vision
Prayer
About the Author
Daily Power and Prayer
Devotion
Myles Munroe
Whitaker House
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken
from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, niv ® , ©
1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by
permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture
quotations marked (nkjv) are taken from the New King James
Version, © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1984 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used
by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked
(kjv) are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Scripture quotations marked (nasb) are taken from the updated
New American Standard Bible® , nasb ® , © 1960, 1962, 1963,
1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1988, 1995 by The Lockman
Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org).
Daily Power and Prayer Devotional
trade paperback edition
Dr. Myles Munroe
Bahamas Faith Ministries International
P.O. Box N9583
Nassau, Bahamas
E-mail: [email protected]
Websites: www.bfmmm.com; www.bfmi.tv;
www.mylesmunroe.tv
ISBN: 978-1-60374-261-0
eBook ISBN: 978-1-60374-772-1
Produced in the United States of America
© 2007 by Dr. Myles Munroe
Whitaker House
1030 Hunt Valley Circle
New Kensington, PA 15068
www.whitakerhouse.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition
as follows: Munroe, Myles.
Daily power and prayer devotional / by Myles Munroe.
p. cm.
Summary: “A year-long, daily devotional focusing on two of
the most important themes in the Christian life—prayer and
having a clear vision for one’s life; includes a program for
reading the Bible through in a year”—Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-0-88368-799-4 (trade hardcover : alk. paper) 1.
Devotional calendars. I. Title.
BV4811.M75 2007
242’.2—dc22
2007032178
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical—including
photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system—without permission in writing from the
publisher. Please direct your inquiries to
[email protected].
This book has been digitally produced in a standard
specification in order to ensure its availability.
More Titles by Dr. Myles Munroe Becoming a
Leader
Becoming a Leader Workbook
The Fatherhood Principle
Keys for Change
Keys for Leadership
Keys for Living Single
Keys for Marriage
Keys for Men
Keys for Prayer
Keys for Vision
Keys for Women
The Most Important Person on Earth:
The Holy Spirit, Governor of the Kingdom The Most Important Person on Earth
Study Guide Myles Munroe on Relationships: A 365-Day Devotional The Spirit of
Leadership
The Principles and Benefits of Change The Principles and Power of Vision The
Principles and Power of Vision Study Guide The Purpose and Power of Authority
Understanding the Purpose and Power of Men Understanding the Purpose and
Power of Prayer Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer
Study Guide Understanding the Purpose and Power of Woman Understanding the
Purpose and Power of Woman
Study Guide Most Titles Are Also Available in Spanish
Introduction
In a world of instability, uncertainty, unpredictability, fear,

terror, and global confusion, the need for anchors is imperative.
The waves of our contemporary cultures make it difficult to
navigate the challenges of each day, snaring the unsuspecting
soul in a current of self-destruction.
Throughout history few things have remained stable and
unshakable. Yet, without question, the most time-tested
elements in the journey of mankind for the past seven
thousand years have been the principles of the biblical text.
The Word of God has been the sure foundation and source of
hope and faith for millions of people over the years. These
millions testify to the results of applying the Scriptures’
powerful, eternal truths. God’s Word is the source of vision,
faith, confidence, peace, and salvation. Today, its principles are
needed more than ever before.
In this devotional, I have isolated two of the most important
themes of the Word of God: prayer and vision. Each of these
areas can vitally impact life on planet Earth and must be
understood, explored, and practiced for personal and corporate
success.
I have battled the frustration of unanswered prayer and know
the struggle many have faced in this crucial area of the human
experience. Yet prayer is not difficult if you learn the principles
by which it functions. I discovered these precepts and know
that prayer works and can be achieved by anyone who is
willing to embrace them.
I have also experienced the power of vision as I have captured
the dream in my heart and pursued it with all diligence. I
learned priceless principles that took me from where I was to
where I am today and discovered that those principles are
available to every human and will guarantee the same results to
all who are willing to apply them.
In these daily devotions, I have labored to present the basic
principles of these two vital subjects, along with practical
instructions and advice.
Because the Word of God is essential for life, I have also
included daily Scripture texts for reading through the Bible in
one year, with one Old Testament and one New Testament
passage for each day. Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread
alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”
(Matthew 4:4), and the apostle Paul wrote, “Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). It is imperative
that we allow the God’s Word to dwell richly in our hearts so
that, as we meditate on it and absorb it, it truly becomes a part
of our lives. Whenever we study the Word of God, we should
also pray and ask God for wisdom. The Holy Spirit is our
teacher, and we need to ask Him to illuminate the Word and to
give us insight.
I challenge you to use this book to cultivate a lifestyle of
prayer and visionary living that is destined to make a difference
in your generation and the one to come, leaving an impact on
the earth. Throughout the year, I will be with you as a life
coach—helping, guiding, and motivating you to pursue your
best and achieve your greatest potential in life.
May the Creator bless you as you pursue Him, enabling you
to become all you were born to be. Let us begin the journey to
greatness, and may each day’s devotion take you closer to His
perfect will for your life.
God bless you.
—Dr. Myles Munroe
January
January 1
Everyone Prays!
The President of the United States does it, the Prime Minister
of Israel does it, the Chairman of the Palestinian People does it,
and the Queen of England does it.
Jews do it, Muslims do it, Hindus do it, Buddhists do it,
pagans do it, heathens do it, Christians do it. Few are sure it
works; even fewer believe it is necessary. What is it? Prayer!
Prayer could be designated as the first product of global
religion. No matter how diverse the religions of the world may
be, they all practice prayer. Prayer is religion’s neutralizer.
Yet prayer is still the most elusive and misunderstood practice
of religious adherents. To understand prayer is the desire of
every man’s heart; even the pagan longs to connect with the
divine and find comfort, access, and results. Understanding
prayer, however, takes some work. We must first understand
the source, principles, and purpose of prayer.
What is prayer? Why is it necessary? How should we pray?
Why must we pray to God in the name of Jesus? Why are our
prayers not always answered the way we expect? What role
does faith have in the process of prayer? Does prayer affect or
change destiny?
The questions go on and on; you can probably add many more
to the list. To understand the foundation of prayer, we must
understand the mind and purpose of the Creator Himself.
Prayer is a result of God’s established authority between
heaven and earth, as well as a product of His faithfulness to
His Word. “Your word, O LORD, is eternal.…Your faithfulness
continues through all generations” (Psalm 119:89–90). In the
following pages, we will come to understand God’s powerful,
eternal purpose for man and prayer.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the gift of prayer.
Please open my heart to understand the purpose and
principles of prayer in the coming months.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought: When you understand the principles of prayer, you
can communicate with God with power, grace, and confidence.
January 2
The Greatest Common Denominator P rayer is

the greatest common denominator among all the
great biblical characters and thousands of strong
believers throughout history. Moses practiced it.
Abraham practiced it. King David, Solomon,
Esther, Deborah, Daniel, Joseph, all the prophets
—and, of course, Jesus Christ Himself—had
profound commitments to lives of prayer. The
biblical record shows the direct impact of their
prayers on the circumstances and situations they
faced. The evidence affirms one thing: no matter
what you may think about prayer, somehow it
works.
Is man’s role in prayer important? God believes so. God’s
actions in the earthly realm require human participation. To
preserve humanity in the Flood, He needed Noah. To create a
nation, He needed Abraham. To lead Israel, He needed Moses.
To bring back Israel from captivity, He needed Daniel. To defeat
Jericho, He needed Joshua. To preserve the Hebrews, He
needed Esther. To secure the salvation of mankind, He needed
to become a man.
Prayer is not optional, but necessary. If we don’t pray, heaven
cannot intervene in earth’s affairs. We must take responsibility
for the earth and shape what happens here by our prayer lives.
“Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they
should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1, emphasis
added).
I invite you to discover your power, authority, and rights in
the earth and to position yourself to become a faith channel for
heavenly influence in earth’s affairs. Heaven depends on you,
and the earth needs you.
Prayer is meant to be one of the most exciting aspects of a life
of faith. It has the power to transform lives, change
circumstances, give peace in the midst of trial, alter the course
of nations, and win the world for Christ.
Prayer: Father, thank You for providing biblical examples
of lives dedicated to prayer. Help me to have a prayer
life that brings powerful transformations.
Thought: The power of prayer is the inheritance of the believer.
Reading: Genesis 1–3; Matthew 1
January 3
An Effective Prayer Life
Consider this scenario: the day after he made a personal

commitment to follow the Christian faith, Thomas was shocked
to see a mere handful of people in the large building that had
overflowed with worshippers the day before. “Where is
everyone?” Thomas asked.
“I’m not sure,” answered Cory, “but this is the way it is at
every Monday night prayer meeting.”
“But yesterday there were thousands here for corporate
worship,” Thomas said, bewildered. “I thought all Christians
prayed. Why aren’t they here? Why don’t they attend prayer
meetings like they attend the regular worship service?”
Does this scenario sound familiar? We can measure the
average Christian’s belief in the effectiveness of prayer by how
few people attend prayer meetings in our churches. Prayer is
not a priority for us. Other activities seem more exciting. We
don’t mind attending Bible studies, participating in ministry
outreaches, or serving on church committees, but we avoid
prayer—both individually and corporately—because we don’t
understand it.
Outwardly, we agree that prayer is worthwhile, but secretly we
wonder: Does God really hear me when I pray? Why does it
seem as if my prayers just hit the ceiling and bounce back at
me? Unanswered prayer is a major obstacle to a life of true
faith. Through the truths and principles we will share in the
days ahead, you can change your outlook on God, yourself,
and prayer. You can have an effective prayer life that will
overflow into all the other areas of your life. The principles you
discover will help to clear away the obstacle of unanswered
prayer that has kept you from fulfilling your purpose, so you
can enter into a new dimension of faith, deep love for God, and
power for service.
Prayer: Father, I don’t want to avoid prayer.
Please lead me into a life of powerful and effective prayer.
Thought: How would you measure your own belief in prayer?
January 4
God Is Faithful to Answer God is faithful to

answer prayer. Our understanding of prayer has
become so distorted that we have developed a
definition for the word that reverses its true
meaning. When we believe something has no—or
little—chance of happening, we say, “It hasn’t got
a prayer.” Yet Jesus assures us that God hears and
answers our prayers. He said, “Therefore I tell
you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe
that you have received it, and it will be yours”
(Mark 11:24, emphasis added). The answer is so
sure that we are instructed to believe it has
already happened.
God’s will and Word do work when they are understood and
put into practice. Whether or not you believe it right now,
prayer does work, but you must first understand it. You must
learn how to pray according to the truths and principles of
prayer found in God’s Word. True, biblical prayer builds
intimacy with God, honors His nature and character, instills
respect for His integrity, enables belief in His Word, causes
trust in His love, affirms His purposes and will, and
appropriates His promises.
Prayer is meant to be answered—otherwise, God would not
ask us to pray. He won’t waste your time and effort; He’s too
practical for that. He is interested in results, not just “many
words” (Matthew 6:7) spoken in prayer. Jesus’ approach to
prayer was also very practical. He didn’t pray without
expecting to be heard. He said, “Father, I thank you that you
have heard me. I knew that you always hear me” (John 11:41–
42, emphasis added). We need to know how to approach God
and to learn the kind of prayers God responds to. We need to
pray as Jesus prayed.
Prayer: Father, I desire to learn Your heart concerning prayer.
Teach me of Your faithfulness to answer prayer.
Thought: Prayer is meant to be one of the most exciting
aspects of a life of faith.
January 5
What Is the Purpose of Prayer?
What is the purpose of prayer? Doesn’t God do whatever He

wants, anyway? Why should we have to pray when God
already knows everything?
These are valid questions. To answer them, we first need to
understand essential truths about God’s nature and His
purposes for mankind that make prayer necessary. We will
spend a few days looking at God’s original intent for mankind
and for prayer.
To begin with, God does everything for a reason, because He
is a God of purpose. His actions are not arbitrary. “The LORD
Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,
and as I have purposed, so it will stand’” (Isaiah 14:24). “The
plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart
through all generations” (Psalm 33:11). “Many are the plans
in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails”
(Proverbs 19:21).
God is a God of purpose, and everything He has created in
this world, including men and women, has been created to
fulfill His purposes. The Creator’s commitment to His original
intent for creation is a priority for Him that motivates and
regulates all His actions. We can trust that God’s purposes are
steadfast and that they will guide us into His perfect will for
our lives.
I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times,
what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do
all that I please.(Isaiah 46:10–11) Prayer: Father, You are a God
of purpose. Thank You
for including me in Your purposes for this earth.
Please use me to help fulfill Your plans.
Thought: Everything God does is driven by His purposed
desire, which never changes.
January 6
Let Us Make Man in Our Image God said, “Let

us make man in our image, in our likeness”
(Genesis 1:26). What does this statement reveal
about His purposes for humanity and for prayer?
First, God created humanity to reflect His character and
personality. We were created to be like Him, having His
“image” and “likeness.” This means we were created to have
His nature and moral character. God created mankind to
establish a relationship of mutual love with humanity. He made
mankind in His own image so love could be freely given and
received between Creator and created. Man can have
fellowship with God because God made man out of His own
essence. He made man to be spirit, just as He is Spirit. “God is
spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth”
(John 4:24).
Although God is the Creator, He has always emphasized that
He is man’s Father. It wasn’t His desire to be primarily thought
of as an awesome God or a “consuming fire” (Deuteronomy
4:24). God wants us to approach Him as a child would a loving
father: “Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you
and formed you?” (Deuteronomy 32:6). “As a father has
compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on
those who fear him” (Psalm 103:13).
Man was created out of God’s essence, and he depends on
God as his Source. As human beings, we are not self-sufficient,
even though we would like to think we are. We cannot reveal
God’s image and likeness apart from a relationship with Him.
No one will be truly satisfied until he or she loves God. God
must be first in our lives because we were designed to find
fulfillment and ultimate meaning in Him.
Prayer: Father, my ultimate fulfillment comes from You.
You are my all in all. Show me my dependence on You daily.
Thought: We cannot reflect God’s nature apart from Him.
Reading: Genesis 13–15; Matthew 5:1–26
January 7
We Were Created for Dominion God created

humanity to carry out His purposes on earth.
When God created man in His image, He gave
him free will. Thus man has the ability to plan and
make decisions, and to take action to fulfill those
plans, just as God did in creating the world. Man
is meant to carry out God’s purposes using his
own will and initiative. He is to reflect the God
who formulates plans and carries them out
through creative acts. How is humanity to fulfill
this vocation?
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,
and let them rule [“have dominion” NKJV] over the fish of the
sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the
earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
(Genesis 1:26, emphasis added) Man was created not only to
have a relationship with God, but also to share God’s authority.
“You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put
everything under his feet” (Psalm 8:6). “The highest heavens
belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man” (Psalm
115:16).
The account of the creation of mankind shows that God never
intended to rule the earth by Himself. Why? It is because “God
is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), and He wants others to share in what
He has. We must understand that the relationship of love that
God established with mankind is not separate from the purpose
God has for mankind. Rather, the relationship is foundational to
the purpose. Both are essential keys to prayer.
Prayer: Father God, I desire to have a relationship with You
and to be a part of carrying out Your purpose on this earth.
Please make this a reality in my life.
Thought: Man’s vocation is to carry out God’s purposes
on the earth.
January 8
Man’s Dominion on the Earth God has entrusted

man with the care of the earth. Man is the
proprietor of the physical earth, including all
living things. In Genesis 2, Adam was placed in
the garden of Eden to tend and cultivate it. This is
what mankind is to do with the entire earth. God
gave man the freedom to exhibit creativity while
governing the earth and everything that dwells in
it. Man is meant to reflect the loving and creative
Spirit of God.
This brings us to an interesting fact that many believers
overlook today. God didn’t originally create man for heaven;
He created man for the earth! God is the Ruler of heaven, and
He made man to express His authority in this world. He said, in
effect, “I want My rule to extend to another realm, but I don’t
want to do it directly. I want man to share My rule.”
God’s plan for creation was this: as God ruled the unseen
realm in heaven, man would rule the visible realm on earth, with
God and man enjoying continual communion through their
spiritual natures. God made us in His likeness and gives each
of us free will as a reflection of His own nature.
This does not mean that we are deity or equal to God. Adam
and Eve could fulfill their purpose only by depending on and
communicating with God. Similarly, we can fulfill our purpose
only as we are connected to our Source. However, we must
recognize God’s high esteem and purposes for us. In essence,
God said to man, “Let Me rule through you so you can
appreciate, enjoy, and share in My governance.”
Prayer: Father, it humbles me to know that You desire man to
rule with You on the earth.
Please let me maintain communion with You so I can fulfill my
part in Your purposes.
Thought: God created man to express His authority
throughout the earth.
January 9
We Are God’s Offspring When God created

Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden of
Eden, He never intended them to leave. Instead,
He wanted the garden to be spread over the
earth. God wanted them to spread worldwide the
character of the garden—God’s presence, light,
and truth. God said to them, “Be fruitful and
increase in number; fill the earth and subdue
it” (Genesis 1:28). This was the overarching
purpose for man’s dominion over the earth. Isaiah
11:9 says, “The earth will be full of the
knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the
sea.”
God shares His authority with humans because they are His
offspring. He didn’t create men and women to be servants, but
to be sons and daughters who are wholeheartedly involved in
running the family business. God has always wanted His
children to help fulfill His purposes. Jesus told His disciples, “I
no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know
his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for
everything that I learned from my Father I have made known
to you” (John 15:15).
The Father wants to share His purposes with us. This means
that He doesn’t want man to work for Him, but rather with Him.
The Bible calls us “God’s fellow workers” (2 Corinthians 6:1)
or “workers together with Him” (NKJV). In the original Greek,
“fellow workers” means those who “cooperate,” who “help
with,” who “work together.” We should think of humanity’s
dominion as a joint purpose with God based on mutual love
and the relationship of sons and daughters to their heavenly
Father.
Prayer: Father, I can call You Father because of Your love
and Your creation of humanity as Your sons and daughters.
Thank You for sharing Your dominion with us.
In the name of Your Son Jesus, amen.
Thought: We should be working with God rather than for God.
January 10
What Is the Nature of Prayer?
Tragedy came to mankind when Adam and Eve turned their

backs on God and desired their own wills instead of His will.
Some people believe that prayer originated because sin
separated us from God and we needed a way to reconnect with
Him. That is one use for prayer; however, it is not the heart of
prayer. To understand prayer’s essence, we must realize that it
began with the creation of mankind. It was not instituted after
the fall but before it. Prayer existed from the beginning of God’s
relationship with man.
The nature of prayer can be understood only in the context of
God’s purposes for humanity, to commune and rule with God,
which we have discussed in the last few days. The essence of
prayer is twofold: 1.Prayer is an expression of mankind’s unity
and relationship of love with God; 2.Prayer is an expression of
mankind’s affirmation of and participation in God’s purposes
for the earth.
To pray means to commune with God, to become one with
God. It means union with Him—unity and singleness of
purpose, thought, desire, will, reason, motive, objective, and
feeling. H. D. Bollinger said, “Prayer is being expressing
relationship with being” (emphasis added). Therefore, prayer is
a vehicle of the soul and spirit by which man communes with
God.
Prayer is also the medium through which the human spirit
affects and is affected by the will and purpose of the divine
Creator. It is man cooperating with God’s purposes for the
earth. Therefore, prayer is the involvement of oneself (one’s
whole self) with the living God.
Prayer: Father, Your desire to commune with me blesses me.
May I walk with You in communion and unity with Your Spirit.
Thought: Prayer is the expression of man’s relationship with
God and participation in His purposes.
January 11
Who Prayed the First Prayer?
Who prayed the first prayer? I would say Adam, since he

was created first and received God’s instructions about tending
the garden and the parameters of man’s authority on earth. The
Bible implies that God made a practice of walking and talking
with Adam in the cool of the day. (See Genesis 3:8–9.) The
fellowship between God and Adam formed the essence of the
first prayer.
Since Adam was in God’s presence, why did he need to pray?
Adam needed to pray because the heart of prayer is
communion with God in a unity of love and purpose. It is
agreeing with God—heart, soul, mind, and strength—to bring
about God’s will. Adam communed with God and agreed with
His purposes.
Ever since the fall of mankind, we have needed to pray to
enter God’s presence. Yet this is only for the purpose of taking
us to the place of fellowship with God where Adam and Eve
were before the fall—a place of purity before Him in which we
reflect His nature and purposes and where our wills agree with
His will.
This brings us back to an earlier question: Why do we have to
ask God to do what He has already determined to do? When
God gave man dominion, He placed His will for the earth on the
cooperation of man’s will. God did not change this purpose
when mankind fell, for His purposes are eternal. “The plans of
the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through
all generations” (Psalm 33:11).
Prayer: Father, Your purposes are eternal. Thank You for
granting us dominion over the earth. Please help me to prepare
my heart through prayer so I can enter Your presence.
Thought: Prayer is not optional.
January 12
Prayer Is Essential for God’s Will Our need to

pray results from the way God arranged dominion
on the earth. God made the world. Then He made
men and women, giving them dominion over the
works of His hands. When God said, “Let them
rule…over all the earth,” He ordered the
dominion of the world in a way that made rule by
humans essential to accomplishing His purposes.
He causes things to happen on earth when men
and women are in agreement with His will.
Prayer, therefore, is essential for God’s will to
be done in the earth. Since God never breaks
His Word concerning how things are to work,
prayer is mandatory, not optional, for spiritual
progress.
God’s plan is for man to desire what He desires, to will what
He wills, and to ask Him to accomplish His purposes in the
world so that goodness and truth, rather than evil and
darkness, may reign on the earth. In this sense, by praying,
man gives God the freedom to intervene in earth’s affairs.
Even before God’s plan of redemption was fully accomplished
in Christ, God used humans to fulfill His will. We see this truth
in the lives of Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David, Daniel, and
many others. God continued to work with mankind to fulfill His
purposes on earth even though man’s part was limited by his
sin and lack of understanding of God’s ways.
As a man or woman created in the image of God, dominion
authority is your heritage. God desires that you will His will.
His will should be the foundation of your prayers, the heart of
your intercession, and the source of your confidence in
supplication.
Prayer: Father, I affirm that I am in agreement with
Your will. Your will is in Your Word. Please continue to reveal
Your will to me in the Scriptures each day.
Thought: Prayer is earthly license for heavenly intervention.
January 13
God’s Purpose for Your Life P raying does not

mean convincing God to do your will, but doing
His will through your will. Therefore, the key to
effective prayer is understanding God’s purpose
for your life, the reason you exist—as a human
being in general and as an individual specifically.
This is an especially important truth to
remember: Once you understand your purpose,
it becomes the “raw material,” the
foundational matter, for your prayer life. God’s
will is the authority of your prayers. Prayer calls
forth what God has already purposed and
predestined—continuing His work of creation
and carrying out His plans for the earth.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined
according to the plan of him who works out everything in
conformity with the purpose of his will. (Ephesians 1:11) The
Father works out everything “in conformity with the purpose
of his will.” In this way, your purpose in God is the
foundational material for your prayers regarding provision,
healing, deliverance, power, protection, endurance, patience,
authority, faith, praise, thanksgiving, confidence, assurance,
boldness, and peace, for the supply of all your needs.
Everything you need is available to fulfill your purpose. All
that God is, and all that He has, may be received through
prayer. The measure of our appropriation of God’s grace is
determined by the measure of our prayers.
Prayer: Father, I do not want to accomplish my will,
but Your will. Lead me to conform my prayers
and myself to the purpose of Your will.
Thought: Purpose is the raw material for your prayer life.
January 14
Our Confidence in Prayer
Some people say they do not know what to pray for. The
answer is that we are not to ask God for anything outside of
our purpose. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you
ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on
your pleasures” (James 4:3). If we ask for what is contrary to
our purpose, we will be frustrated. Jesus always prayed for
God’s will to be done, then worked to accomplish it.
One of the longest prayers recorded in the Bible is Jesus’
prayer in John 17, where He said, in effect, “Father, before I
came to earth, You gave Me people to redeem. I have protected
them, I have kept them safe for that purpose, and now I am
going to effect that redemption through My death and
resurrection. I have fulfilled and am about to fulfill Your
purpose for Me.” (See John 17:6, 9–12.) Jesus knew the
heavenly Father’s purpose for His life, and He both desired to
do the will of God and acted on it. “‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to
do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work’” (John
4:34).
Jesus’ assurance in prayer was based on His knowing and
doing the will of God. As it says in 1 John 5:14–15,
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we
ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know
that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have
what we asked of him.
Prayer: Father, I desire to be more like Jesus, my Lord.
Please help me to pray, from my heart, that my food
will always be to do my heavenly Father’s will.
In Jesus’ precious name, amen.
Thought: Assurance in prayer is based on knowing
and doing God’s will.
January 15
Prayer Is Exercising Our Authority When we

know and obey God’s will, and ask Him to fulfill
it, He will grant our request. Whether we are
praying for individual, family, community,
national, or world needs, we must seek to be in
agreement with God’s will so His purposes can
reign on the earth. This is the essence of
exercising dominion.
Since the Lord has given humanity authority over the earth,
He requires the authorization of mankind to act on the earth.
When we stop praying, we hinder God’s purposes for the
world. Jesus taught His disciples “that they should always
pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). He said, “I will give you the
keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth
will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
We need to ask God to intervene in human affairs; otherwise,
our world will be susceptible to the influences of Satan and sin.
God will ultimately bring His purposes to pass in the world—
with or without our cooperation. He will find someone who
agrees with His plans, but when you neglect to pray, you fail to
fulfill your role in His purposes. He does not want you to miss
out on this privilege. James 4:2 says, “You do not have,
because you do not ask God.”
Prayer is necessary to fulfill God’s purposes in the world and
in our lives. As we embrace God’s will, live in the
righteousness of Christ, and seek to fulfill His purposes,
nothing will hinder our prayers and we will begin to understand
that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
Prayer: Father, I want to fulfill my role in Your kingdom.
Remind me daily of the importance of my prayers to You.
Thought: All that God is, and all that God has, may be received
through prayer.
January 16
Broken Relationship, Broken Effectiveness God

gave humanity a vast amount of freedom and
authority on earth. Yet these gifts depend on
man’s using his will to do God’s will. Using our
will for anything other than God’s will mars the
image and likeness of God within us and hinders
God’s purposes for the world—purposes of
goodness, fruitfulness, creativity, truth, joy, and
love. Adam and Eve’s rebellion distorted God’s
image in mankind and attacked God’s plans for
the earth.
How did this rebellion occur? Satan tempted Adam and Eve to
disobey God, and they chose to agree with Satan’s purposes
rather than God’s. In sinning, they cut off communion with
God. Humanity no longer partnered with God to fulfill His
purposes, leaving the world at the mercy of a renegade
authority opposed to God’s plans. In fact, man forfeited his
authority to Satan, serving him instead of God. The fall
introduced a new ruler on earth—one bent on its destruction
rather than its growth. Because Satan usurped mankind’s
authority on earth, the apostle Paul referred to him as “the god
of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV).
When Adam and Eve broke relationship with God, their
effectiveness in prayer was compromised. True prayer is
maintained through oneness of heart and purpose with God.
When we pray, we represent God’s interests on earth, and
representation requires relationship. Therefore, our difficulties
with prayer are traced to the fall and the fallen nature of man,
which estranges us from God. Even as redeemed believers, we
must realize who we are in Christ and act upon the principles of
prayer that God has established if we are to be restored to His
purposes in the crucial area of prayer.
Prayer: Father, thank You that we are the righteousness of
God in Christ Jesus. Please help me to pray in communion with
Your will, in righteous standing with You because of Your Son.
In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
Thought: True prayer is maintained through oneness of heart
and purpose with God.
January 17
God’s Purpose for Us Is Eternal The god of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine
unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV) In the original
Greek, one meaning of the word “world” in this
verse is “a space of time” and “an age.” In fact,
some Bible versions translate the first part of the
verse as “the god of this age” (NIV, NKJV).
Perhaps this term was meant to emphasize that while Satan
may be the god of this world now, he won’t be forever. His
reign will endure only for a time. God’s purposes are eternal,
and He planned from the foundation of the world to restore
mankind. “God…has saved us and called us to a holy life—
not because of anything we have done but because of his own
purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus
before the beginning of time” (2 Timothy 1:8–9). “He chose us
in him before the creation of the world to be holy and
blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted
as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his
pleasure and will” (Ephesians 1:4–5).
God planned to restore mankind and to renew the earth
through a new Ruler—the Second Adam, fully human yet fully
divine—who would be perfectly one with God and His
purposes: “the man Christ Jesus”
(1 Timothy 2:5).
Christ reestablished mankind’s authority in the world and
restored to us the God-given purpose and power of prayer.
Prayer: Father, You have given us the privilege to rule and reign
with Your Son Jesus. May we exercise that authority, led and
empowered by Your Holy Spirit.
Thought: God had a plan in mind from the foundation
of the world to restore mankind to Himself.
January 18
Putting Prayer into Practice In the coming

weeks, as we learn more about the powerful,
God-given gift of prayer, you will need to ask
yourself some thought-provoking questions. Be
honest with yourself, because God wants to
transform your mind concerning the power and
the privilege of prayer.
Ask yourself today: Have I ever neglected to pray because I
felt God would do whatever He wanted to do anyway? If the
real purpose of prayer is to fulfill God’s purposes on earth, how
much do I know about those purposes? How can I learn more
about God’s purposes? Have I been resisting God’s will in any
area of my life? What can I do today to build a deeper
relationship of love with God? What is one of God’s purposes
that I can agree with Him about in prayer today?
Now, let’s go to the Lord together in prayer with the
confidence that we are in His will and His purposes: Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You have said that the plans in a
man’s heart are many, but it is Your purpose that prevails.
We ask you to fulfill Your word and make Your purpose reign in
our lives. We all have plans and goals that we are pursuing.
We ask you to establish whatever is from You—whatever is
in line with Your purpose—and cause to fade away whatever
is not from You. We honor you as our Creator and as
our loving heavenly Father. We affirm that it is You who
works in us to will and to act according to Your good
purpose. Renew our minds so we may understand
Your ways and Your plans more fully.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, who is our
Way, Truth, and Life. Amen.
Thought: How can I learn more about God’s purposes?
January 19
Principles of Purpose for Prayer Today, reflect

on these principles of purpose: 1.God is a God of
purpose, and His purposes are eternal.
2. God
created mankind with a desired purpose, for a desired
purpose.
3. God desired offspring with whom He could share a
relationship of love, rule, and dominion.
4. God
created mankind in His image, with His nature and moral
character, and with a free will.
5. God gave mankind the freedom to function with legal
authority on earth. He placed His will for the earth on the
cooperation of man’s will. This purpose never changed, even
after the fall of mankind.
6. God’s
will is His purpose for mankind. To fulfill what we were
created to be and to do, we must desire to do God’s will.
7. Prayer
is an expression of mankind’s unity and relationship of
love with God. It is also an expression of mankind’s affirmation
of and participation in God’s purposes.
8. Prayer is the involvement of one’s whole self with God.
9. Prayeris the medium through which the human spirit affects
and is affected by the will and purpose of the divine Creator.
10. Prayer is
not optional. It is essential for the fulfillment of
God’s purposes on earth.
11. Bypraying, man gives God the freedom to intervene in
earth’s affairs.
12. When we know and obey God’s will, and ask Him to fulfill it,
He will grant our request.
13. When Adam and Eve broke relationship with God, their
effectiveness in prayer was compromised. True prayer is
maintained through oneness of heart and purpose with God.
January 20
The Right to Pray We know that God instituted

prayer when He created mankind, and that prayer
is our means of communion with God. It is the
medium through which our spirits are to affect
and be affected by the will and purpose of the
divine Creator. That is the purpose of prayer.
Yet on what basis do you have a right to pray?
God originally gave us this right by virtue of our relationship
with Him and our purpose of exercising dominion over the
earth. Yet our first ancestors broke relationship with our
Creator and forfeited our dominion authority. Satan, rather than
man, became “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV).
As a result, people became estranged from God and His plans
for them. This left them feeling isolated from God, unsure of
where they stood with Him, unclear as to what God wanted to
do for and through them, and without a sense of purpose.
Do these results sound at all like your own prayer life? If so,
you must realize that your concept of prayer has been
influenced by the effects of the fall. However, God wants to
give you a new outlook on prayer—one that confirms your
right to pray and reflects His purposes for redemption, as well
as creation.
It was not until I understood God’s principles of purpose and
faithfulness that I began to grasp the nature, philosophy, and
foundation of the concept of prayer and to experience the
positive results of prayer in my own life. As we continue this
devotional journey together into the heart of prayer, we will
learn more life-changing truths about prayer’s purpose and
power.
Prayer: Father, open my spiritual eyes so that I may
understand how vital my right to pray is to my Christian life.
Thought: God wants to give you a new outlook on prayer.
January 21
God’s Purposes Reflect His Character God’s

purposes are eternal. His plan from the
foundation of the world was to defeat Satan and
sin and to restore mankind. His purposes never
changed.
Yet God’s plan was not simply to come down and wrench
control of the earth back from Satan. He could have done that,
but He never would have done it. It would have been
inconsistent with the integrity of His character and His
purposes. Why?
God has all power and authority. However, He has given
mankind free will and authority over the earth, and He will not
rescind those gifts—even though man sinned, rejected Him,
and deserves to be separated from Him forever. Romans 6:23
says, “For the wages of sin is death.” What extraordinary
respect God has for humanity! He continued to respect
mankind’s free will, even after the fall, for “God’s gifts and his
call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).
God restored man’s relationship with Him and his earthly
authority, even after he had thrown away these gifts. To do
this, man’s sin had to be dealt with, and man also had to desire
to return to God and work together with Him of his own free
will. This was possible only in Christ. As Jesus said, “With
man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”
(Matthew 19:26). God’s eternal plan for humanity was made
possible through the obedience and sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
who alone restores us to our purposes in God. Only through
Christ do we have a right to pray with authority.
Prayer: Father, thank You that Your plans for mankind are
eternal. Thank You for not giving up on us, and for sending
Your Son Jesus to restore our right to commune with You.
May we learn to pray with authority in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thought: God respected man’s authority even when it
lay dormant within his fallen nature.
Reading: Exodus 1–3; Matthew 14:1–21
January 22
God’s Redemption through Jesus From the

beginning of creation, God planned to redeem
and restore mankind through Jesus Christ.
[God] made known to us the mystery of his will according to
his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ.…His intent
was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God
should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the
heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he
accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through
faith in him we may approach God with freedom and
confidence. (Ephesians 1:9; 3:10–12, emphasis added) To
restore God’s purpose, Jesus came as a Representative of the
legal authority of the earth: man. He came as a human being,
the Second Adam, the beginning of a new family of men who
would be devoted to God—“the firstborn among many
brothers” (Romans 8:29). John 1:14 says, “The Word became
flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The second person of
the Trinity voluntarily put aside His heavenly glory and came
to earth as a man: “[Christ], being in very nature God,…[took]
the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness”
(Philippians 2:7).
Coming as a man gave Jesus the legal right to reclaim
humanity and the earth for God. To restore man’s broken
relationship with God, it was necessary for Jesus to live a
sinless life and to chose to do God’s will. Only a perfectly
righteous man who desired to do God’s will could redeem
humanity. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who
had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.”
Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Jesus as mankind’s
Representative in order to restore me to You. Help me to
remember that because Jesus became sin for me,
I have become the righteousness of God.
Thought: The Father has accomplished His eternal purpose

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

January 23
Jesus Is the Second Adam As the Second Adam,

Jesus reflected God’s image, as Adam originally
had. Jesus is called “Christ, who is the image of
God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The fullness of the
“image of God” was revealed in both His
humanity and divinity: “God was pleased to
have all his fullness dwell in him” (Colossians
1:19). “For in Christ all the fullness of the
Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been
given fullness in Christ, who is the head over
every power and authority” (Colossians 2:9–
10). “He is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15).
Jesus also had a unique relationship of love with God the
Father; it reflected the relationship God desired to have with
Adam and Eve. “The Father loves the Son and has placed
everything in his hands” (John 3:35). “For the Father loves
the Son and shows him all he does” (John 5:20). The love
between the Father and the Son enabled Jesus to say, “I and
the Father are one” (John 10:30). Throughout the Gospels,
Jesus revealed that His one purpose was to do God’s will:
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven” (Luke 11:2 NKJV). “I can of Myself do nothing. As I
hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not
seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me”
(John 5:30 NKJV.) Jesus still lives to do God’s will, and He said
that anyone who does God’s will belongs to the family of God:
“Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother
and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50).
Prayer: Father, I want to be one with You and Your purposes.
This is possible only because of my relationship with
You through Jesus Christ. Enable me to see and
pray for Your will to be done in my life.
Thought: Through Christ we are restored to our purpose.
January 24
Jesus Reigns with Authority Just as Adam and

Eve originally administered God’s rule on earth,
Christ exhibited God’s authority when He lived
on earth: “The blind receive sight, the lame
walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the
deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good
news is preached to the poor” (Matthew 11:5).
When Jesus returns to earth, the whole world will recognize
His authority. “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father” (Philippians 2:10–11). “On his robe and on his thigh
he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”
(Revelation 19:16). “The kingdom of the world has become the
kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for
ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).
Jesus has the authority to reign on earth and to ask God to
intervene in the world since He was the perfect Man and
Sacrifice. His prayers for mankind are powerful and effective.
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to
God through him, because he always lives to intercede for
them” (Hebrews 7:25).
Jesus has given believers His Spirit so we can agree with
God’s purposes even if we are uncertain how to pray. “In the
same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not
know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself
intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express”
(Romans 8:26). We can pray with the same authority as Jesus
did because the Holy Spirit dwells within us.
Prayer: Father, may I learn to pray with the authority of Christ
in accordance with Your will, in the power of Your Spirit.
Thought: Jesus has the right and the power to reign on the
earth.
January 25
Jesus Transferred Authority The position and

authority that Jesus won have been returned to
mankind through spiritual rebirth in Christ. (See
John 3:5.) Because of Christ, we can live as true
sons and daughters of our heavenly Father, having
a restored relationship of love with Him, the
ability to follow His will, and the right and
privilege to pray.
It is God’s will that every person be redeemed and rule the
earth through the Spirit of Christ. Through mankind, God
desires to reveal His character, nature, principles, precepts, and
righteousness to the world. This is an eternal plan that applies
to our present lives on earth and will apply throughout eternity.
God intended man to live and work on earth. Yet, because of
the fall, our spirits will separate from our bodies when we die;
the spirits of the redeemed will join God in heaven. Yet God
promised that when we come to heaven, we will stay only until
the day when our bodies will be resurrected to rejoin our
spirits. Then we will continue to rule in the new earth God will
create. (See 1 Corinthians 15:42–44, 51–53; Isaiah 65:17.) God
will not raise you from the dead just to live with Him forever. He
will raise you so you can get on with your work—your calling
and vocation. Today, as we live and work in this fallen world,
and in the future, when we will live and reign with Jesus (see
Revelation 5:10; 20:4, 6; 22:5), God’s commission for us is
unchanging: “Let them rule…over all the earth” (Genesis
1:26).
Prayer: Father, the authority Jesus won has been
restored to mankind according to Your will. I desire to share
in that authority and see Your will carried out on the earth.
Use me for Your purposes.
Thought: Because of Christ, we can live as true sons
and daughters of God.
Reading: Exodus 12–13; Matthew 16
January 26
Accept Your Authority in Christ Many believers

do not advance God’s kingdom on earth, often
because they do not recognize or accept the
calling and authority they received in Christ. They
do not know their rights based on the “new
covenant”: Not that we are competent in
ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our
competence comes from God. He has made us
competent as ministers of a new covenant—not
of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills,
but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:5–6) I
believe our fear of being proud or presumptuous,
along with our failure to accept our worth in
Christ, have robbed us of the reality of His
finished work on our behalf. How slow we are to
act on what we are in Christ!
For years, the church has not understood the true nature of
humility. We have been taught about our weaknesses and
unworthiness in such a way that we scarcely dare to affirm
what God says we are: “a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Yet “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has
gone, the new has come! All this is from God” (vv. 17–18). This
is not something we made up. It is from God.
Ephesians 1:7 says, “In him we have redemption through his
blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of
God’s grace.” Who are we in Christ? We are the redeemed! The
Second Adam redeemed mankind. Therefore, not only are we
new creations, but we also have redemption that is literal and
absolute.
Prayer: Father God, I am a new creation in Christ.
How amazing are those words!
Enable me to live as the new creation that You have made me.
Thought: What does Christ’s redemption mean to you today?
January 27
Delivered from Darkness Satan became the god

of this world when he successfully tempted Adam
and Eve to reject God’s ways. Yet Christ
delivered us from Satan’s dominion. Even though
we live in a fallen world, we do not belong to it,
but to God’s kingdom: “He has rescued us from
the dominion of darkness and brought us into
the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians
1:13). “But you are a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging
to God, that you may declare the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his
wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Satan no longer
has authority over us; rather, we have authority
over him in the name of Jesus.
Christ also delivered us from the power of sin. “Sin shall not
be your master, because you are not under law, but under
grace” (Romans 6:14). When we repent of our sins and believe
in Jesus as our Savior, we are “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
and are “the righteousness of God” in Him (v. 21). Since He is
sinless, we, too, are free from sin. “Where sin increased, grace
increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so
also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20–21). Because
of redemption, sin no longer reigns in our lives—grace does.
Our right to “approach the throne of grace with confidence”
(Hebrews 4:16) through Christ brings us the delight of a
restored relationship with God. This enables us to pray in
agreement with the Father and to ask Him to meet our needs
and the needs of others.
Prayer: Father, thank You that we can approach
Your throne of grace with confidence. Please enable me
to walk in the boldness You have given me.
Thought: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood.”
January 28
Jesus Is Our Model of Authority Jesus reclaimed

our dominion authority and modeled how to
exercise it. His prayer life exemplified the prayer
life we are to have. You may say, “Yes, but Jesus
was different from us. He was divine, and so He
had an advantage over us.”
When Jesus was on earth, was He in a better position than we
are? No. What He accomplished on earth, He accomplished in
His humanity, not His divinity. Otherwise, He could not have
been man’s Representative and Substitute. Jesus kept a close
relationship with the Father through prayer. He did what God
directed Him to, relying on the Spirit of God. We can do the
same.
God loved Jesus because He lived to fulfill God’s purposes.
“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—
only to take it up again” (John 10:17). God revealed to Jesus
His plans and how Jesus’ ministry related to His overall
purpose. I believe God will do the same for us as we live and
work in the Spirit of Christ.
Jesus’ prayers were effective because He had a relationship
with God, knew His purposes, and prayed according to God’s
will. We are to imitate Him, letting His Spirit rule in our lives.
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”
(Philippians 2:5 NKJV). We are to live in the new covenant that
God grants us in Christ, which restores our unity with God’s
will: “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their
minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they
will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33) Prayer: Father, I pray that I
may
follow Jesus’ example of a life of obedience.
Thought: God will reveal His plans to us as we live
in the Spirit of Christ.
January 29
Are You Willing?
In a previous devotional, I asked, “What gives you the right

to pray?” It is not only your calling in creation, but also your
redemption in Christ that gives you this right. This is a solid
truth that dispels doubt, fear, uncertainty, and timidity in regard
to prayer.
Because of Christ, you can have a relationship of love with
God the Father, the certainty of your redemption, an
understanding of your calling and authority in Christ, and a
clear idea of God’s purpose for your life. God wants you to live
confidently in the authority He has given you. Christ says, I
tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in
heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree
about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my
Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:18–19) Do you want God to
bring about His purposes for your life and for our fallen world?
Invite Him to do so through prayer.
From Genesis to Revelation, God always found a human being
to help Him accomplish His purposes. He comes to you now
and asks, in effect, “Are you willing? Will you help Me fulfill
My purposes for your life and for the earth? Or are you content
to live an unfulfilled existence and to let the influences of sin
and Satan encroach upon your world? ‘Who is he who will
devote himself to be close to me?’ (Jeremiah 30:21).”
Prayer: Father, I pray that my desire to be close to You
will increase. Help me to live in oneness with You
and Your purposes, through the Spirit of Christ.
Thought: “Who is he who will devote himself to be close to
me?”
January 30
Putting Prayer into Practice For several days, we

have talked about our redemption in Christ. Now,
ask yourself these questions: Do I ever feel
isolated from God, unsure of where I stand with
Him, or unclear about how to pray? Am I praying
based on the effects of the fall or the effects of
Christ’s redemptive work on my behalf?
Take some action steps in the coming days in regard to your
redemption. Begin today to apply the redemption of Christ to
your prayer life by acknowledging Jesus’ restoration of your
relationship with the Father and your purpose of dominion.
Remind yourself daily that your redemption means that Satan
and sin no longer have authority over you, that you have
access to the Father and authority through Jesus’ name, and
that you have authority through the Word of God.
Start approaching God based on this promise: “Let us then
approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”
(Hebrews 4:16).
Now let us pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You
for never giving up on us but for redeeming us for Yourself and
Your purposes through Jesus Christ, the Second Adam. Paul
prayed for the Thessalonians
that You would count them worthy of Your calling, and that by
Your power You would fulfill every good purpose of theirs
and every act prompted by their faith. We ask You to count us
worthy of our calling and to enable us to fulfill Your purposes,
through the grace, faith, and authority we have in Christ.
We pray these things in the name of Jesus,
our Redeemer and King. Amen.
Thought: Am I praying based on the effects of the fall or
the effects of Christ’s redemptive work on my behalf?
January 31
Principles of Authority in Prayer
Today, reflect on these principles of authority in prayer:

1. God’splan of redemption is consistent with His character and
purposes. He redeemed man while keeping man’s free will and
earthly authority intact.
2.Through Christ we are restored to our purpose, and through
Him we have a right to pray with authority.
3.As the Second Adam, Christ is the image of God, exhibits a
relationship of love with God, lives to do God’s will, and reigns
as King of the earth and Judge of mankind.
4.Christ reclaimed our earthly authority in these ways: •Jesus
came as a man. Thus He was a qualified Representative of
earthly authority.
•Jesus was perfectly obedient and sinless. As the Son of
God, He restored man’s relationship with the Father by
overcoming sin and death through His sacrifice on the
cross.
•Jesus rose victoriously. He was qualified to defeat sin
and Satan, regain authority over the earth, and be its
rightful King.
5. The position and authority that Jesus won have been
returned to mankind through spiritual rebirth in Christ. (See
John 3:5.) 6. When we do not live in our position of authority, it
is because we do not recognize or accept our calling in Christ,
because we do not know our covenant rights.
7. Man’s redemption allows him to have dominion. This means
that Satan and sin have no authority over us; we have access
to the Father and authority through Jesus’ name, and we have
authority through the Word of God.
8. Jesus
is our model of dominion authority. What He
accomplished on earth, He accomplished in His humanity, even
though He was also divine. He relied on the grace and Spirit of
God, as we can.
9. Our right
to pray comes from both our calling in creation and
our redemption in Christ.
February
February 1
How to Enter God’s Presence
To pray, we must enter into God’s presence with the right

spirit, approach, and preparation. The term “entering into God’s
presence” is frequently used in the church today to refer to
worship and prayer. However, in casual, twenty-first century
Christianity, few really understand this concept. We often fall
short of entering into God’s presence because we lack a
genuine reverence for Him.
When I was growing up in the Bahamas, a man would remove
his hat when he walked past a church in order to show respect
for the place in which God was worshipped. Today, we say,
“That’s unnecessary. It’s the attitude of the heart that counts.”
Yet I think we have lost the attitude with the custom. We need
to be spiritually sensitive to God’s holiness, might, and
worthiness of reverence.
We must also enter God’s presence with a heart of love. Jesus
said the greatest commandment of all is to “love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind” (Matthew 22:37). God is saying to the church, in
essence, “Don’t obey Me because of the things you want from
Me. Obey Me because you love Me. ‘If you love me, you will
obey what I command’ (John 14:15). If you love Me, you won’t
need chastisement and discipline to do what I ask of you.”
God doesn’t want us to use Him merely as safety insurance
from hell. He wants a relationship, not a religion. He wants to
be our Father. He wants communion with us—an atmosphere
of intimacy in which we express our love, discover His will, and
then pursue it. Communion is entering into the mind and heart
of God to become one with Him and His purposes.
Prayer: Father, please show me how to have oneness of heart
with You. I want to give You the reverence and love that You
deserve.
Thought: Enter God’s presence with the right spirit,
approach, and preparation.
February 2
Enter with a Pure Heart To seek God, we need

holiness, for “without holiness no one will see
the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). As Jesus said,
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see
God” (Matthew 5:8). I don’t believe these verses
refer to seeing God in heaven after we die, but
rather to seeing God now, in the sense of entering
into His presence in a relationship of intimacy so
we can know His heart and mind.
What does it mean to be pure in heart? Pure means holy.
Therefore, Jesus was saying, in effect, “Blessed are the holy in
heart, for they will see God.” The word holy means to “sanctify,
or set apart,” or “to be set.” “Blessed are the [set] in heart, for
they will see God.” When you are pure in heart, your mind is
set on God and His ways.
“I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves [set
yourselves apart] and be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus
11:44). “I am the LORD, who makes you holy” (Leviticus 20:8).
Perhaps no word describes God better than holiness. God is
saying, “Set yourself in the same way that I set myself; be holy,
just as I am holy.” To consecrate yourself means to position
yourself in such a way that you say, “I’m not going to stop
until I get what I’m going after.”
Leviticus 20:26 says, “You are to be holy to me because I, the
LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be
my own.” Holiness always involves separation. It has to do
with fixing yourself on God and not being influenced by people
whose minds are not centered on Him and who do not believe
His Word.
Prayer: Father, I desire to be holy as You are holy.
Show me how to consecrate myself unto You and Your Word.
Thought: Holiness is critical to prayer because
“without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
February 3
Holiness and Integrity Holiness means “one”—

not the numeric value, but one in the sense of
“complete.” Holiness connotes the concept of
integrity, a quality God has because what He
says, what He does, and who He is are the
same. God always does what He says He will
because He is one with Himself.
God’s presence cannot abide anything that isn’t holy. In the
Old Testament, anyone who entered His presence without
being holy died. God warned the priests, in effect, “Do not
come into My presence unless you are holy, because I am holy.
Coming without being holy will destroy you.” Those who
perished in this way died because holiness and impurity
cannot coexist. The pure alone will see God. (See Matthew 5:8.)
When we pray, we must have integrity. God says, “You will
seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”
(Jeremiah 29:13). We can’t just say we seek God; we must really
seek Him if we want to find Him. We must determine, like Jacob,
“God, I’m not going to let You go until I see you.” (See Genesis
32:24–30.) What does it mean to “see” God in relation to
prayer? The Scriptures say, “Stand still, and see the salvation
of the LORD” (Exodus 14:13;
2 Chronicles 20:17 NKJV). In essence, God says, “If you are holy,
then I will manifest Myself to you. You will see My salvation in
your life.” If you are convinced that He will do what He has
promised, then you will see Him answer prayer. In this sense,
holiness is being convinced that what God says and what He
does are equivalent.
Prayer: Father God, You are holy because
Your words, actions, and identity are one.
Help me to be holy as You are holy.
Thought: If you are holy, what you believe, say, and do
will be the same.
February 4
A Double-Minded Man If any of you lacks
wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will
be given to him. But when he asks, he must
believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is
like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the
wind. That man should not think he will receive
anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded
man, unstable in all he does.(James 1:5–8,
emphasis added) A person who is “double-
minded” and “unstable in all he does”
demonstrates unholiness by the inconsistency
between what he says and what he actually
believes and does. God says to us, in effect, “If
you ask Me for something and then doubt that I
will give it, don’t even think you will receive it.”
If God were not true to His Word, He would be acting in an
unholy way. Because we know God is holy, we can believe He
will fulfill what He has promised. Since God is holy, we, too,
must be holy to receive answers to prayer. Note that only when
the followers of Jesus were of one accord was the Holy Spirit
given to them. (See Acts 2:1 NKJV.) Double-mindedness is the
opposite of holiness and integrity. Again, if you have integrity,
then your words, actions, and beliefs are consistent. If you tell
God you believe Him, but act in the opposite way, you lack
integrity, purity, and holiness. You are double-minded. “That
man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord”
(James 1:7).
Prayer: Father, I do not want to be a double-minded believer.
I will stay in Your Word and believe it. You are faithful and true,
and You will fulfill what You have promised.
Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought: If you seek God with all your heart, mind, and
conscience, He promises that you will find Him.
February 5
A Kingdom of Priests When God told Moses,

“Go and tell the Israelites, ‘You will be for me a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation’” (Exodus
19:6, emphasis added), He was reflecting His
purposes for mankind from Adam to Abraham to
Jacob to the children of Israel, to the church.
God’s plan is that we be His representatives or
“priests” on earth. In God’s perspective, the
priesthood is not just for a special group of
people, but for all who belong to Him. God’s
purposes are eternal, and His original plan for
mankind, which began with Adam, was passed on
to succeeding generations.
The first man was created as a priest—one who served as
God’s intermediary for the earth. We know that God wanted
Adam to spread His will and His nature throughout the earth,
to administer His kingdom by filling the world with a single
“nation” of Spirit-led people. Adam failed, and the earth
became populated with many nations who did not know God.
God created a nation—Israel—to serve as priest before the
other nations. All the people of this nation were to be priests,
as we saw in Exodus 19:6. Israel also failed to fulfill God’s
calling, so God chose a small group from that nation, a tribe
called the Levites, to serve as priests. God instructed the
Levites to mediate for the nation of Israel. This would enable
Israel to fulfill its calling as God’s representative to the other
nations so that, ultimately, all nations would return to Him.
That was the purpose of the Levitical priesthood: to restore the
purpose of God to Israel so Israel could help restore God’s
purpose for the world.
Prayer: Father, thank You for desiring a priesthood of believers.
I belong to You; teach me how to serve You as You desire.
Thought: God wants to win the world through a priesthood of
believers.
February 6
A Faithful Priest Forever Yesterday, we saw that

the Levitical priests were intercessors or
mediators between God and the people of Israel.
In the book of Leviticus, we find God’s
commandments to the priests. The Levitical
priesthood was to restore the purpose of God to
Israel.
However, just as Adam and the entire nation of Israel had, this
Levitical priesthood failed to follow God and became corrupted.
God then sent the prophets to tell the priests to return to Him,
but Israel killed or ignored the prophets. Finally, God had to
come personally. He raised up a Priest—not only from the line
of Abraham, but also from His own house, One who would be
faithful—Jesus, the Son of God, our High Priest. “God said to
him, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’ And
he says in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, in the order
of Melchizedek’” (Hebrews 5:5–6).
This Priest served God perfectly. He knew how to enter God’s
presence and how to represent man to God and God to man. He
created a new nation of people—the church—to be God’s
priests to the world. God told the church the same thing He had
said to Israel, because God’s purposes are eternal. The apostle
Peter wrote, You also, like living stones, are being built into a
spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.…But you
are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who
called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(1 Peter 2:5,
9, emphasis added) Prayer: Father, You have sent a true and
faithful Priest to us.
Please show me how to follow His example.
Thought: Jesus is our true and faithful High Priest.
February 7
A New Nation of Priests When God told

Abraham He would create a great nation from
Abraham’s lineage and that through him all
nations of the world would be blessed, His intent
was to redeem the whole world. Keeping His
Word, God created a new nation from Abraham’s
descendant, Jesus of Nazareth, and his spiritual
offspring who believe in Jesus—“those who are
of the faith of Abraham” (Romans 4:16,
emphasis added).
This new nation comprises both Israelites (Jews) and Gentiles
(non-Jews) who have placed their faith in Christ. It is the single
nation of Spirit-led people that was God’s original purpose:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor
female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
When the Lord Himself came to earth as God the Son, His
intent was to create a new nation in which all would receive the
Holy Spirit, through whom they could be His intermediaries for
the world. In the Old Testament, Joel prophesied, And
afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your
young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men
and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:28–
29) In this new nation of believers, people are no longer
separated and categorized. If anyone—male or female, young
or old—repents of sin and receives Christ, God fills that person
with His Spirit and makes him His priest. As believers, you and
I are priests before God. The Bible calls the priesthood an
eternal ordinance. (See Numbers 18:8 NKJV.) It is forever!
Prayer: Father, thank You for pouring out Your Holy Spirit on
Your people so that we may serve You and help reconcile the
world to You. You have enabled us to serve You as priests
forever!
I thank you in Jesus’ precious name, amen.
Thought: God created a new nation of Spirit-filled intercessors.
Reading: Leviticus 1–3; Matthew 24:1–28
February 8
Entering His Presence as Priests Aaron, the first

high priest, is a model for us as the priesthood of
believers who serve God in Christ. God’s
commandments to Aaron help us understand our
New Testament role as “a royal priesthood” (1
Peter 2:9). From God’s instructions to Aaron on
how to enter His presence on the Day of
Atonement, we may understand how to come into
His presence today.
For the next week or so, we will study Leviticus 16 to discover
ten ways to enter and remain in God’s presence, where we can
commune with Him, offer effectual prayer, and mediate on the
world’s behalf.
First, we need a clear appropriation of God’s grace in our
lives. Leviticus 16:3 says, “This is how Aaron is to enter the
sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram
for a burnt offering.” God told Aaron to offer animal sacrifices
to atone for the sins of Israel. Aaron could not enter the
sanctuary area without the sin offering and burnt offering.
Similarly, God says to us, “If you desire to enter My presence,
your sin has to be dealt with.” Therefore, the first step in
prayer is not to present our petitions, but to examine our life for
sins.
Sometimes sins are not glaring; they may be more subtle.
They may relate to our families, the church, our finances, or our
jobs. When we go to God in prayer, He may say, “I have a
problem with this area. You want Me to cooperate with you,
but you have disobeyed Me. If I answer your prayer, I am
condoning disobedience.” God wants to answer our prayers.
That’s why He wants us to confess our sins and appropriate
His grace.
Prayer: Father, reveal to me the sins, both subtle and glaring,
that keep me from You. I want to walk in Your grace and
holiness. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought: Do I examine my life as I come before God in prayer?
February 9
He Is Faithful and Just to Forgive
First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.” This promise applies to Christian believers
who have a relationship with Christ. God wants to bless us and
answer our prayers, so He tells us to deal with our sins.
We need to accept Christ’s sacrifice and repent from
wrongdoing. We need to uproot the secret sin and
disobedience within us so we can pray effectively. Our sins are
forgiven when we go to Christ, who covers us with His blood
and cleanses us. We need continual cleansing so we can live
before God in holiness—the holiness Christ died to provide.
God essentially says, “If you want Me to do business with
you, you have to get rid of sin, disobedience, and neglect.”
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your
sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear”
(Isaiah 59:2). The point is not to feel guilty about these sins,
but rather to ask for forgiveness and receive cleansing. God is
gracious, and we can even ask Him to forgive the sins we don’t
realize we have committed. King David prayed, “Who can
discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults” (Psalm 19:12).
We also have this promise from God’s Word:
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his
love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm
103:11–12)
Prayer: Father, You are a God of forgiveness. As I walk with
You, please reveal the secret sins of my heart so that I might
forsake them. Please forgive my sins and cleanse me from
unrighteousness. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought: God has promised throughout His Word to forgive;
our part is to repent.
February 10
Receiving Forgiveness To receive forgiveness,

we don’t bring animal sacrifices as the Israelites
did, but our sins must still be atoned for by blood.
The principles of the Old Testament still apply in
the New Testament, which reveals their
significance. For example, “the [Old Testament]
law requires that nearly everything be cleansed
with blood, and without the shedding of blood
there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). The
difference in the New Testament is that the
sacrifice was fulfilled once and for all in Christ,
the Lamb of God. “He sacrificed for their sins
once for all when he offered himself” (Hebrews
7:27).
First John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in
the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood
of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” When you are
cleansed with the blood of Jesus, nothing separates you from
God. You can have genuine fellowship with Him and with other
believers, which brings the power of agreement in prayer.
God is serious about holiness and obedience. We can’t live
in sin and unbelief if we want our prayers answered. If you
struggle with a particular sin, surrender it to God, ask Him to
purify you (see 1 John 1:9), and seek the counsel of mature
believers so this sin will not block your relationship with God.
Take your sins to His throne of grace, where He waits to
forgive you. “To the Lord our God belong mercy and
forgiveness” (Daniel 9:9 NKJV). “In [Christ] we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7).
Prayer: Father, thank You that You are a God of mercy and
forgiveness. May I never take for granted the reality
that my sins are covered by Jesus’ redeeming blood.
Thought: Forgiveness of our sins brings power in prayer.
February 11
Putting on Righteousness
Aaron’s priestly preparation for entering the presence of God

also included what I call “putting on righteousness.” “He is to
put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next
to his body” (Leviticus 16:4). This second preparation
corresponds to the New Testament admonition, “Put on the
new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). God tells us to be clothed with our
new righteousness and holiness in Him.
In Ephesians 6:11–20, Paul talked about putting on the “full
armor of God” (vv. 11, 13). I believe this analogy presents the
believer preparing for prayer. (See verses 18–20.) Before we
pray, we need to be wearing “the helmet of salvation” (v. 17).
This refers to our atonement: being saved by the blood of
Christ and being cleansed from our sins.
We are also to put on “the breastplate of righteousness” (v.
14). A breastplate protects the heart and other precious organs.
With this analogy, God is saying, “I want you to be pure in the
most vital areas of your life.” We can do that only by
appropriating the righteousness of Christ through faith: “God
made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we
might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
We also need to live in that righteousness, doing what is right
by keeping in step with the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:25.)
When we put on God’s righteousness, we can rejoice before
the Lord:
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he
has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a
robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a
priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah
61:10)
Prayer: Father, thank You for clothing me in the righteousness
of Your Son. I rejoice in the priestly clothing You have given
me.
Thought: We come into God’s presence only through the
righteousness of Christ.
February 12
Putting on Truth and Honesty Let us look again

at how Aaron was to enter God’s holy place, as
described in Leviticus: He is to put on the sacred
linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his
body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and
put on the linen turban. These are sacred
garments; so he must bathe himself with water
before he puts them on.(Leviticus 16:4) In the
analogy of the armor of God, the linen sash
corresponds to the “belt of truth”: “Stand
therefore, having your loins girt about with
truth [“with the belt of truth buckled around
your waist” NIV]” (Ephesians 6:14 KJV). The sash
covers the secret areas of your life. David said,
“Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you
teach me wisdom in the inmost place” (Psalm
51:6). The third preparation for entering God’s
presence, therefore, is to practice truth and
honesty.
Do we fear the Lord, desiring to be people of truth? We are to
gird ourselves with the sash of truth by being transparent and
clean before the Lord. Is this your desire? The high priest had
to come before God in truth and purity, and as His “royal
priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), we are to come before Him in the
same way.
“Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his
holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm
24:3–4). We can be pure before God by turning from our sinful
ways, receiving forgiveness through Christ, and walking in the
Spirit. (See Romans 8:3–4.) Prayer: Father, I desire a heart of
honesty. I will put on
Your Word as the belt of truth. Help me to walk always
in that truth, through Your Spirit.
Thought: Be transparent and clean before the Lord.
Reading: Leviticus 13; Matthew 26:26–50
February 13
Cleansed by God’s Word
These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with
water before he puts them on. (Leviticus 16:4)
Before Aaron put on the sacred garments of the priesthood,

he had to cleanse himself. Likewise, before we enter God’s
presence, we must be cleansed; this is the fourth preparation.
In the Old Testament, Aaron had to wash his entire body with
water and put on linen in order to be clean when he entered the
holiest places of the tabernacle. With the fulfillment of the law
in the New Testament, we no longer need to wash with actual
water. In John 15:3, Christ told His disciples, “You are already
clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” Ephesians
5:25–26 says, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for
her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water
through the word.”
Christ said we are clean through the words He has spoken.
The Word of God is our water for spiritual cleansing; therefore,
we need to meditate continually on the Scriptures. David
emphasized this truth:
How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according
to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray
from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that
I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:9–11)
When we come before God, we need to make sure that we’ve
read the Word and that we are obeying it. Otherwise, we will
enter God’s presence with our own ideas and attitudes. The
Word washes us completely, cleansing our hearts and minds,
purifying our attitudes and actions.
Prayer: Father, thank You for cleansing me
through Your Word. Help me to remain in Your Word
so I may enter into Your presence with a clean heart.
Thought: The cleansing of the Word will change your heart
and transform your life.
Reading: Leviticus 14; Matthew 26:51–75
February 14
Worship Rises Like Incense [Aaron] is to take a
censer full of burning coals from the altar before
the LORD and two handfuls of finely ground
fragrant incense and take them behind the curtain.
He is to put the incense on the fire before the
LORD, and the smoke of the incense will conceal
the atonement cover above the Testimony, so that
he will not die. (Leviticus 16:12–13) In the
Bible, incense symbolizes worship. Jesus told
the woman at the well, in effect, “The Samaritans
seek God on the mountain; the Jews seek God in
the temple in Jerusalem. Yet, if you really want to
come into God’s presence, you must worship
Him in spirit and in honest motivation—in truth.”
(See John 4:19–24.) Our fifth preparation for
coming into God’s presence includes worship.
God has told us we need to worship, but
sometimes we try to bypass this step and jump
right into prayer. God tells us, “Honor My name
first. Worship Me.” He wants us to put some
incense on the fire!
Worship leaders are very important in the body of Christ
because they prepare the way for the congregation to enter
into the Lord’s presence. Problems can result when the worship
leaders’ hearts aren’t right. If our corporate worship is not as it
should be, our worship leaders should examine their hearts.
Are they putting incense on the fire, or are they jumping over
the fire, trying to enter God’s presence without paying the price
of purity?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for receiving my
praise and worship. Your Word says that You inhabit
the praises of Your people. Show me how to
worship You from a pure heart.
Thought: Worship is a choice of the heart.
February 15
Separate Yourself to the Lord No one is to be in
the Tent of Meeting from the time Aaron goes in
to make atonement in the Most Holy Place until
he comes out, having made atonement for
himself, his household and the whole community
of Israel. (Leviticus 16:17) Aaron was
separated from the rest of the people when he
entered God’s presence. A sixth way we prepare
for prayer is by separating ourselves from our
normal environment and activities. When you
seek God, you can’t be listening to the radio,
watching television, or listening to other people
talk. You can’t be distracted. If you plan to seek
God, you must be serious about it. God says, “If
you want to find Me, you will do so only if you
seek Me with all your heart.” (See Jeremiah
29:13.) God told Aaron, in effect, “The Tent is
where I will meet you.” He didn’t meet Aaron just
anywhere. Aaron had to enter the Tent of Meeting
to be in God’s presence.
As with Aaron, God doesn’t meet you just anywhere, in any
way. In the Old Testament, there was an actual tent, a physical
place. Yet remember that the New Testament fulfills the Old
Testament. This means that there is still a place where God
meets you in prayer, but it’s not a building. It’s not even your
body. It’s a place in God! God has prepared a place in Him just
for you, and you need to enter that place. If your heart, your
attitude, or your motives aren’t right, God says, “You aren’t yet
in the place where I want you to be.”
Prayer: Father, thank You for loving me so much
that You have given me a special place of prayer in You.
Help me to find that special place You have prepared for me.
Thought: God has prepared a place in Him just for you.
February 16
Faith in God’s Power Then [Aaron] shall come
out to the altar that is before the LORD and make
atonement for it. He shall take some of the bull’s
blood and some of the goat’s blood and put it on
all the horns of the altar. He shall sprinkle some
of the blood on it with his finger seven times to
cleanse it and to consecrate it from the
uncleanness of the Israelites. (Leviticus 16:18–
19) In the Old Testament, the blood of animal
sacrifices had atoning power. Yet when the high
priest put the blood on the horns of the altar, he
had to believe that God’s power was great enough
to atone for sin. After the sacrifices were offered
on the people’s behalf and the scapegoat was sent
out into the desert, the people had to believe that
the sacrificial offerings cleansed them from their
sins. They needed faith in God’s power to fulfill
His promise. In requiring the high priest to
sprinkle blood on the horns of the altar, I believe
God was telling us, “I want you to confess that I
have power to do anything I have promised you.”
In the Old Testament, the power of atoning blood lasted only
one year; the high priest returned each year on the Day of
Atonement to sacrifice. Christ’s death on the cross made these
animal sacrifices obsolete because He sacrificed Himself once
—for all people and for all time: “Unlike the other high priests,
he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his
own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for
their sins once for all when he offered himself” (Hebrews 7:27).
It is now up to us to believe in the power of His sacrifice on our
behalf. This then, is our seventh preparation: to believe.
Prayer: Father, thank You for sending Jesus to atone for
my sins once and for all. I believe You have forgiven my sins.
Help me not to take Your power and love for granted.
Thought: God has the power to do what He has promised.
February 17
The Power of Jesus’ Blood Romans 3:25 says,

“God presented him as a sacrifice of
atonement, through faith in his blood.” I wasn’t
around when Adam sinned. I wasn’t there when
Jesus died. How can blood shed two thousand
years ago cleanse me today? Because the blood
still has power. God says, in effect, “I received
the animal sacrifices that the high priests brought
to Me. When My power connected with them, it
was so potent that it atoned for the sins of three
million Israelites. How much more will the
‘precious blood of Christ, a lamb without
blemish or defect’ (1 Peter 1:19) atone for your
sins?”
When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are
already here, he went through the greater and more perfect
tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this
creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and
calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his
own blood, having obtained eternal redemption…How much
more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our
consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve
the living God! (Hebrews 9:11–12, 14) Christ is the atoning
Sacrifice for the sins of the world. (See 1 John 2:2.) When Jesus
came to John to be baptized, John said, “Look—God has
provided His own Lamb.” (See John 1:29.) God provided this
Lamb as the Sacrifice for our sins so we can enter the Holy of
Holies where He dwells (see Hebrews 4:16), trembling because
we fear God, but confident because we know Jesus’ blood has
completely cleansed us.
Prayer: Father God, I am in awe of Your love and power.
Thank You for sending Jesus as the Sacrifice for my sins.
Thank You that His blood has the power to cleanse me forever.
Thought: Christ’s blood has the power to cleanse us from all
sin.
Reading: Leviticus 21–22; Matthew 28
February 18
Give God the Glory Aaron “shall also burn the

fat of the sin offering on the altar” (Leviticus
16:25). After we enter God’s presence through
the blood of Jesus, believing in His power to
cleanse us, the eighth preparation is to give God
the glory.
God instructed the Israelites not to eat the fat of the sacrifices,
but to collect it and burn it to Him on the altar. Fat is a symbol
of glory because fat is excess. “I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols”
(Isaiah 42:8). “How can I let myself be defamed? I will not
yield my glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11). God deserves all the
glory for giving us the riches of redemption. We give God the
glory by acknowledging and thanking Him for the abundance
of His grace—for receiving, forgiving, and redeeming us so we
can enter His glorious presence. God also desires the excess or
glory of the material provision He’s given us. We honor Him by
giving to others out of the abundance of His blessings to us.
Our ninth preparation is to wash in the Word. In Leviticus
16:26, God instructed Aaron, “The man who releases the goat
as a scapegoat must wash his clothes and bathe himself with
water; afterward, he may come into the camp.” The Word’s
first function is cleansing. Its second use is for appropriating
God’s promises. God is saying, in effect, “You have done all
that you are supposed to do, and you have given Me the glory.
I am pleased. Tell Me what you want.” Since everything is clear
between you and God, you can now “present your requests to
God” (Philippians 4:6). Ask Him to fulfill His purposes based
on His will and promises.
Prayer: Father, thank You for cleansing and redeeming me, and
receiving me into Your presence. Thank You for the promises of
Your Word. Please help me to glorify You in my words and
actions. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought: Are you giving God the glory and appropriating His
promises?
Reading: Leviticus 23–24; Mark 1:1–22
February 19
Remain in the Anointing The priest who is
anointed and ordained to succeed his father as
high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on
the sacred linen garments and make atonement
for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting
and the altar, and for the priests and all the people
of the community. This is to be a lasting
ordinance for you [My people]. (Leviticus
16:32–34, emphasis added) Our final
instruction for entering God’s presence is to
remain in the anointing. We must maintain a
right relationship with God so we may dwell
continually in our meeting place with Him.
We can live in continual unity with God because of Christ’s
atonement for our sins. When Jesus Christ came, He was
anointed and ordained as High Priest by God. The high priests
who preceded Him were only types of Him. His atonement is
eternal—an everlasting ordinance. “When this priest had
offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the
right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).
To be in God’s presence, we must remain in a state of
preparedness for prayer; we must not approach God in a
careless way. It is important to learn what it means to honor the
Lord and reflect His holy nature in our lives.
All these steps of preparation we have looked at are important
to God because Jesus Christ came to make them possible. It is
because of Christ alone that we can enter the presence of an
almighty and holy God and call Him Father.
Prayer: Father, I can enter Your presence because Your Son
Jesus opened the way by His sacrifice. May I always maintain
a right relationship with you, through Christ. In Jesus’ name,
amen.
Thought: We must follow God’s instructions and ways
if we want to remain in His presence.
Reading: Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23–45
February 20
Putting Prayer into Practice Today, let’s take

time to think about how we currently enter into
prayer. We should ask ourselves some heartfelt
questions: In what attitude or manner do I
approach God in prayer? Am I being casual about
the sin in my life, without regard for God’s
holiness? Do I think I can get God to hear my
prayers by doing good deeds—or do I come to
Him through Christ alone? What does it mean to
be a member of the priesthood of believers? Do I
rejoice that I can enter God’s presence because
of Christ’s sacrifice?
I encourage you to practice what you have learned about how
to come into God’s presence. Before you pray, review the ten
steps for entering and remaining in the presence of God. See
what steps you may be omitting and which areas you need to
correct. Finally, consider your special God-given role as priest,
or intercessor, before God on behalf of the world. Let that
knowledge guide how you pray.
Now, let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your Word
says that the pure in
heart are truly blessed, because they will see You. We want to
enter into Your presence. We want to be in the place where You
meet us. Guide us to that place. Forgive us for being careless
and unthinking in the way we approach You. We acknowledge
that You are a holy and righteous God. We receive the
cleansing of our sins through the blood of Jesus. We worship
You in humility and love. Thank you for the privilege of
entering confidently into the place where You dwell, because of
the atonement Your Son made on our behalf.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God
who takes away all our sin. Amen.
Thought: “You…are being built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood.”
Reading: Leviticus 26–27; Mark 2
February 21
Principles for the Priesthood
of Believers Reflect on these principles today:
1.As believers, we are “a chosen people, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging
to God” (1 Peter 2:9).
2. AsGod’s priests, we are to intercede for others so they will
return to God and be coworkers in His purposes.
3. Tensteps of preparedness for entering God’s presence in
prayer are: •Appropriate God’s Grace: Acknowledge God’s
holiness, turn from your sins, and be cleansed through the
blood of Christ.
•Put on Righteousness: Appropriate the righteousness of
Christ through faith. Live in that righteousness, doing what
is right by keeping in step with the Spirit.
•Put on Truth and Honesty: Be transparent and clean before
the Lord, desiring truth in the innermost parts and living
with integrity.
•Cleanse Yourself with the Word: Before you come before
God, make sure that you’ve read the Word and that you are
obeying the Word.
•Worship and Praise God: Honor and worship God in spirit
and in truth (see John 4:24–24), acknowledging Him as your
all in all.
•Separate Yourself: Leave your normal environment,
activities, and distractions. Find the place in God where He
meets you, coming to Him with the right heart, attitude, and
motives.
•Believe: Have faith in God’s power to keep His promises
and in the effectiveness of Christ’s sacrifice.
•Give God the Glory: Acknowledge that God provided for
your atonement and reconciliation, and is worthy to be
praised.
•Wash in the Word: Ask God to fulfill His purposes based on
His will and promises.
•Remain in the Anointing: Remain in a state of
preparedness for prayer. Honor the Lord by reflecting His
nature in your life.
Reading: Numbers 1–2; Mark 3:1–19
February 22
A Lifestyle of Prayer Of all the things Jesus’

disciples observed Him say and do, the Bible
records only one thing they asked Him to teach
them—how to pray as He prayed. (See Luke
11:1.) We might wonder, “Why would the
disciples ask to learn to pray instead of how to do
‘big things,’ like feeding multitudes, calming
storms, casting out demons, healing the sick,
raising the dead, or walking on water?” It is
because they saw Jesus pray more than
anything else.
The disciples lived with Jesus. They went everywhere He
went and observed Him for three and a half years. The
Scriptures suggest that Christ prayed for hours every morning.
Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still
dark [“rising up a great while before day” KJV], Jesus got up,
left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he
prayed.” Jesus would get up while the disciples were still
snoring and slip off by Himself to pray for hours. The disciples
would wake up and ask, “Where’s the Master?” When they
found Him, they would see Him praying.
Jesus would spend five hours with God His Father, then travel
somewhere to spend a few minutes healing a blind man or
casting out a demon. Note the ratio: He spent hours praying
and a few minutes ministering. The disciples probably said,
“That’s impressive. This must mean that what Jesus does in
the morning in prayer is even more important than everything
else He does during the day!”
What is the most important thing you will do today? Will it be
spending time in prayer before the Lord? Shouldn’t it be?
Prayer: Father, please forgive me for not placing the right
priority on prayer. Thank You for Jesus’ example that prayer is
the primary thing, and that we can walk in a lifestyle of prayer.
Thought: The secret to Jesus’ success in ministry was a
lifestyle of prayer.
February 23
Too Busy to Pray?
The great Reformation leader Martin Luther said something

like this: “When I have a lot to do in a day, I spend more time in
prayer, because more work is done by prayer than by work
itself.” He was right. If you are to busy to pray, you are too
busy.
We can never be too busy to pray because prayer makes our
lives much more focused, efficient, and peaceful. Learning this
principle has been essential to me. When I have many things
on my heart and mind, or when I face overwhelming
circumstances, I don’t try tackling these problems myself. I go
to God in prayer, and He gives me the wisdom and guidance I
need. The church today doesn’t yet understand this truth. We
spend just a few minutes with God, and then we try to do many
hours of work in His name.
We often sing, “This is the day that the Lord has made.” God
is asking us, “If this is My day, then why don’t you come and
talk to Me about it?” We do many things in God’s day that He
didn’t plan for us, so we must ask Him for His agenda. One
hour with God in prayer can accomplish ten hours of work
because it eliminates trial and error. God will tell you what is
really important, and He will give you wisdom for the
circumstances in your life.
Prayer enables you to think clearly and wisely. It gives you
spiritual discernment that you would otherwise lack. Jesus
knew what was important because He spent time with the
Father. Hours with God make minutes with men effective.
Prayer: Father, help me to realize that my own efforts can
be wasted if I haven’t heard from You. Give me Your agenda
for my day as I come to You in prayer.
Thought: “More work is done by prayer than by work itself.”
—Martin Luther Reading: Numbers 5–6; Mark 4:1–20
February 24
Prayer Saves Time P rayer saves you time. Many

of us say we believe this principle, but our lives
suggest otherwise. We put off praying because we
think it is a waste of time—or at least less
important than other activities. Moreover, we
think the length of time we pray is unimportant.
Why did Jesus spend hours in prayer? Because He had a
genuine relationship with the Father, and any relationship takes
time to build and maintain. God says to us, in effect, “You will
get more done in My presence than you accomplish in the
presence of other people. You spend all day talking foolishness
with others, and in the end, nothing is solved, nothing has
changed, and you’re depressed. You could have spent those
hours praying for the government, the gangs, and other
situations.”
When we spend time in prayer, God often uses us to change
circumstances. Instead of having this powerful role in God’s
plan, we spend most of our time trying to figure out what God
wants us to do, and we waste the whole day. Christ is saying to
us, “I go to the Father first; I see what He’s already done, and I
do it.” (See John 5:19–20.) This is the pattern He wants us to
follow. Through prayer, man discovers what God has already
done in the unseen, and in faith he sees it manifested on earth.
(See Matthew 18:18.) As you spend time with God, He will
show you what you should do next. The time you save can be
used in effectively serving His kingdom.
Prayer: Father, thank You for caring about me so much that
You want to share Your plans with me. Show me what
to do today as I seek Your direction.
Thought: When you spend time with God, He reveals what He
wants you to do next.
February 25
My Father Is Always at Work One day, Jesus

healed a man who had been sick for thirty-eight
years. People reacted in various ways: some were
deeply impressed, some were angry, and some
wanted answers. “So, because Jesus was doing
these things on the Sabbath, the Jews
persecuted him. Jesus said to them, ‘My Father
is always at his work to this very day, and I,
too, am working’” (John 5:16–17). The New
King James Version reads, “My Father has been
working until now, and I have been working.”
When I discovered what Jesus was teaching here, my
perspective of myself and my relationship to the Father
changed. In effect, Christ was saying to those who questioned
His healing, “I spent time with My Father this morning. I
already had my whole day worked out for Me because I had
fellowship with the One who made days. My Father has
already healed the people I’m touching. Their healing is the
result of My knowing what My Father is doing. I’m just
manifesting it. My Father works; therefore, I work.” What we
do should manifest what God the Father has already done!
I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can
do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the
Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son
and shows him all he does. (John 5:19–20) Prayer: Father, help
me realize that I can do nothing by
myself, and that I need to seek Your will and Your purpose
in prayer each day. Show me what You want me to do today.
Thought: Jesus’ ministry was to manifest the desires
and works of the Father.
February 26
Manifesting God’s Thoughts Words are an

extension of our thoughts, but we are what we
think. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As [a man] thinks in
his heart, so is he” (NKJV). God desires not just
to talk to you, but to “think” to you. When Jesus
said, “I do what I see My Father doing” (see John
5:19), He meant, “I do what I mentally see My
Father thinking.” God showed Jesus everything
He was thinking and said to His Son, “Manifest
that for Me.”
When asked why He healed the sick man, Jesus said, in
essence, “I am the Word. I manifest the thoughts of God. I
have to heal this man because that is what I saw My Father
doing.” “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only
what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father
does the Son also does” (John 5:19). In prayer, Jesus saw His
Father heal, so Jesus healed. The Father wants to reveal His
thoughts to us in prayer as well.
“For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does”
(John 5:20). Every time Jesus talked about His work, He
mentioned the love of His Father. Jesus was saying, “My
Father loves Me so much that He does not just talk to Me,
because talking isn’t intimate enough. He loves Me so much
that He speaks to My Spirit and mind.” The Father will share
His thoughts with us in prayer because He has the same love
for us. (See John 17:23.) Commune with the Lord in prayer. He
wants to share His thoughts with you.
Prayer: Father, I come to Your throne in the name of Jesus,
Your Son. I want to commune with You and hear Your heart
and thoughts toward me. Please help me to spend my early
morning time with You.
Thought: Spend time with the Lord to find out what is
on His mind.
February 27
Jesus Was Naturally Supernatural When God

speaks to us, He usually speaks to our minds
through our spirits. Many people are waiting for a
burning bush or an angel. They miss God because
they’re waiting in the wrong way. God doesn’t
generally speak audibly—that’s not intimate
enough. He speaks directly to our spirits. For
example, you may say, “I think I should call and
encourage Brother Smith.” That’s God, saying He
wants you to encourage Brother Smith. How do
you know? It’s when an idea keeps coming back
to you. If you don’t make the call, two hours later
the thought will return. You might dismiss it, only
to learn that Brother Smith really needed
encouragement. Yet you didn’t respond to God’s
prompting because you wanted something more
“profound.” You wanted a prophet to appear and
say, “Thus saith the Lord: ‘Call Brother Smith.’”
Jesus was naturally supernatural. He would ask a man who
was an invalid, “How long have you been sick?” “Thirty-eight
years.” “Fine. Take up your bed and walk.” To a woman who
was bent over, He would say, “Straighten up,” and she would
straighten up. To another, He’d ask, “Are you blind?” “Yes.”
He would touch the person’s eyes, and the person would see.
The religious people said, “Wait a minute. You’re not being
spiritual enough. You’re supposed to say, ‘Stand back,
everybody. I’m getting ready to perform a miracle.’” Religious
people prepare a long time when they attempt to do miracles.
Christ just walked around, spoke, touched—and things
happened. People criticized Jesus because they thought He
was not spiritual enough, but He was spiritual long before they
knew. As we have seen, He was spiritual in prayer for five
hours so He could be natural for one minute.
Prayer: Father, please show me how to walk in the
supernatural in a way that is natural. Speak to
my spirit, Lord, and give me ears to hear You.
Thought: God will speak to Your spirit; just turn your

heart toward Him.

February 28
Common-Union with the Father Jesus wants us

to spend much time in loving communion with
the Father and to accomplish much for the
kingdom. He prayed, That all of them may be one,
Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May
they also be in us so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. I have given them the glory
that you gave me, that they may be one as we are
one.(John 17:21–22) Jesus was referring not
only to unity in the church, but also to the
intimate union of believers with the Father and
Son. He was saying, “Make My disciples one, the
way You and I are one with each other. Make them
one with You in the same way that I am.” The
Father loves you and wants the same communion
or “common-union” with you that He had with
Jesus. Your prayer life can make you so intimate
with God that you will naturally manifest His
works, just as Jesus did.
Most people didn’t know how Jesus spoke with such wisdom
and did such miracles. The disciples knew Jesus’ secret
because they observed His lifestyle of prayer. They knew He
had a special communion with the Father, so they said, in
effect, “Lord, don’t teach us to do miracles; teach us to pray.”
If we learn what they learned, we will do the things Jesus did.
“Lord, teach us to pray!”
Prayer: Father, it is exciting that You desire
to have communion with me, as You had with Jesus.
Help me to develop an intimate relationship
with You and to manifest Your works.
Thought: The Father wants the same communion with you
that He had with Jesus.
February 29
Prayer Does Not Come Automatically For the

next several days, we will study the model prayer
that Jesus taught His disciples. Luke 11:1 says,
“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.
When he finished, one of his disciples said to
him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught
his disciples.’” The Scripture says, “One day
Jesus was praying.” The disciples were present,
but they were not involved. While Jesus prayed,
they observed Him.
Whenever the Bible mentions Jesus praying, it tells specific
things about His actions. For example: “After he had dismissed
them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When
evening came, he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23). “One of
those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and
spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12). “Very early in the
morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house
and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).
Christ never seemed to pray with the disciples. What was the
reason for this? I believe He wanted them to ask Him about this
most important aspect of His ministry, and He also wanted to
teach them that prayer is a personal relationship and
responsibility. Corporate prayer should never be a substitute
for private time with the Father.
Next, the disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” This implies
that knowing how to pray is not automatic, or something they
could do without His instruction. As young Jewish men, the
disciples had been brought up in the synagogue, where they
had been taught to pray. They daily read and repeated prayers
in the synagogue. However, Jesus’ prayers differed from what
they had been taught. They prayed; He prayed. They spoke
words; He secured results.
Prayer: Father, show me through Your Word all that
You wanted the disciples to know about prayer.
I want to pray as Christ did.
Thought: Prayer is a personal relationship and responsibility.
March
March 1
When You Pray…
In Luke 11:2, Jesus began to teach His disciples to pray. This

means Jesus agreed that the disciples needed to learn how to
pray. He confirmed that prayer is not automatic; it must be
learned. When a person becomes a believer, he is usually told,
“Read the Word, go to church, and pray.” Yet many people
don’t realize that these things don’t necessarily come naturally.
We must learn how to study the Word, how to function in the
body of Christ, and how to pray. A new believer who has never
prayed may be told, “Just talk to God and tell Him how you
feel.” That sounds good—but that’s not what Jesus taught His
disciples.
Prayer is not just “talking to God.” I used to teach that, and I
used to pray that way, but nothing happened! I had to learn
what Jesus taught His disciples before I could pray effectively.
If you have difficulty praying, don’t be discouraged. Many
people don’t really understand prayer. They may whoop and
holler when they pray, or they may use fancy words, but that
doesn’t mean they are praying correctly. Remember that Jesus
said, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like
pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their
many words [“much speaking” KJV]. Do not be like them, for
your Father knows what you need before you ask him”
(Matthew 6:7–8). Many churches and religious groups have
“much speaking.” However, it is not noise that gets God’s
attention, nor is it how loudly we pray or even the big words
we use. There is a way we are to pray, and it has to be learned.
Prayer: Father, I don’t want to use meaningless words
to speak with You. Teach me how to pray
as You taught the disciples.
Thought: Jesus modeled a lifestyle of prayer.
March 2
Our Model for Prayer Jesus taught His disciples

a sample prayer. We may call it the “Lord’s
Prayer,” but, it is really a model for prayer. In
other words, we don’t need to repeat the words
verbatim, but should use them as a pattern.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom
come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day
by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also
forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us
into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Luke 11:2–4
NKJV) Let’s look together at this model prayer. Jesus began,
“Our Father.” The first thing we learn is that we never come
alone to prayer. God is our Father. When we approach God, we
are to bring other people’s concerns with us, as well. Most of
us go to prayer with our own shopping lists: our financial
needs, our career needs, and so forth. We say, “Lord, please do
these things for me.” Our prayers are selfish if they don’t
include the concerns of others. God will ask, “Where is
everybody else? All men are my concern.” Therefore, we are to
begin prayer by thinking of others as well as ourselves.
“Our Father.” Second, we address God as “Father.” We
identify who He is. One definition of the word father is
“source.” We must confess that He is the Source who can
provide for the needs of everyone. Whatever your problem, the
Father has the answer. He is “Abba” (Mark 14:36), the Source.
Prayer: Lord, You are the Source of my life. I thank You
that I can come before You in full assurance that You are
my Father and that You want to hear from me.
Thought: Draw near to God, for He is your Father.
March 3
Our Father in Heaven Our Father in heaven”

(Luke 11:2 NKJV, emphasis added). In His model
prayer, Jesus specifically mentioned heaven, the
Father’s dwelling, to remind us, “When you pray,
remember that you’re not praying to someone on
earth.”
Why is it important to be reminded of this? Because earth is
where the problem is, and we need external help. When you
pray, “Our Father in heaven” you are saying to God, “I
recognize that I need help from outside my realm.” It is a
confession of submission. “You’re greater than all of us, O
Lord. We need Your help from heaven.” This prayer also
reminds us that if the Father is not on earth, we need an
intermediary. We must depend on Jesus and the Holy Spirit to
be our intermediaries with God, who is in heaven.
“Hallowed be Your name.” The word hallowed means
reverenced, set apart, or sanctified. We are to worship the
Father as the Holy One. Later on, we can make our requests,
but we begin our prayer with worship.
When you pray, honor all the attributes of God’s holiness,
such as His love, faithfulness, integrity, and grace. Worship
Him. Adore Him. Exalt Him. Magnify Him. Glorify Him. After
you pray, keep honoring Him in your life and all your
relationships.
Have you ever wondered how people can pray for long
periods of time without running out of words? Christ says,
“Begin by acknowledging that the Father is your all in all, and
worship Him.” We will never run out of reasons to worship
God. Hallowed be His name!
Prayer: Father, You are greatly to be praised.
Help me never to forget the holiness of Your name.
Thought: “Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and
forevermore” (Psalm 113:2).
March 4
It’s Your Kingdom, Lord Your kingdom come.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
(Luke 11:2). A true person of prayer is
committed to God’s kingdom and what He wants
to accomplish. We should always ask God to
fulfill His desires before our own.
We are to ask, “Father, what do You want to happen on
earth?” God is delighted when we are excited about the things
He’s excited about. He will bless us in the course of
accomplishing His work on earth. We don’t have to worry
about our own needs if we pray for God’s will to be done in
other people’s lives.
God is pleased when we bring other people’s requests to Him
and ask Him to meet their needs. Remember, that is why we are
to pray, “Our Father.…” When you pray for other people, God
will bless you. He will see that you have aligned your will with
His will, that you are reaching out to others in love and
compassion. He will answer your own requests because you
are obeying Him.
James 5:16 emphasizes this truth: “Pray for each other so that
you may be healed.” When you minister to someone else, God
ministers to your needs. Isn’t that just like God? “Give, and it
will be given to you” (Luke 6:38). Therefore, if you have
problems, find someone else who has problems and start
helping to solve them. If you need someone to pray for you,
pray for someone else. If you need financial help, give to
someone who has less than you do. In prayer, and in
everything we do, we are to think about God’s kingdom first.
Prayer: Father, may Your kingdom be revealed in my life.
Please help me to choose Your will over my own,
Your kingdom over having my own way.
Thought: God will bless you in the course of accomplishing
His work on earth.
March 5
The Lord’s Provision Is Daily Give us day by

day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3, emphasis
added). The plural tense used in this statement is
tied to the “Our” in “Our Father” (v. 2). If you
tell God that you are bringing Him the concerns
of other people, then, when you request bread,
you have to request bread for everybody. We
often pray, “Lord, provide for me,” without
thinking of anyone else. Yet Jesus tells us again,
“Ask for others as well as for yourself. Pray for
others.”
In Jesus’ day, the term “daily bread” was a cultural idiom that
referred to everything necessary to make bread. When you
pray, “Give us day by day our daily bread,” you ask not only
for food, but also for the whole process that makes food
possible. To make bread, you need sunshine, seed, soil,
nitrogen, oxygen, nutrients, minerals, time, harvesting,
grinding, ingredients, mixing, kneading, and baking. Implied in
those steps are strength for the farmer to sow and harvest the
grain and strength for the one mixing and kneading the bread.
In other words, you are praying for healthy bodies and a
healthy environment in which food can grow.
“Give us day by day our daily bread” is a loaded statement.
It teaches us to thank God for His provision in every part of the
process. We need to be praying specifically in this way. We
take too much for granted and fail to ask God to protect and
bless what we need for daily living—not only for our own sake,
but also for the sake of others.
Prayer: Father, thank You for providing all of our needs
according to Your glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Thought: Jehovah-Jireh is the Lord our Provider!
March 6
Please Forgive Me, Lord
And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is

indebted to us” (Luke 11:4). There are a number of deep truths
about kingdom living in Jesus’ model prayer. Here, He was
saying, “When you pray, consider those with whom you are in
relationship.” Check to see if anyone has anything against you
or if you are holding anything against anyone. Don’t expect
answers to prayer if you ask God to forgive you but refuse to
forgive others.
Jesus made this sobering statement: “For if you forgive men
when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your
Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14–15). If God
doesn’t forgive you, He won’t answer your prayer.
We often overlook the importance of our relationships and
how they affect our prayers. For example, we go to church and
sing a few worship songs, quickly forgetting our anger at
others and subsequently neglecting to resolve to make things
right. We let the songs cover up our anger, but it remains. Later,
we remember what made us angry, and we allow it to fester into
bitterness. Yet having good relationships is one of the keys to
answered prayer:
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there
remember that your brother has something against you, leave
your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to
your brother; then come and offer your gift.(Matthew 5:23–24)
Prayer: Father, I ask for Your forgiveness. Help me to
remember to forgive others as soon as I am injured,
so that I can be free in my relationship with You.
Thought: Having good relationships is one of the
keys to answered prayer.
Reading: Deuteronomy 1–2; Mark 10:1–31
March 7
Choose to Forgive Others
Jesus made it clear that we can’t bring an unforgiving heart to

a holy altar. We are to forgive freely.
Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I
forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven
times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but
seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21–22)
When you pray, God will reveal your bitterness toward others.
He will convict you of broken relationships you have
forgotten. Once the Lord reveals them to you, He can talk to
you about them. He can finally get through to you because
you’re listening.
You may have faith that God will answer your prayers, but
your refusal to forgive renders your faith ineffectual. Galatians
5:6 says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself
through love.” So God will say to you, “Yes, but faith works
when love is in order, and you are not living in forgiveness.”
You need faith to please God (see Hebrews 11:6), but you also
need love, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). Forgiveness frees
your prayers to receive answers.
Assess your relationships. Have you sinned against anyone?
Are you holding on to a grudge? Do you have any broken
relationships? God looks for clean hands and a pure heart. (See
Psalm 24:3–4.) A broken and a contrite heart the Lord will not
ignore or despise. (See Psalm 51:17.) If we regard iniquity in our
hearts, the Lord will not hear us. (See Psalm 66:18 KJV.) However,
when we forgive others, God will also forgive us, opening a
channel for Him to hear and answer our prayers.
Prayer: Father, please search my heart
to see if there is any wicked way in me.
If I am withholding forgiveness, reveal it to me.
Thought: We can’t do business at a holy altar

when we have a bitter heart.

March 8
Keep Me Far from Temptation And do not lead

us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil
one” (Luke 11:4). Does this verse mean God
might steer us into temptation against our wills?
Absolutely not! It means we are to ask God for
wisdom so we won’t put ourselves into situations
that cause us to compromise our relationship
with Him. Some of us set ourselves up for
trouble, then ask God to deliver us. God is saying,
“When you come before Me, pray for strength
and wisdom to make good decisions and to avoid
bad decisions and places that tempt you to sin.”
Before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus asked Peter, James,
and John to stay with Him while He prayed in the garden of
Gethsemane. But the disciples fell asleep. “‘Could you men not
keep watch with me for one hour?’ [Jesus] asked Peter. ‘Watch
and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is
willing, but the body is weak’” (Matthew 26:40–41). Jesus
knew that although he claimed he would die with Jesus, Peter
was about to deny Him. He told Peter to remain alert and pray.
Jesus encouraged this same watchfulness and prayer when
He taught us to pray, “Do not lead us into temptation.” We
must be alert to the temptations and weaknesses that threaten
our relationship with God and our testimony for Him—things
Satan will exploit to cause us to stumble. Then we need to pray
that God will keep us from succumbing to them.
Prayer: Father, please keep me far from temptation.
Show me how to put on Your armor so I can stand against
all the devil’s schemes. I want to stand strong in You.
Thought: Are you watching and praying as you go about your
day?
March 9
The Kingdom, Power, and Glory Some biblical

manuscripts include this benediction at the end of
Jesus’ teaching on prayer in Matthew’s gospel:
“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen” (Matthew 6:13 NKJV).
This is a perfect ending to Jesus’ model prayer. After we have
prayed, we worship the Father again. In doing so, we’re saying
to God, “I know You’re going to answer this prayer; therefore,
I’m going to thank You ahead of time. I’m going to give You all
the glory for the outcome. When the answer to my prayer is
manifested, I’m going to tell everybody that it is because of
You.”
All power and glory belong to God forever—for who He is
and what He does because of His relationship with us. Let us
spend time giving Him glory today: Give thanks to the Lord,
call on his name; make known among the nations what he has
done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful
acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek
the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his
face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles,
and the judgments he pronounced.…Sing to the Lord, all the
earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory
among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For
great is the Lord and most worthy of praise. (1 Chronicles 16:8–
12, 23–25) Prayer: Father God, the kingdom, the power, and the
glory
belong to You, Your Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit!
Thank You for receiving my praises.
Thought: Give God the glory in advance for answered prayer!
March 10
Did the Disciples Learn the Secret?
Jesus’ disciples observed His lifestyle of prayer and asked

Him to teach them to pray. Is there any evidence they learned
His secret?
In Acts 1:14, we read that after Jesus was resurrected and had
ascended to heaven, the disciples and other followers of Jesus
“all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.”
They were waiting for the “power from on high” (Luke 24:49)
that Jesus had promised them—and they were “watching and
praying,” just as He had taught them. On the day of Pentecost,
God filled the disciples with His Holy Spirit. At the outpouring
of the Spirit, three thousand people were converted and
“everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and
miraculous signs were done by the apostles” (Acts 2:42). The
disciples’ prayers resulted in their receiving the baptism of the
Holy Spirit and working wonders and signs to God’s glory, just
as Jesus had done.
The disciples maintained the lifestyle of prayer Jesus had
demonstrated for them. In Acts 6:3–4, they declared, “We…will
give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
The entire book of Acts describes how the disciples continued
the ministry of Jesus through prayer and the power of the Holy
Spirit. They had learned the secret to Jesus’ effectiveness in
ministry.
Now that you have learned the same secret, what will you do
with it?
Prayer: Father God, thank You that I can live in the book
of Acts today, praying effective prayers as Your
disciples did. Help me to walk in this truth.
Thought: Is there evidence of prayer in your life?
March 11
Putting Prayer into Practice Today, let’s review

Jesus’ teachings on effective prayer. Ask yourself
a few questions: Do I seek an intimate
relationship with the Father on a daily basis? Are
my prayers heartfelt expressions of communion
with God or more like a shopping list or rote
repetition? Are my life and ministry effective,
bringing about God’s will and kingdom on earth?
The following are some action steps for putting prayer into
practice in your life. During the next few weeks, increase the
time you spend with God in prayer each day in order to build a
relationship of intimacy with Him. Use Jesus’ model prayer to
guide your prayers. Take each step and personalize it as a
heartfelt expression of your growing relationship with God. I
challenge to you to set a goal to spend an hour in prayer each
day. As you follow Jesus’ model prayer, you will find that the
hour in His presence passes quickly.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, like Jesus’
disciples, we, too,
need to learn to pray. Thank You for giving us this model
prayer
so we can know how to pray as Jesus did and be effective in
ministry as He was. Your Word says that You who call us to
prayer and ministry are faithful and You will do it. You have
called us to a lifestyle of prayer, and we ask You to fulfill
that calling in us. Give us a heart to seek an intimate
relationship with You every day and to follow Your
thoughts and ways rather than our own
thoughts and ways—or others’ opinions.
We pray this in the name of Jesus,
our Great Intercessor. Amen.
Thought: What will your prayer time be like this week?
March 12
Principles of Prayer from Jesus Reflect on

these principles today: 1.Prayer is more
important than all other activities. Through
prayer, God gives guidance, wisdom, and
discernment for fulfilling His will and purposes.
2. Through His intimacy with the Father, Jesus knew God’s
thoughts and heart, and manifested in His ministry what God
was doing in the world. God wants the same communion with
us that He had with Jesus so that we will naturally manifest His
works.
4. Prayer does not come automatically. It must be learned.
5. Prayer is
asking God to accomplish His will in the earth. Christ
taught His disciples a model prayer by which to fulfill this
purpose.
6. Theelements of Jesus’ model prayer are the following: •“Our
Father”: We acknowledge God as our Source, presenting Him
with the concerns of others, as well as ourselves.
•“In heaven”: We admit we need help from outside our
earthly realm. We depend on Jesus and the Spirit as our
intermediaries with God.
•“Hallowed be Your Name”: We worship the Father as the
Holy One, glorifying all His attributes. We honor Him in our
actions and interactions with others.
•“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven”: We express interest in God’s kingdom and put His
priorities first.
•“Give us day by day our daily bread”: We ask God to
supply daily needs for ourselves and others and to provide
for all aspects of this process.
•“And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who
is indebted to us”: We forgive others so that God will
forgive us and will hear and answer our prayers.
•“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from
the evil one”: We ask God to keep us from succumbing to
our personal weaknesses and Satan’s schemes.
•“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever. Amen”: We worship the Father again, giving Him all
the glory in advance for answered prayer.
March 13
Have You Found a Quiet Place?
Upon evaluating the prayer lives of Jesus, Abraham, Moses,

David, Ezekiel, and other biblical figures, I saw that they used a
similar pattern in prayer. Their prayers received God’s attention
and produced powerful results. “The prayer of a righteous
man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). I call their prayer
pattern the “Twelve Action Steps to Prayer.” We will look at
each of these powerful steps in the next two weeks.
First, prayer should begin with silence. We don’t normally
make a practice of this, but it’s a very important aspect of
prayer. To be silent means to gather oneself, to be still.
In Matthew 6:6, Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your
room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.
Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward
you.” Jesus was telling us to go to a quiet, private place where
we will not be disturbed. In New Testament times, most
housetops were flat, and people often prayed on the roof. That
was their quiet place.
You need a place of silence or isolation where you can pull
your entire self together. Have you found your quiet place? For
some people, it is in the living room or a chair in the corner of
the bedroom. For others, it is outside, where they sense God’s
presence in nature. If you haven’t found a quiet place where
you can commune with the Lord, take time to find it today. In
the coming days, you can meet your Father there in prayer.
Prayer: Father, I desire to begin my prayer times with
you in contemplative silence. Help me to lay aside the
distractions of this world to meet You in a quiet place.
Thought: Prayer necessitates collecting yourself by coming
into a quiet place before God.
March 14
Be Still and Know…
Yesterday, we talked about the first step in prayer, silence

before the Lord. When you enter into prayer, you need to
eliminate distractions and become quiet. You can’t pray
effectively when all around you the children are playing, music
is blaring, the television is on, and people are asking you
questions. Does this sound familiar?
Prayer necessitates collecting yourself—your thoughts, your
attention, your concentration. We are usually distracted by
many things when we come to prayer. Our bodies are there, but
our minds are somewhere else. We might be experiencing all
kinds of emotions. Therefore, you need to put yourself in a
position where you can become quiet. Let the Lord calm your
heart. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is
steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). The word for
“peace” in Hebrew is shalom, which means “more than
enough.” God provides everything you need, so you don’t
have to be distracted by worry when you pray.
When you come before the Lord in your private place, be
quiet and listen to nothing but Him. The Lord says, “Be still
and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). In relation to this
command, we can say, “Prayer is the expression of man’s
dependency upon God for all things.”
I encourage you to spend time in quiet contemplation before
the Lord. Don’t worry about speaking. It’s all right to say
nothing. Just be quiet and bring your whole self to God in
prayer. Calm your heart and come into the quiet place where
you can hear Him. That’s when you are really praying.
Prayer: Father, I long to be still and know You. I want to
commune with You in the quiet of my heart. Help me find that
place in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought: Silence helps bring you into a unity of heart and
purpose with yourself and God.
March 15
Come Let Us Adore Him The second step in our

pattern of prayer is adoration. Adoring the Lord
is not just something we sing about during the
Christmas season—“O come, let us adore
Him….” Rather, this step corresponds to
hallowing God’s name, as in Jesus’ model prayer:
“Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be
thy name” (Luke 11:2 KJV). Adoration means
worshipping God. When you adore someone, you
express how precious that person is to you.
In the Psalms, King David gave countless examples of how we
can give adoration to God. Each morning, you can begin your
day with adoration from the Scriptures, expressing to the Lord
your love for Him. The first part of Psalm 25 is a good example.
It makes a great worship song: Come, let us sing for joy to the
LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us
come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music
and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above
all gods.…Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel
before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the
people of his pasture, the flock under his care. (Psalm 95:1–3,
6–7) What a song of adoration! “Come, let us bow down in
worship.” You can match these words with your own melody
and sing them to the Lord throughout the day.
Another example is Psalm 147:1: “Praise the LORD. How good
it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to
praise him!” Go through the Psalms, offering praise to the
Lord. He alone is worthy!
Prayer: Father God, I adore You. Lord Jesus, I worship You.
Holy Spirit, I love You. Please meet with me in prayer today.
Thought: God is saying to us, “Honor My name first.
Worship Me.”
March 16
Adoration from Your Heart The psalms teach us

much about giving God adoration. In Psalm 98:1,
David wrote, “Sing unto the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.” You can
worship the Lord with David’s words from the
Bible, or you can express your love for the Lord
with a “new song” from your heart.
A new song can proclaim the words of adoration, praise, and
thanksgiving that flow from your inmost being as you think
about God. We are to worship God for who He is: King of all
the earth, our Creator, our Savior, our All in All.
Worship, adore, and bless Him; tell Him how you see Him.
Praise Him from your heart with words such as these: Lord, You
are powerful, great, awesome, omnipotent, matchless. You are
God above everyone and everything. You are merciful and
wonderful. You are my Counselor. You are perfect. You are
abiding. You are eternal. You are above all things and in all
things. Everything receives its meaning in You, Lord. You are
powerful. There is nothing besides You; no one can compare
with You. You alone are God. You are the only wise God: no
one is as wise as You. You are all-knowing: You know
everything about me and everyone else. You understand
things we don’t understand. You are all in all and through all.
There is no one like You.
There is no one like our God; no words can adequately
describe His awesome magnificence and His love for us. For
thousands of years, men and women of God have composed
and sung songs of adoration to Him. Sing a new song to Him
today!
Prayer: Father, there is no one like You. You alone are worthy of
all of our praise. Show me how to express my heart of love for
You.
Thought: No one and nothing compares with our God.
March 17
The True Heart of Confession I taught a course

on prayer for Christ For The Nations ministry
every semester for about three years at Oral
Roberts University. I shared with the students the
Twelve Action Steps to Prayer, and when we
discussed step three—confession—most of them
would ask, “Shouldn’t we start with confession?”
I would answer, “If you did, you wouldn’t know
what you should confess.”
Most of us have been taught that confession means bringing
up our past sins and feeling remorse. The heart of confession,
however, is agreeing with God about what He says to you and
about you. When you enter God’s presence with adoration, He
shines His light on places in your life you thought He knew
nothing about, bringing things into the open. God says to us,
in effect, “I don’t want you to condemn yourself; I want you to
tell Me I’m right. Am I right? Is it sin? If it is, then you must
agree with Me that it is wrong and stop doing it.”
Confession takes place when God points out something in
your life and says, “Get rid of that,” or “You know you
shouldn’t have done that,” or “That’s sin,” and you say, “Yes,
God, You’re right. I won’t do that any longer.” Then you put
your trust in Him to forgive you and enable you to walk by the
Spirit. “Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires
of the sinful nature” (Galatians 5:16).
When the Holy Spirit shows you something in your life that is
not right, you are to agree with Him. That is the heart of
confession.
Prayer: Father, I want to see myself as You see me.
Please reveal where I have sinned against You so that
I can make true confession before You.
Thought: Confession means agreeing with God about what
He says to you and about you.
March 18
David’s Agreement with God When you are

quiet before God and worship Him, His holiness
surrounds you, and He reveals areas in your life
you need to change.
When God reveals your sin, don’t deny it. He will respond, in
effect, “I can’t do business with you unless you agree with
Me. You are holding iniquity in your heart, and I want you to
do something about it. This is blocking your prayer life.”
David was one of the worst sinners in the Bible. He committed
adultery, fathered a child out of wedlock, and killed a man. Yet
God called him “a man after My own heart.” (See 1 Samuel
13:14.) Why? If anybody confessed quickly after having his sin
pointed out to him, David did. He didn’t make excuses. His
honest confession of sin brought him forgiveness and made
his prayer life powerful. Here is an example of his agreement
with God: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your
unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my
transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from
my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always
before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done
what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when
you speak and justified when you judge. (Psalm 51:1–4) When
David confessed, he said, “Against you, you only, have I
sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (v. 4). Sin opposes
God’s nature, character, purity, righteousness, love, and grace.
David confessed, “You call it sin, O God, and You are right.”
David agreed with God. Have you?
Prayer: Father, I confess my sin before You. Cleanse me; make
me “whiter than snow.” Thank you for Your unfailing love.
Thought: You have to admit your sin and turn from it to receive
cleansing.
March 19
Confess It Quickly Unconfessed sin will hinder

your life. If you persist in sinning, God cannot
cleanse you. What you desire for your life will
never happen, for you undermine your own
prayers. If you have done something wrong,
confess it quickly.
I was a chaplain at Oral Roberts University for several years.
One day, the senior chaplain and the dean of the School of
Theology called me to a meeting to discuss something I had
done that was not right in order to try to help someone. As I
was trying to justify my actions, the dean stopped me and said,
“Hold it. Don’t ever do that if you want God to bless you.” “Do
what?” I asked. He replied, “Whatever you justify, you have
not repented of. Whatever you explain, you are not sorry for.
Just say, ‘I was wrong; forgive me,’ and ask God to forgive
you. This meeting should have been over in two minutes.
You’re making this a long meeting and messing up your life.
Don’t carry this habit out of this office.”
If you sin, just confess, agree, ask for forgiveness, and go on
with your life. Whatever you justify, you cannot repent of.
Instead of making excuses, say, “God, forgive me. I was
wrong.” God asks, “Is it sin?” “Yes.” “Good. You agree with
Me that it’s sin; now, I will forgive you. Let Me clean you up.”
God is faithful. Once He cleanses you, no one can condemn
you. “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has
chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?”
(Romans 8:33–34).
Prayer: Father, thank You that if we confess our sins,
You are faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. I desire to be free
from sin and cleansed in Your sight.
Thought: Once God cleanses you, no one can condemn you.
Reading: Joshua 1–3; Mark 16
March 20
Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart After

confession comes thanksgiving. “Be joyful
always; pray continually; give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in
Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).
Thanksgiving is God’s will for us.
Once you have confessed, you can give thanks abundantly
because your heart is free. God not only gives you freedom,
but He also gives you something to be thankful for. He just
forgave you. Your gratitude should last for hours.
David was thankful even as he confessed his terrible sins to
the Lord. He recognized that God alone could save him from
the punishment he deserved. “Save me from bloodguilt, O
God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your
righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will
declare your praise” (Psalm 51:14–15). Confession,
forgiveness, praise—these are all joined together in one
thankful prayer to God the Savior.
As a matter of fact, this confession psalm ends in worship.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and
contrite heart, O God, you will not despise….Then there will
be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar” (vv. 17, 19). Offering
sacrifices and burnt offerings was an Old Testament method of
worship. If you have confessed before God, your heart is right
and you can offer sacrifices of praise to Him. “Through Jesus,
therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—
the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Hebrews 13:15).
Prayer: Father, I thank You for freedom from sin. I thank
You for a heart that is cleansed to serve You. I thank You
with a grateful heart. And I thank You for receiving my praise.
Thought: The Lord’s praise will always be on my lips.
Reading: Joshua 4–6; Luke 1:1–20
March 21
A Deep Passion in Prayer In Philippians 4:6,

Paul encouraged us, “Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition [“supplication” NKJV], with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
The fifth step to a life of confident and
successful prayer is to make supplication.
Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate Dictionary defines
supplication as “to ask for earnestly and humbly.”
Supplication implies three more things to me: to intercede, to
petition, and to brood. By brooding, I mean a deep passion.
When you offer supplication, you feel the heart of God and
greatly desire His will. This often involves weeping in prayer or
praying more fervently. God shows you some of what He’s
feeling and unites you with His purposes and desires.
Supplication is a natural outgrowth of thanksgiving. When you
give thanks, you usually move into supplication because
thanksgiving pleases God, and He reveals to you what is in His
heart.
The Bible gives many examples of earnest supplication to the
Lord. On Mt. Carmel, while confronting the prophets of Baal,
Elijah cried out, “Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these
people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are
turning their hearts back again” (1 Kings 18:37). When King
Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah were surrounded by
three enemy armies, the king cried out, “O LORD, God of our
fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over
all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your
hand, and no one can withstand you.…We do not know what
to do, but our eyes are upon you” (2 Chronicles 20:6, 12). Cry
out to the Lord with a heart of passion.
Prayer: Father God, I desire to bring my petitions to You
in earnest prayer. Please hear my heart as I approach
Your throne of grace in my time of need.
Thought: Come before the Lord in earnest prayer.
March 22
Be Specific in Your Prayers P rayer is not

mumbo jumbo. It is an articulate, intentional
form of communication. Step six in our prayer
pattern is to pray specifically according to God’s
Word for what you need.
Before he presents his case in court, a lawyer performs
research so he can provide information pertinent to the case;
otherwise, a prosecutor or defense lawyer may object,
“Irrelevant!” Similarly, when you bring your petitions before
God, provide relevant evidence from God’s Word—His
promises to us—and from His very nature.
God has many names in Scripture, and you can address Him
accordingly for your particular petitions. If you want peace,
you appeal to Him as Jehovah-Shalom, “The Lord our Peace,”
rather than Jehovah-Jireh, “The Lord our Provider.” If you need
healing, He is Jehovah-Rapha, “The Lord our Healer.” You can
say, “Lord, I need You to be Jehovah-Rapha specifically in this
case. I need to be healed. Your Word says that if I love You and
follow Your commands, ‘the LORD will take away from [me] all
sickness’ (Deuteronomy 7:15 NKJV).”
Therefore, specify your petitions by acknowledging God’s
name and His Word. Write down your prayer requests, listing
next to each item the Scriptures you will use when you pray.
Prayer needs to be intentional and practical. It’s not something
you throw together. When you present your list of petitions,
God will know the thought and purpose behind them and will
respond. “This is the confidence we have in approaching
God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know
that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15, emphasis
added).
Prayer: Father, I pray today for the specific petitions on
my heart. I thank You that You hear and answer
my prayers according to Your Word.
Thought: Prayer needs to be intentional and practical.
March 23
Secure the Promises of God The seventh action

step in prayer is related to the previous one:
Secure your promises from God’s Word. You
must hold on to God’s promises as you take His
Word before Him, applying it to your specific
requests.
When Jesus ministered to people, He never assumed what
they needed. He asked them, “What do you want me to do for
you?” (Matthew 20:32). God answers specific requests based
on His promises. Bartimaeus was blind, begging by the side of
the road. When he heard Jesus was coming, he said, “Jesus,
Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47). Jesus
answered, “What do you want me to do for you?” (v. 51). Jesus
asked people what they specifically wanted. “The blind man
said, ‘Rabbi, I want to see.’ ‘Go,’ said Jesus, ‘your faith has
healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed
Jesus along the road” (v. 52).
Bartimaeus was healed because he asked for healing based on
his legal rights. He cried, “Son of David.” That’s a legal
statement. Abraham’s covenant came through David. The
Scripture says the Messiah will come through David’s line and
that David’s throne will last forever. (See Isaiah 9:6–7.)
Bartimaeus reasoned, “If Jesus is the Messiah, He must be the
Son of David. If He is the Son of David, then every covenant
promise God made to Abraham, Moses, and David can come to
me through Jesus.” So he said, ‘Son of David, have mercy on
me!’…‘Go,’ said Jesus, ‘your faith has healed you.’” The man
was healed because he petitioned according to God’s promises.
Likewise, we can secure God’s promises when we pray.
Prayer: Father, please remind me that I can secure
Your promises because of my rights in Jesus.
In His precious name, amen.
Thought: Jesus asks, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
March 24
A Daughter of Abraham One Sabbath day, Jesus

entered a synagogue where a woman was sitting
hunched over with a back problem. Jesus stood
and read the Scriptures. Then He looked at the
crowd, setting His eyes on the woman. He called
her to Him, put His hands on her, and healed her.
The Bible says, “Immediately she straightened
up and praised God” (Luke 13:13). The
religious leaders murmured among themselves,
in effect, “How dare He heal her on the Sabbath
day!” Jesus turned to them and said, “Should not
this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan
has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set
free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
(Luke 13:16, emphasis added).
Even though this woman hadn’t asked Jesus for healing, He
gave evidence of her rights according to God’s promises. This
woman had been sick for years, but she wasn’t healed until the
legal action was in place. Jesus didn’t heal her just because it
was the Sabbath; He healed her according to the contract God
had made with His chosen people on behalf of Abraham, in
which He said, “The LORD will take away from you all
sickness” (Deuteronomy 7:15). As a daughter of Abraham, she
had the right to the healing God had promised His people.
We usually ask the Lord to heal us because we’re hurting, and
He does heal us with compassion. (See Matthew 14:14.)
However, the primary reason He heals us is that we give Him
evidence it is our legal right through Christ. Again, we pray
specifically, according to God’s Word, and we secure the
promises!
Prayer: Father, thank You for fulfilling your promises in Christ.
Thank You that I have the legal right to answered prayer.
Thought: God answers prayer when we give Him legal
evidence that it is our right.
March 25
Can You Plead Your Case?
Pleading your case is the eighth action step in prayer.

Pleading does not mean begging or becoming emotional. That
neither impresses God nor elicits answers. In teaching the
parable of the widow and the judge, Jesus said to His disciples,
in effect, “Let Me show you not only how to pray, but also
how to get answers.” He revealed how to plead one’s case
before God. (See Luke 18:1.) Jesus began, “In a certain town
there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about
men” (v. 2). Jesus used an example of the worst person to
receive petitions. I believe He did this to emphasize that it is
our legal rights that enable us to receive answers. We’ll talk
more about this concept tomorrow.
Jesus continued, “And there was a widow in that town who
kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against
my adversary’” (v. 3). In Jesus’ day, a widow was often without
hope. If a married man died, his brother had to marry the man’s
widow and care for her. If the second brother died, the third
one had to marry her, and so on. Thus, a woman became a
widow when no relatives remained to help her.
The widow’s helplessness is significant. God wants you to
pray with this attitude: “You’re the only One who can help me.”
Often, we pray for God’s help, but we have a backup plan, just
in case. God says, in essence, “I will not answer until you have
no other place to turn. Then you will know that I am your
Provider.” God doesn’t want to be treated as a “spare tire.”
This woman had no option, no alternative. As we come to God
with our petitions, we must depend completely on Him.
Prayer: Father, thank You for letting me come before You with
my petitions to plead my case. I acknowledge that You are the
only One whom I can depend on to hear and answer my
prayers.
Thought: The Lord fulfills all your petitions.
March 26
Persistence with the Judge Today we continue

looking at the parable of the widow and the judge,
in which Jesus taught His disciples to pray
without giving up. “For some time [the judge]
refused” (Luke 18:4) the woman’s plea. Even
though the answers to our prayers are not always
immediate, that doesn’t mean they are never
coming.
Jesus concluded His story, “Finally [the judge] said to
himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet
because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she
gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her
coming!’” (vv. 4–5). The judge did not cut her a break, but
used a legal word: “I will see that she gets justice [what is
rightfully hers].”
God’s promises must come to pass. The integrity of His name
and His Word calls us to be persistent in prayer. “God is not a
man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should
change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he
promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).
Jesus explained, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And
will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry
out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell
you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly” (Luke 18:6–
8, emphasis added). Jesus said, in effect, “If a man who doesn’t
acknowledge God gives a woman he doesn’t like the justice
she deserves, how much more will God, who loves you, see to
it that you get justice—and quickly!” God will not hesitate to
give justice to His chosen ones, those who have received His
promises as a spiritual inheritance.
Prayer: Father, help me to be persistent in prayer. I know
that You are a faithful God who desires to answer my petitions.
Thought: Plead your case based on God’s Word and His
integrity.
Reading: Joshua 22–24; Luke 3
March 27
Whatever You Ask for in Prayer…Believe
Believe—this is difficult for many of us. As in
the parable of the unjust judge, God says that
after we plead our case, we are to believe. This is
step nine in our action steps for prayer. Asking, in
itself, doesn’t cause you to receive. Read
carefully Christ’s words in this passage; this is
another mini-seminar on prayer: “Have faith in
God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if
anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself
into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but
believes that what he says will happen, it will be
done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you
ask for in prayer, believe….” (Mark 11:22–24)
What’s the next phrase? “…that you have
received it” (v. 24). When you ask for something,
believe then and there that you have already
received it. It is possible to ask for something in
prayer and not believe. We do it all the time. We
usually give up too soon.
Do you believe that what you prayed last night is going to
happen? Then confess, “Lord, I believe.” Maybe you tend to
doubt. You might not be a believer all the way. When you start
doubting, be honest, like the father of the demon-possessed
boy, and say, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24
NKJV). We can’t let doubt enter into our prayers. It will short-
circuit them.
When you pray according to God’s Word and believe that
you have received what you asked, it will be yours. That is
God’s promise to you.
Prayer: Father, my heart’s desire is to believe You.
When doubts rise up, help me to turn to You. Lead me to Your
Word so that my faith will grow. I believe that You will
help my unbelief and answer my prayers.
Thought: Faith is believing the promises.
Reading: Judges 1–3; Luke 4:1–30
March 28
Living in Thankful Expectation After you have

believed God, step ten is to offer thanksgiving
again. Recall that step four was also to give
thanks. The first time, giving thanks expressed
your appreciation for God’s forgiveness and
mercy. This step of thanksgiving is the highest
form of faith. You thank God for what you don’t
yet see because you believe it is already done.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews
11:1).
If you truly believe you have already received your request,
you will thank God. We are not to wait until we see the
manifestation of our answer before expressing gratitude. You
don’t show God your belief until you thank Him. Suppose you
request a loan from a banker, who approves the loan and says,
“Consider it done. The money will be deposited to your
account.” You don’t see the money, so you don’t know if he
did it, but you thank him and do business based on his word.
God wants us to do the same with Him and give thanks even
before we see the answer manifested. If we will believe God, the
answer will come.
Step eleven is to live in expectation. After you pray, continue
in a spirit of thanksgiving—living in anticipation of the answer
to your prayer. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to him who is able
to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us.”
Live in expectation. Our Lord is powerful!
Prayer: Father, thank You for hearing and answering
my prayer. Thank You for Your faithfulness to answer
my petition even before I see the manifestation.
In You I can live a life of expectation.
Thought: Close all your prayer times with thanksgiving
because what you have asked for has already been received.
March 29
Practicing Active Belief The last step in our

twelve action steps to prayer is to practice active
belief—prove you’re living in expectation. It is
what Jesus meant by “seeking and knocking.” In
Luke 11:1, when the disciples said, “Lord, teach
us to pray,” Jesus taught them a model prayer.
Luke 11:9 is part of that lesson: “So I say to
you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and
you will find; knock and the door will be
opened to you.”
Jesus tells us, in essence, “Don’t stop after you pray. Get up
and look for what you asked for. You will find it if you seek it. It
may be behind some closed doors. If that’s the case, then
knock.” No door or barrier can stop what God has for you if
you believe it’s yours. When the devil tries to hold back your
answer, just persist in knocking until the door falls down. This
is the meaning of active prayer. Practice active belief and
continue to live before God in holiness and truth. God will
bless you as you ask, seek, and knock.
Use these twelve action steps as a guide to prayer, and make
sure your life aligns with God’s will and purposes. As you learn
to pray according to biblical principles, you will become a
powerfully effective believer.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your wonderful
words of encouragement to me.
If I ask, seek, and knock, You will open the doors.
My expectations are settled in You.
Thought: No door or barrier can stop what God has for you
when you believe and act accordingly!
March 30
Putting Prayer into Practice Take some time

today to review your prayer habits. Ask yourself
these questions: Do I quiet myself before the
Lord prior to prayer, or do I usually pray
hurriedly, just to get through one more task in my
day? Do I pray sporadically and haphazardly, or do
I pray purposefully according to God’s Word? Is
there any sin in my life that I am trying to justify?
This week, gradually incorporate the twelve action steps into
your prayers. If you have been justifying wrongdoing in your
life, agree with God that it is sin and truly repent by turning
from it and asking God to cleanse you from all
unrighteousness. (See 1 John 1:9.) Take one of your prayer
requests and start living in expectation of it, practicing active
belief. Anticipate that what you pray for according to God’s
Word will happen, and make preparation for the answer.
Now, let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You
for giving us principles
for prayer in Your Word. Help us to continually meditate on
Your precepts and contemplate Your ways. Don’t allow us
to walk away from Your truths and forget them. Help us
to study these principles and consider carefully Your
desires as revealed in Your Word. Then encourage
us to step out in faith to put these principles into
practice in our lives. As we do, we thank You for
answering our prayers and doing immeasurably
more than all we ask or imagine, according to
Your power that is at work within us.
the Mediator of the new covenant. Amen.
Thought: Pray, believe, expect!
March 31
Principles for Effective Prayer Today, reflect on

the twelve action steps to prayer: 1. Become
Silent: Be still, and gather yourself. If your spirit,
body, mind, and emotions are separated, then you
will be unable to pray God’s will with singleness
of purpose. Silence helps bring you into unity
with God.
2.Give Adoration: Worship God for who He is: King of all the
earth, your Creator, your Savior, your All in All.
3.Make Confession: Agree with God about what He says to
you and about you. Don’t dwell on past sins, but obey God
immediately when He shows you that you are wrong.
4.Give Thanks: Offer sacrifices of praise to God for all that He
has done for you.
5.Make Supplication: As God shows you what He desires,
agree wholeheartedly with Him in prayer to fulfill His will.
6.Specify Petitions and Requests: When you ask God to do
something for you, bring evidence relevant to the case—in the
form of God’s will and Word—through specific, intentional
communication.
7.Secure the Promises: When you petition the Lord, take God’s
promises before Him, applying them to the specific request you
are making. Then hold onto God’s promises.
8.Plead the Case: Don’t beg or moan before God, but pray
intelligently because you rightfully deserve the answer based
on God’s promises.
9.Believe: Believe right at the time you are asking that you
have the answer to your request, and you will receive it.
10.Give Thanks: Thank God for what you don’t yet see
because you believe it is already done.
Live in Expectation: Anticipate the answers to your prayers
11.
and prepare the way for them.
12. Practice Active Belief: Don’t stop after you have prayed.
Get up and look for what you asked for. If you seek and knock,
it will come to pass.
April
April 1
Learning about Prayer versus Practicing It
Prayer is the greatest privilege offered to a
person in Christ. Satan knows that an individual is
only as powerful as his or her prayer life.
Therefore, he uses misconceptions about prayer
to thwart our prayer potential. These
misconceptions are hurdles we must overcome in
order to receive answers to prayer.
The first hurdle is the desire to read about the Bible and
prayer rather than to study the Word itself and equip oneself
for prayer. We gain a false sense of satisfaction when we learn
about something but don’t actually do it. We may think it’s
part of our lives, but it really hasn’t moved from our heads to
our hearts, from theory to practice. Satan loves it when we read
about what we should be doing but never do it; when we buy
books on prayer and the Bible but never follow what they say.
It’s like buying a cookbook but never making the recipes.
Many Christians read in the Bible about believers receiving
answers to their prayers, and they feel inspired. They may say,
“Daniel prayed, Joseph prayed, and look at the results they
had. ‘The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective’
(James 5:16). I should pray, too.” However, they never commit
to prayer.
We often have the false idea that if we know a great deal
about prayer, somehow we have prayed. You may say, “This is
powerful. This can change my life.” However, if you don’t
apply these principles to your life, you will not grow spiritually.
A major cause of unanswered prayer is becoming an expert in
the knowledge of prayer but not a master in the practice of
praying.
Prayer: Father, I don’t want to be a hearer of the Word
only, but also a doer. As I learn about the principles
of prayer, help me to apply them in my prayer life.
Thought: The best approach to prayer is to pray.
April 2
Mental Assent versus Faith Mental assent looks

so much like faith that many people cannot
distinguish one from the other. Mental assent
agrees with God but doesn’t believe God. When
we have mental assent, we merely accept the
Word as truth but do not allow it to have an
impact on us. This is the third hurdle to answered
prayer we must overcome.
The mental assentor affirms that the entire Bible is God’s
infallible revelation. In crises, however, he says, “I believe the
Bible is true, but it doesn’t work for me.” He often quotes
Scriptures he doesn’t really believe. He might affirm, “God will
supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ
Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV), without truly trusting God to do
so.
A mental assentor says, “Lord, what You said is
wonderful!”—and leaves it at that. He may know much about
the Word, but he has failed in his spiritual life. The true believer
is a doer of the Word, not a hearer only. (See James 1:22.) A
variation of mental assent is “sense knowledge.” This attitude
says, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” The Bible tells us, “We walk
by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV). Faith and sense
knowledge are not compatible. Faith is the substance and
evidence of things that your sense knowledge cannot see. (See
Hebrews 11:1.) Many of us have been educated to live by our
five senses alone. If we cannot analyze something and draw
empirical conclusions, we don’t believe it’s real. However, God
says that what He has promised is already a reality. Yet it will
become a manifested reality only when we believe it is real
before we see it—by trusting God and His Word. That’s how
faith operates.
Prayer: Father, I thank You that Your promises are
true. Help me to act on Your truth.
Thought: Mental assent agrees with God but does not believe
God.
April 3
Evidence of Things Not Seen Hebrews 11:1

says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen” (KJV). Note
that this verse does not say faith is the evidence
of things that do not exist. Faith is the evidence
of things you cannot see. These things already
exist in God, but you can’t see them yet. Live by
faith. God says, “I will supply all your needs.
Trust Me to do it.” Trusting God’s Word is faith in
action.
If you have been mentally assenting to the truth but not
acting on it, you have been living below your privilege. Again,
James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so
deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” This verse separates
mental assent from faith. If you think just listening to the Word
makes a difference, you deceive yourself. You must apply what
you hear by believing and acting on it. Jesus said to the chief
priests and elders, “There was a man who had two sons. He
went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the
vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his
mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said
the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,”
they answered. (Matthew 21:28–31) The second son assented
to obey, but never took action. The first son, though initially
rebellious, later met his father’s request. We can’t just say we
believe; we have to live out our faith by doing what God asks.
Prayer: Father, You have promised to meet the needs
of Your children. Help me to trust You and to act in faith
even when what You’ve promised isn’t visible.
Thought: If you have been only mentally assenting to the
truth, you have been waiving your privilege.
April 4
Hearing the Word but Not Absorbing It Another

major hurdle to answered prayer is hearing the
Word without absorbing it into one’s life. When
we don’t absorb the Word, Satan steals it away. In
the parable of the sower, Jesus said, “When
anyone hears the message about the kingdom
and does not understand it, the evil one comes
and snatches away what was sown in his heart”
(Matthew 13:19). In this parable, seed represents
the Word of God, while different types of soil
represent human attitudes. When the seed is sown
along the path—when the Word is not central to a
person’s life—the enemy steals it.
The enemy attacks the Word because it is the source of our
spiritual life. Even as you read the Bible, your adversary tries to
rob you of God’s truth. If you don’t consciously apply God’s
Word to your life, the enemy will try to make you forget what
you’ve just read.
Jesus often ended His lessons by saying, “He who has ears
to hear, let him hear!” (See, for example, Matthew 13:9 NKJV.)
There is physical hearing, and there is spiritual hearing. Jesus
knew the people heard His words, but He told them, in essence,
“My words need to be established in your hearts.”
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says
is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking
at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks
like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that
gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he
has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
(James 1:23–25) Prayer: Father, please give me ears to hear You
in Your
Word and in those You have called to teach Your Word.
Thought: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Reading: Ruth; Luke 8:1–25
April 5
Growing Your Faith
The only way God’s promises will become a reality in your life
is if you act on them—and you can’t act on them without faith.
The very word promise requires faith. If I promise you
something, then you don’t have it yet; you must believe I will
give it to you. God tells us, “I promise to do this for you, but
it’s actually already done. I want you to believe that what I
promise is real. It is already accomplished.”
Start living by the faith God gave you so that His Word can
come to pass in your life. People say, “I need more faith.” Faith
is easy to obtain: it comes by hearing the Word of God. “So
then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”
(Romans 10:17 NKJV). When you receive the Word, your faith
grows. Every time you hear or read the Word and apply it, your
spiritual life is strengthened. You don’t receive the Word of
God without being changed for the better.
Remember the promise regarding the seed that fell on good
soil in Jesus’ parable of the sower:
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the
man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a
crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
(Matthew 13:23)
Planted in good soil, a seed will grow because the power is in
the seed. Let the Word of God be planted in you and “grow”
your faith in the love and power of God our Father.
Prayer: Father, Your Word is the seed of faith in the
soil of my heart. Let my heart be “good soil,” watered by
Your Holy Spirit, so that I will reap a harvest for You.
Thought: You don’t receive the Word of God without
being changed for the better.
Reading: 1 Samuel 1–3; Luke 8:26–56
April 6
Let the Message Sink in I like how The Living

Bible paraphrases Jesus’ command in Revelation
2:7: “Let this message sink into the ears of
anyone who listens to what the Spirit is saying
to the churches.” Let the message sink in. Stay
focused after you’ve heard or read the Word, and
let it truly sink into your spirit through the
process of meditation.
Meditation was an important spiritual exercise in both the Old
and New Testaments. Many believers don’t practice meditation
because they misunderstand the word. Biblical meditation
differs greatly from transcendental meditation, a practice of
eastern religions involving chants and incantations. Biblical
meditation focuses on God’s Word. The psalmist wrote, “I
mediate on your precepts and consider your ways” (Psalm
119:15).
When Joshua became leader of the Israelites, God said to him,
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth;
meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do
everything written in it.” He added, “Then you will be
prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8). This would happen
when Joshua meditated on the Word to make it part of his life.
After the apostle Paul instructed Timothy in God’s ways, he
said, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them,
that your progress may be evident to all” (1 Timothy 4:15). The
Greek word for “meditate” in this verse is meletao, which
means to “revolve in the mind.” Rather than mindless chanting,
biblical mediation involves using your mind—reflecting on
something to understand all its truths and implications, then
applying them to your life.
Prayer: Father, teach me how to mediate on Your Word daily.
I want Your precepts to sink into my heart so that
my thoughts and actions reflect You.
Thought: Meditation means letting the Word truly
sink into your spirit.
April 7
Meditation: A Twofold Process Meditation has

been compared to rumination, the process by
which a cow chews its cud. A cow has two
stomachs. The first takes in the food as the cow
eats it. When the cow is full, it ruminates,
bringing the food back up into its mouth to chew
again. Rumination digests the food, putting it into
a form easily assimilated into the cow’s system
through its second stomach. Thus the food
becomes strength and life to the animal.
The Bible says we also must undergo a twofold process to
absorb the Word of God. The first step is receiving the Word.
When you read the Bible or hear a biblical teaching, the Word
enters your “first stomach”—your heart. (See Matthew 13:19.)
To receive spiritual strength and life, however, you must
meditate on that Word, “digesting” it so it can permeate your
entire being. The psalmist said, “Oh, how I love your law
[Word]! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me
wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me” (Psalm
119:97–98, emphasis added).
Satan never wants you to reach the meditation stage because
that’s when the Word of God can become the means for
answered prayer. Just hearing a good Sunday morning sermon
is not enough; rather, you must absorb the Word that is
preached. Remember, “when anyone hears the message about
the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes
and snatches away what was sown in his heart” (Matthew
13:19). Meditate on God’s Word after hearing a message;
absorb it into your life. The devil won’t be able to stop the
Word because God will use it to accomplish His purposes.
Prayer: Father, Your Word says that meditating on You
will be sweet. Help me to absorb whatever I hear
from You, in the Bible or in a sermon.
Thought: Meditation on God’s Word can be strength
and life to you.
April 8
Hope Is Not Faith P eople often mistake hope for

faith, but these concepts are distinct. The Bible
says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope
and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1
Corinthians 13:13). The Greek word for “faith”
is pistis, meaning “belief” or “confidence.” It can
also mean “conviction” or “assurance.” The word
for “hope” is elpis, meaning “expectation” or
“anticipation.” Biblical hope is based on faith
because it anticipates the ultimate fulfillment of
that faith.
Hope is necessary for anticipating heaven, the second coming
of Christ, and everything God has promised us in the future—
the culmination of our salvation, the resurrection of our bodies,
the new heaven and earth, and our eternal reign with Jesus.
Biblical hope looks to future blessings: “We have this hope as
an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). “May
the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in
him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the
Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
When hope is misapplied, however, it is a hurdle to answered
prayer. God wants to bless us in this life. If we think blessings
are for the future only, we will fail to exercise faith to see their
fulfillment now. Where faith is not applied, fulfillment cannot
come. Believers with this perspective will receive the future
blessings for which they have hope and faith, but they will
miss the blessings God wants to give them today.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the hope of salvation.
I look forward to an eternity with You. Help me to understand
the difference between biblical hope and faith so I can walk
according to Your purpose for my life.
Thought: The expectation of future blessings is what
biblical hope is all about.
April 9
When Hope Is Wishful Thinking Sometimes

people talk about hope, but they’re really talking
about wishful thinking. Biblical hope is based on
faith, while wishful thinking is based on
uncertainty or doubt. The first is hope; the second
is “hoping.” Hoping says, “I hope this happens; I
hope this works; I hope God hears my prayers.”
Wishful thinking is destructive to the practice of prayer.
Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope
for and certain of what we do not see” (emphasis added). We
receive what God has promised when we pray. Having faith
means affirming this fact until the answer manifests itself.
Hoping is dangerous because it can cancel our prayers. For
example, suppose you ask God for something according to His
Word, saying, “Lord, I believe.” If you finish your prayer time
and say, “I sure hope it happens,” you have just nullified your
prayer.
When you pray for a present-day blessing, hope plays a part
only in your confidence that your answer is on its way. When
Daniel persevered in prayer for three weeks, he was not hoping
for an answer; he was waiting for an answer. There’s a
difference. Suppose you call a friend and say, “I’m making a
cake, and I ran out of butter. Would you bring some over?”
Your friend says, “I’m on the way.” Are you hoping to receive
butter? No. You continue preparing the cake because you
believe the butter is coming. You expect it because your friend
promised to bring it.
How much more you can rely on God to do what He has
promised! The Bible says, “If God said it, He will do it. If He
promised it, He will bring it to pass.” (See Numbers 23:19.)
Prayer: Father, I don’t have to just hope You will be there for
me; You have promised it in Your Word. Help me to walk in
faith.
Thought: Wishful thinking is destructive to prayer.
April 10
Are You on “Someday Island”?
Hoping doesn’t accomplish anything. Faith makes you work;

hoping doesn’t. Hoping says, “Someday….” How long have
you been on “Someday Island”?
God’s blessings have already been accomplished in the
spiritual realm; He waits for people of faith on whom to release
them. If you want to go to college but have no money, pray,
“God, You said the righteous will be ‘like a tree planted by
streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose
leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers’ (Psalm 1:3).
I’m obeying Your Word. I expect to prosper. I’m going to
college because I am the righteous, and my fruit shall come in
season.” After praying, fill out applications and make other
preparations as you await the manifestation of your request.
Otherwise, college will remain merely a dream.
When we engage in wishful thinking and doubt, we reveal our
lack of trust in God’s character and integrity. Doubt is an insult
to God. No wonder James said that if a person doubts, “that
man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord”
(James 1:7).
Many of us wish and wait. When we don’t receive what we
asked for, we wonder if God’s Word is true. The problem is not
with God’s Word, but with us. He has already accomplished
our request, but we aren’t expecting it. We don’t act as if we
have it, so God can’t give it. We’re holding Him up. He
promises, “The Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing
does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm
84:11).
Prayer: Father, I would never want to insult You with my
unbelief. As I read Your Word and pray, please help me change
my doubt to a firm and steadfast faith in You.
Thought: Doubt is really an insult to God.
April 11
The Size of Your God Luke 17:5 says, “The

apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’”
If you have prayed like that, you are in good
company. The disciples lived with Jesus for more
than three years. They saw Him cast out demons,
heal the sick, and raise the dead, yet they still
asked Him to increase their faith. “He replied, ‘If
you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you
can say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and
planted in the sea,” and it will obey you’”
(Luke 17:6).
Praying for faith is another hurdle to answered prayer. Jesus
was telling His disciples, “You don’t need any more faith; just a
small amount will move mountains. The little you have can do
much, but you aren’t using it.”
It is not the size of your faith that counts—it is the size of
your God. If you believe, you activate heaven. Perhaps you are
thinking, “I’m not sure I have faith.” “Faith comes from
hearing the message, and the message is heard through the
word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). If you want to increase your
faith, increase your intake of the Word of God. What you know
of the Word becomes the limit of your faith because you can
believe only what you know. It is essential to belong to a local
body of believers where spiritually grounded teaching
addresses all aspects of the Christian life. We need to
understand how God operates in every area of life because we
want to have faith in all those areas. Jesus said, “According to
your faith will it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29).
Prayer: Father, please strengthen me to spend
more time in Your Word. I want my faith
in You and in Your Word to grow larger and deeper.
Thank You for being all that I need.
Thought: It’s not the size of your faith that
counts—it’s the size of your God.
April 12
Neglecting Prayer Altogether A final hurdle to

answered prayer is neglecting prayer altogether.
Laziness and distractibility are the worst reasons
for not praying. None of us wants to be called a
“wicked, lazy servant” (Matthew 25:26) by God.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus said, “The one who
received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who
hears the word, but the worries of this life and the
deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful”
(Matthew 13:22, emphasis added). When a person doesn’t
bother to pray because he feels he has more important things
to do, or is too involved with the cares and concerns of this
life, even what he knows about prayer will bear no fruit for him.
When we neglect prayer, we ignore exhortations from God’s
Word: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds
of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always
keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me…”
(Ephesians 6:18–19). “Devote yourselves to prayer, being
watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2). Failing to pray is
neglecting the Word of God.
Matthew 3:10 says, “The ax is already at the root of the trees,
and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut
down and thrown into the fire.” We must avoid becoming
complacent in our knowledge of the Word and neglecting to
nurture it. However, when we hear, absorb, and apply the
Word, we will bear the fruit of spiritual growth and answered
prayer. We will see the fulfillment of God’s original purposes for
blessing the earth.
Prayer: Father, I do not want to neglect Your Word.
Help me to pray for myself and others and not succumb
to laziness or life’s distractions.
Thought: None of us wants to be called a wicked and lazy
servant!
April 13
Putting Prayer into Practice We have examined

six hurdles to answered prayer over the last
several days. Now, ask yourself the following
questions: Which of these hurdles best describes
my practice of prayer and reading the Word? Is it
a lack of application, mental assent, not allowing
the message to sink in, or laziness? What attitude
or outlook do I need to repent of in order to
surmount this obstacle through God’s grace?
After answering these questions, choose one hurdle that
characterizes your current practice of prayer. Take conscious
steps to overcome it by applying the truth of God’s Word. Each
day, as you read the Bible, ask God to open the eyes of your
heart to see what He is saying to you in His Word. Practice
meditation by thinking about the implications and applications
of what you have read. After church this week, spend at least
five minutes sitting quietly, reflecting on the message and what
God is saying to you through it.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your Word
cautions us to be
self-controlled and alert because our enemy the devil is
prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to
devour, and that we need to resist him as we stand firm in the
faith.
We ask You to help us remain alert to the hurdles in our lives
that the enemy wants to use to destroy our prayer potential.
Help us to resist him as we stand firm in our faith. Let
Your Holy Spirit show us where we are being deceived
in our attitudes toward prayer and the Word so that
we can understand and practice true and effective prayer.
We ask these things in the name of Jesus, who resisted
the enemy through the power of Your Word. Amen.
Thought: Have I identified a hurdle to prayer in my life,
and am I committed to overcoming it through God’s grace?
April 14
Principles for Overcoming
Hurdles to Prayer Today, reflect on the six
hurdles to answered prayer: 1.Learning about
prayer but not practicing it: We gain a false
sense of satisfaction when we learn about prayer
but fail to apply it. No amount of knowledge will
help us spiritually unless we put it into practice.
The best approach to prayer is to pray.
2. Mental assent rather than action: Mental assent agrees with
God but does not believe God. A variation of mental assent is
“sense knowledge,” which says, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Faith is believing before we see the manifestation of our
prayers. If we think just listening to the Word is enough, we are
deceived. We must believe the Word and act on it.
3. Hearingthe Word but not absorbing it: When we don’t
absorb the Word, Satan steals it away to keep it from having an
impact on our relationship with God. We absorb the Word by
meditating on it.
4. Hoping rather than having faith: Hope can interfere with
what God wants to accomplish through prayer when we
misapply the biblical definition of hope (future fulfillment) to
present-day situations and when our hope is not the biblical
kind, but is really just wishful thinking.
5. Praying for faith: When we pray for faith, we pray to believe.
Either we believe or we don’t. Such a prayer is really based on
unbelief; therefore, it will not be answered. Faith comes and
increases as we hear, believe, and obey the Word.
6. Laziness and/or the cares of the world: If we are too lazy to
pray, we risk being called a “wicked, lazy servant” (Matthew
25:26) by God in regard to this crucial purpose for our lives.
When we allow the concerns of this life to crowd out the
practice of prayer, even what we know about prayer will bear
no fruit in our lives.
April 15
Everyone Lives by Faith When we read, “The

just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17 NKJV;
Galatians 3:11 NKJV), we must define what the
Bible means by this statement, because everyone
lives by faith. Faith of some kind works in all our
lives, whether or not we are aware of it.
To do any kind of business with God, we need the faith the
Bible speaks of. “Without faith it is impossible to please God”
(Hebrews 11:6). Many of us were taught that faith is necessary,
but we weren’t usually taught how to obtain the faith that
pleases God.
How do we define faith in general terms? Remember that the
New Testament word “faith” comes from the Greek word pistis,
meaning “belief” or “confidence.” Faith means belief and
confidence in the words you hear. It is believing in something
unseen as if it were already a reality—and then speaking it and
expecting it until it manifests itself. Again, everyone lives by
this definition of faith, and people usually receive exactly what
they have faith for. Why? Human beings were created in God’s
image to operate in the way He does—through words of faith.
“For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood
firm” (Psalm 33:9).
People live either by positive faith—based on the Bible—or
negative faith. Both come by the same means: what we listen to
and believe. Sometimes our prayers fail because we have the
wrong kind of faith. It is not that we lack faith; we have the
wrong kind of faith. Understanding the different kinds of faith
and how faith functions are key preparations for prayer.
Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me positive faith.
Teach me to always pray in faith according to Your Word.
Thought: Everyone lives by some kind of faith.
April 16
Created to Walk in Faith P eople were created in

God’s image to operate as He does—through
words of faith. This truth is vital to our prayer
lives.
God created the heavens and the earth by believing in the
reality of what He would create before He saw its
manifestation. “By faith we understand that the universe was
formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made
out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:3). Nothing was visible
until God spoke the universe into being.
God not only spoke words to create things, but He continues
using words to keep the universe running! Hebrews 1:3 says,
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact
representation of His being, sustaining all things by His
powerful word” (emphasis added). God sustains everything by
the power of His Word. He spoke, and the universe came into
being. He keeps on speaking, and this keeps the universe
going.
When you ask for something in prayer according to God’s
will, you should speak in faith as if it already exists. Moreover,
you must keep speaking in faith to see its manifestation. When
it comes, it’s not enough to receive it from God; you must
maintain God’s blessing by continuing to speak it in faith.
When God fulfills a promise and gives you something, you
obtain the “title deed” to it. If Satan steals what you have
received from God, you still have the title deed; you own the
property even if Satan possesses it. If you have lost something
God gave you, appropriate His promise of restoration (see Joel
2:25–27) and expect its return in faith.
Prayer: Father God, the power of Your words of faith stir
my spirit to have faith as well. Show me how the power of
my words enable me to receive and guard Your promises.
Thought: God sustains the entire universe by
the power of His words!
April 17
The Word Is Near You The apostle Paul wrote,

“But the righteousness that is by faith says:
…‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth
and in your heart’” (Romans 10:6, 8). This
passage refers to “the word of faith” (v. 8,
emphasis added). Where is that word? It “is near
you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.” The
word of faith is close to us; it dwells in our
hearts, and we speak it from our mouths.
The word “near” also has to do with what we listen to. When
you turn on the television, words of faith—that is, words that
create the raw material for your belief—are near you. The same
thing is true when people talk to you. What they say goes into
your ears, which are the gateway to your heart, and “out of the
overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).
Your words reflect what is in your heart, what you believe.
Again, you will likely receive what you say because God has
given you the same ability He possesses—creative expression
through your words. Just as God created His world with His
words, you create your world with your words. Every word is a
word of faith.
This is a crucial truth for us to remember. Faith is active
belief. It is belief combined with expectation and action.
Prayer: Father God, please open my heart to Your Word.
I want the word that is near me to be from You,
a word full of faith and truth.
Help me to hear and act on Your Word.
Thought: Faith is belief in action!
April 18
The God Kind of Faith In Romans 10:8, Paul

gave a qualification: “‘The word is near you; it
is in your mouth and in your heart,’ that is, the
word of faith we are proclaiming” (emphasis
added). The word he wanted to plant in believers’
hearts was the word of faith he was preaching, the
one given by God.
One of the most important illustrations in the Bible concerning
faith and prayer is found in Mark 11:12–14: The next day as
they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the
distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit.
When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it
was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no
one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him
say it.
What did Jesus do? He used words. What kind of words?
Words of faith. Remember that faith is active belief. When He
spoke to the tree, He actively believed the tree would die.
What happened to the tree Jesus addressed? “In the
morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered
from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi,
look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!’” (Mark 11:20–21).
Most translations give Jesus’ reply as, “Have faith in God” (v.
22). Yet this is not the way it was written in the original Greek.
Its literal translation is, “Have the God kind of faith.”
Prayer: Father, I want the God kind of faith. I want to walk
in faith as Jesus did, to speak words of faith and believe
in my heart. Please show me the way.
Thought: The Lord wants to plant His Word of faith in each
believer’s heart.
April 19
Faith Comes by Hearing I tell you the truth, if
anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw
yourself into the sea,” and does not doubt in his
heart but believes that what he says will happen, it
will be done for him. Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you
have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark
11:23–24) The Bible says, “Faith comes by
hearing” (Romans 10:17 NKJV). Faith doesn’t just
come the first time we hear. It continues to come
by continual hearing. If you listen to one hour
of solid teaching followed by two hours of
negative talk, you will have faith for the negative.
Faith comes from the word that is near you,
which is why I’m careful about the company I
keep. I want to be around people who speak words
that produce the faith of God, because this is the
kind of faith we are to have.
Be aware that other kinds of faith surround you, not just the
“God kind of faith.” I encourage you to check the company
you keep, the books you read, the music you listen to, the
movies and videos you watch, even the church you attend—
you will become what you listen to and speak what you hear.
What you hear creates faith for what you are hearing. The
more you hear it, the more you believe it. You speak it, and it
happens to you. That is why Jesus said that if we want to
operate as He does, we have to have the God kind of faith.
Prayer: Father, I desire to guard my ears and heart.
Help me to listen to Your Word and to those who believe
Your Word so I may be encouraged in my faith.
Thought: Faith continues to come by continual hearing.
April 20
Faith Comes by His Word How do you obtain

the “God kind of faith”? Remember that Romans
10:8 says, “The word is near you; it is in your
mouth and in your heart.” Again, whatever is in
your heart comes out of your mouth. We could
define “heart” in this instance as the
subconscious mind. It’s where you store
everything you have been listening to. As we have
learned, what comes out of our mouths helps
create our world because we are just like God in
the way we function. Whatever we speak has the
power to happen.
I want you to remember this truth because it will be the
biggest test of your faith. What do you say in the midst of
trouble? What do you say when faced with adversity? What
do you say when things are not going your way? What you
have been listening to will proceed from your mouth, because
that is what is in your heart.
It is vital to have a constant diet of the Word of God so that it
will be in your heart. It will nourish your heart so that, when
you experience troubles, the Word is what will come out of
your mouth, and you will create what the Word says.
May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your
decrees. May my tongue sing of your word, for all of your
commands are righteous.(Psalm 119:171–172) May the words of
my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your
sight, O LORD, my Rock and My Redeemer.(Psalm 19:14) Prayer:
Father, may my words reveal that Your Word
is fixed in my heart. Then my heart and my words
will be truly pleasing in Your sight.
Thought: When you experience troubles, the Word
should proceed from your mouth.
April 21
The Word of Faith for Salvation A person is

saved by confessing with his mouth and believing
in his heart. In Romans 10:8–9, the word that is
near us is “the word of faith we are
proclaiming: that if you confess with your
mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved.” Being born again is difficult for
some people to understand because they expect a
feeling to accompany the supernatural activity of
God. They err, saying, “I prayed this prayer, but I
don’t feel anything.” The Bible says anyone who
wants to be saved must believe and speak—not
feel.
To be saved, a person must say with his mouth, “Jesus is
Lord.” We say, “God, can’t I do something more exciting than
that? How about having a light shine down from heaven? How
about having me fall down and shake or something? Don’t tell
me to just talk!” Yet God says, “That’s how faith works.” When
you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart,
salvation comes.
This truth is crucial to your life and prayers. Your salvation
came by the confession of your mouth and the belief in your
heart. When you confessed your faith in the Lord Jesus, He
actually became your Lord. In light of this truth, consider the
following: If you are born again by your words, if you can be
saved from hell and go to heaven by your words, if there is that
much power in what you say, what effect are the other words
you speak having on your life? Spend some time with the Lord
considering this truth today.
Prayer: Father, I desire to speak words of faith that will
have a positive, powerful, eternal effect on my life.
Help me to speak Your words of truth.
Thought: You can be positively or negatively affected by
what you say and believe.
Reading: 2 Samuel 12–13; Luke 16
April 22
Jesus, You Are My Owner Jesus is Lord”

(Romans 10:9). The word lord means
“proprietor” or “owner.” We can substitute the
word owner for “Lord” to say we are saved by
confessing, “Jesus is my Owner! He owns my
life: body, mind, and spirit; past, present, and
future. He owns my body; I can’t go just
anywhere I want. He owns my mind; I can’t fill it
with just anything. He owns my spirit; there’s no
room for the devil there. He owns my house; I
can’t do anything immoral in it.” If Jesus is truly
your Lord, this will be manifested in your attitude
and actions.
We read in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “No one who is speaking by
the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say,
‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” You are saved by
confessing that “Jesus is Lord,” and you can’t say this unless
the Holy Spirit enables you. You can’t fake this confession,
saying Jesus is your Lord but doing whatever you want. If you
call Jesus your Lord but fail to live as if He owns your life, you
insult Him. You probably know people who claim to have
accepted Christ as Lord but have not changed their lifestyles.
They say Jesus is their Lord, but they do not live by the Spirit
of Christ.
When you truly believe and confess, “Jesus is my Lord,”
heaven goes into action to make sure you receive the Holy
Spirit because heaven recognizes the word of faith.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who is
the Lord of my life. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit,
who enables me to make this confession of faith!
Thought: Jesus is my owner; He owns all of my life.
April 23
You Will Not Be Ashamed For it is with your

heart that you believe and are justified, and it
is with your mouth that you confess and are
saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who
trusts in him will never be put to shame’”
(Romans 10:10–11, emphasis added). When you
say that Jesus is your Lord, you have to trust that
He truly is. If you keep believing and saying that,
the Bible says you will not be made ashamed.
If you tell people, “I have confessed Jesus as my Lord, and I
am a child of God,” they may ask, “How do we know that?
You’re still the same person we always knew.” Yet, if you keep
confessing and believing it, you will not be made ashamed.
People will see a difference in you. If you keep studying and
practicing God’s Word, He will truly become Lord of all areas of
your life.
Likewise, if you believe what you pray, if you confess and
hold on to God’s truth concerning your situation, you will not
be made ashamed. God promised that if we live righteously and
delight in His Word, we will be “like a tree planted by streams
of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does
not wither,” and whatever we do will prosper. (See Psalm 1:1–
3.) You can claim that truth for yourself in prayer, and if you
keep saying and believing it, God says, “You won’t be made
ashamed concerning it.” God is faithful, so keep on praying
and believing according to the word of faith.
Prayer: Father, You are faithful to Your Word.
Thank You for revealing to me Your faithfulness.
I believe that I can pray in faith and not be ashamed.
Thought: If you keep confessing and believing, you will
not be made ashamed.
April 24
Are You Planted by the Stream?
Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25–26, “Christ loved the church

and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by
the washing with water through the word.” In the Bible, water
is a symbol of the Word of God. The tree mentioned in Psalm
1:3 is “planted by streams of water.” It is healthy and fruitful
because it is near the streams and can draw water with its
roots. Similarly, you must be connected to the Word of God so
it can flow continuously into your life; then you will bear your
fruit in its season. You might not receive an immediate answer
to prayer, but the season will come because the Word is
flowing into your life. Everyone who has questioned your trust
in God will see your fruit. You can say, “I haven’t seen any
results yet, but there’s fruit in the tree.”
How do you keep believing? You must be planted in a place
where the Word is prevalent and the people around you are
continually speaking and living it. Spending time in the Word
will transform your mind. When you hear something
continually, it becomes a part of your heart. You start believing
it, and you reflect your belief by what you say. Then the fruit
starts to appear.
Blessed is the man…[whose] delight is in the law [Word] of the
LORD, and on his law [Word] he meditates day and night. He is
like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in
season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does
prospers.(Psalm 1:1–3) Prayer: Father, please forgive me for not
remaining planted
beside the water of Your Word every day. Allow my roots
to go down deep into the Word so I can bear much fruit.
Thought: When you stay connected to the Word of God,
you will bear fruit in season.
April 25
Dwelling on the Riverbank Have you been

waiting for an answer to prayer? Some of your
prayer requests have not yet been manifested
because their season has not come. Therefore,
between the seed prayer (your prayer in faith) and
the manifestation of the fruit, you must dwell on
the riverbank, reading, meditating on, speaking,
living, and breathing the Word of God.
To sustain belief, you must keep taking in the Word. In fact,
believers should be as riverbanks to one another, building up
each other with the Word. We can “speak to one another with
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19). We also
must remind others to keep believing as they await their
seasons’ arrival. “Encourage one another daily, as long as it
is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s
deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).
“‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ For
there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord
is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him” (Romans
10:11, emphasis added). God blesses “all who call on Him”
because of their faith. When you trust God and believe what
He has promised you, He says He will vindicate you in the end.
He will make you such a blessing that people will wonder and
say, “Tell me about your God.” Then you can pass along the
word of faith to others. Faith is a ministry God releases. He
sends the word of faith, using us to deliver it to others.
Prayer: Father, give me strength to dwell along the
riverbank, drawing from Your Word and encouraging
my brothers and sisters in Christ. Together, we will
see You bring fruit in our lives.
Thought: A constant diet of the Word of God will
nourish your heart.
April 26
Are You Living in Reality?
Jesus told His disciples to “be of good cheer” in the midst of

a bad storm at sea. (See Matthew 14:22–33 NKJV.) Most people
would respond, “You can’t be serious. There’s nothing to be
cheerful about. There’s a storm, the boat’s breaking apart,
we’re sinking, and you say, ‘Be of good cheer’? You can’t see
reality, can you?”
When you express faith, some people say, “You’re not facing
reality.” We’ve been trained to think that reality is what we can
see. Actually, the person who is not living in faith is the one
who is not living in reality. “Faith is being sure of what we
hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).
Faith is your title deed, the proof of your legal ownership of
what you are praying for. Faith is your reality!
Again, make sure you exercise the “God kind of faith.” Jesus
said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask
whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (John 15:7). In
effect, He said, “Tell Me what I tell you.” The God kind of faith
puts complete trust in God’s Word.
Keep believing and speaking of God’s goodness and the
“impossible” things He can bring to pass. Romans 4:17 says
God fulfills His Word and “calls things that are not as though
they were.” Affirm in your heart, “This is the beginning of a
new lifestyle of faith for me—the God kind of faith.” Remember,
all prayers must be prayers of faith!
Prayer: Father, I believe that if I pray according to
Your Word, You will be faithful to answer me. Continue
to lead me into this exciting life of prayer.
Thought: Faith, active belief, and expectation all come by
what we hear.
April 27
Putting Prayer into Practice Ask yourself some

tough questions: How much time do I spend
absorbing God’s Word compared to taking other
viewpoints from television, movies, books,
magazines, and the Internet? Which influences
me most—God’s Word or what others say? If
faith is belief in action, what do my actions say
about what I believe? What negative ideas have I
allowed to permeate my life?
Take steps today to change your way of thinking to God’s
way. First, list any negative thoughts you think or hear during
the day. In the evening, review and counteract them with truths
found in God’s Word. Start developing the “God kind of faith”
by applying God’s Word to a specific situation in your life.
State your findings, pray about the situation, and hold fast to
the Word whenever you are tempted to doubt! Spend less time
with negative people and more time with those who read and
live out the Word. If your spouse and children are negative,
live in a way that expresses your own faith and speak the Word
of God to them as you have opportunity. Finally, I challenge
you to spend at least as much time in the Word this week as
you do watching television. Then, watch the power and
presence of God change your life!
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, the Bible says
that the word
of faith is near us, that it is in our mouths and in our hearts.
We pray that we will place our trust in You and Your Word
rather than in the words of faith all around us that are contrary
to Your truth. Forgive us for spending more time dwelling on
our own plans, ideas, scenarios, analyses, and schemes
than on taking Your Word into our hearts and living by it.
Open the truths of Your Word to us and let us rely on You
alone.
who is the Living Word. Amen.
Thought: What do my actions say about what I believe?
Reading: 1 Kings 1–2; Luke 19:28–48
April 28
Principles for Cultivating
the God Kind of Faith Today, reflect on these
principles: 1.Unanswered prayer has more to do
with our having the wrong kind of faith than a lack
of faith.
2. Menand women were created in God’s image to operate in
the same way He does—through words of faith.
3. Faith
is active belief. It is a point of action or belief combined
with expectation.
4. “‘The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your
heart’” (Romans 10:8). Positive faith and negative faith come
by the same means: what we listen to and believe.
5. Sometimes
God doesn’t answer our prayers because He
knows what we’re asking for wouldn’t be good for us.
6. What you say reflects what is in your heart—what you
believe. What you keep saying is what you will receive.
7. Paul saidthat the word of faith he wanted to plant in
believers’ hearts was the one he was preaching—the one given
by God. (See Romans 10:8.) 8. The literal translation of Jesus’
statement, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22), is, “Have the God
kind of faith.”
9. The God kind of faith comes from hearing His Word.
10. A constant
diet of God’s Word will nourish your heart.
When you experience troubles, the Word will proceed from
your mouth, and you will create what the Word says.
11. If you
confess and hold on to God’s truth, you will not be
made ashamed. He will answer. (See Romans 10:10–11.) Stay
connected to the Word of God to bear fruit in season. (See
Psalm 1:1–3.) 12. To keep believing, you must plant yourself in a
place where the Word is prevalent and the people around you
are continually speaking and living it.
April 29
The Power behind Prayer It is vital to understand

the power behind prayer. We need to recognize
three areas of power: God’s Word and Spirit, the
Christian life and fasting, and the name of Jesus.
We will explore these themes in the coming days,
beginning with the power of God’s Word.
To understand the power of the Word, we first need to
understand the heart of prayer. The heart of prayer is asking
God to intervene in the world to fulfill His eternal purposes for
mankind. We are to pray to God on the basis of His Word—the
revelation of His identity, His will, and His promises. God gave
man dominion over the earth, but this doesn’t mean he should
do anything he wants with his life or the resources of the
world. Outside of God’s will, man and the world will not
function properly because they were designed to function
according to God’s purposes. Just as an inventor knows how
he designed his product to function, our Creator knows how
we function best and has provided this knowledge in His
Word.
Therefore, the key to effective prayer is understanding God’s
purpose for your life—as a human being in general, and as an
individual specifically. In this way, God’s will can become the
authority of your prayers. True prayer calls forth what God has
already purposed and predestined—the establishment of His
plans for the earth. Whatever we ask God to do in our lives, in
the lives of others, or in the world must be based on His will.
God’s purpose should be the motivation for and the subject of
our prayers.
Prayer: Father, please help me to see Your plan for my life.
I want to have an active part in Your purpose on this earth.
Thought: God’s purpose is the raw material of prayer.
April 30
Handling the Word of God Our power in prayer

is the Word of God. Through God’s Word, we can
know, believe, and agree in faith with God’s will.
Without His Word, our prayers lack a solid
foundation; they rest on a flimsy base of
opinions, desires, and feelings rather than on
“the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter
1:23). Such prayers are powerless to effect
change, but all the power of God is available to
true prayer.
Prayer is very simple—it’s speaking the Word to God exactly
as He gave it to us. Since we receive the same raw material for
prayer as other believers, our effectiveness in prayer often
depends on how we handle God’s Word. This can make the
difference between answered and unanswered prayer. We must
handle the Word properly and responsibly. (See 2 Timothy
2:15.) First, we must understand that God Himself is speaking in
the Word, because the Word is who He is: “In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God” (John 1:1, emphasis added). God’s presence becomes
part of our prayers when we speak His Word in faith. In 1
Kings 19, Elijah did not find God in the wind, earthquake, or
fire, but in “a still small voice” (v. 12 NKJV). Many people want
a manifestation of God’s power, but they don’t realize His Word
is the foundation of that power—that the power is only a
reflection of the greatness of God Himself. God’s Word is so
powerful that faith the size of a mustard seed can move
mountains. (See Matthew 17:20.) Prayer: Father, without Your
Word, our prayers have no foundation. Please help me grow in
Your Word so my communion with You will be true and my
prayers will be effective.
Thought: God Himself is speaking in the Word.
May
May 1
Revealing God’s Nature The Word reveals God’s

nature, and His nature reflects His will.
Everything God says reveals His character and
purposes. Remember, God and His Word are
inseparable. Because of His integrity, God
fulfills His Word.
How will we respond to what the Word reveals about God’s
character? Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he
should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not
fulfill?” Do we believe that God will keep His Word? A cardinal
principle of answered prayer is belief in the trustworthiness of
the One to whom you pray. The power of your prayers
depends on it. The Word will work in your life only as you
believe it: And we also thank God continually because, when
you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you
accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the
word of God, which is at work in you who believe.(1
Thessalonians 2:13, emphasis added) Placing confidence in
someone’s word and character demonstrates that you believe
him. The same thing applies to your relationship with God.
What do you demonstrate about your belief (or disbelief) in
God? Your belief is evidence that you trust Him. He is not
impressed by how many Scriptures you quote or how long you
pray. He is moved and convinced when you believe what He
has told you and when you prove it by acting on it.
Prayer: Father, I believe that You are honorable and true
to Your Word. Help me to grow in my faith, to learn
to trust You more and more each day.
Thought: Belief is trust in action!
May 2
The Word Is Alive There is power in the Word

because it is more than knowledge and facts; it is
life itself. Take time today to meditate on these
powerful passages of Scripture: Take to heart all
the words I have solemnly declared to you this
day, so that you may command your children to
obey carefully all the words of this law. They are
not just idle words for you—they are your life.
(Deuteronomy 32:46–47, emphasis added) The
Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The
words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are
life.(John 6:63, emphasis added) You have been
born again, not of perishable seed, but of
imperishable, through the living and enduring
word of God. For, “All men are like grass, and all
their glory is like the flowers of the field; the
grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of
the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that
was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:23–25, emphasis
added) The word of God is living and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints
and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes
of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, emphasis added) The
Word is alive—that’s how powerful it is!
Embrace this truth from God’s Word today.
Prayer: Father, Your Word is alive and active in my life.
I surrender to the living and enduring Word of God.
Help me to embrace the truth of Your Word.
Thought: The backbone of prayer is our agreement
with God’s Word.
May 3
The Power of the Word What did God use to

create the world? “The Word…was with God in
the beginning. Through him all things were
made; without him nothing was made that has
been made” (John 1:1–3). What did God give
Abraham that caused him to believe? “Abram fell
facedown, and God said to him, ‘As for me, this
is my covenant with you: You will be the father
of many nations’” (Genesis 17:3–4, emphasis
added).
What was the source of Moses’ success? “God called to him
from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here I
am’” (Exodus 3:4, emphasis added; see also verses 5–10). Why
was Ezekiel a powerful prophet? In the book of Ezekiel, the
prophet reported fifty times, “The word of the Lord came to
me” (emphasis added).
How did God redeem the world? “The Word became flesh and
made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14, emphasis added).
What did Jesus give His disciples for salvation and
sanctification? “Whoever hears my word and believes him who
sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has
crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24, emphasis added).
“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to
you” (John 15:3, emphasis added). “Sanctify them by the truth;
your word is truth” (John 17:17, emphasis added).
What did the disciples use to continue Jesus’ ministry on
earth?
“Now, LORD, consider their threats and enable your servants to
speak your word with great boldness.”…And they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
(Acts 4: 29, 31, emphasis added) In every situation, the answer
is the same: the powerful Word of God!
Prayer: Father, thank You for the presence and power
of Your Word, which transforms my life.
Thought: God’s Word is the source of all creation.
May 4
If…You Abide in Me It is likely that no one

quoted Scripture more than Jesus. When He was
tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He responded
with God’s Word alone. (See Matthew 4:4, 7, 10.)
Jesus was so familiar with the Word that He
wasn’t fooled when the enemy distorted it. (See
verse 6.) When Jesus spoke the Word in faith,
God fulfilled it, and Christ overcame temptation.
God says, “[My Word] will not return to me empty, but will
accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I
sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). If the church would believe this
Scripture, it could shake the world. No word of God is empty of
power.
If we want the Word to work powerfully in our lives, we must
make sure it’s inside us. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and
My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it
shall be done for you” (John 15:7 NKJV). Perhaps you’ve read
this verse and tried it, but felt it didn’t work. Yet Christ was
giving us the key to success.
Two conditions for answered prayer are “If you abide in Me”
and “If…My words abide in you.” Abiding in Jesus means
continual spiritual communion with Him by fellowship,
worship, prayer, and fasting.
To test whether God’s Word is abiding or living in you,
assess the first thing that comes out of your mouth when
you’re under pressure. Is it an affirmation of faith, or is it fear,
confusion, doubt, or anger? The Word is truly inside us when
it directs our thoughts and actions, even under pressure.
Prayer: Father God, Jesus quoted Your Word when He faced
temptation, and I want to do the same. Help me to know Your
Word so I can defeat the devil with it as Your Son did.
Thought: The Word is working mightily in me.
May 5
If…My Words Abide in You Jesus said, “If you

abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you
will ask what you desire, and it shall be done
for you” (John 15:7 NKJV).
You can’t get the Word inside you by keeping your Bible on a
shelf, putting it under your pillow at night, or even by hearing
someone preach it to you. Preaching only stirs up faith; you
have to have the Word in you beforehand through regular
reading and meditation.
Jesus gave us the condition, “If…My words abide in you,” so
the last part of the verse could be fulfilled in us: “Ask what you
desire, and it shall be done for you.” If His words are in you,
your desires and requests will reflect those words. If you are
filled with the Word, you won’t ask for just anything. You will
ask on the basis of His Word, which He fulfills.
Remember that many of our prayers aren’t being answered
because we pray for things He never asked us to pray for.
When we pray according to His Word, however, we know we
are praying the will of God. God performs His Word and
nothing else—neither your suggestions nor your feelings.
Therefore, if you don’t bring Him His Word, you won’t
experience the promise “it shall be done for you.” Too often
we think the phrase “ask what you desire” means we can ask
for anything. Yet Christ says, in effect, “If My Word is abiding
in you, then you can ask for what’s abiding in you, and it will
be done.” That is the power of the Word.
Prayer: Father, may Your Word abide in me so that it
can flow out of my heart and mouth in prayer.
Thought: God fulfills His Word—not your
suggestions or feelings.
May 6
The Word Builds Faith The Word of God is

powerful because it produces in us what pleases
God and causes Him to respond to our requests:
faith. “Faith comes from hearing the message,
and the message is heard through the word of
Christ” (Romans 10:17). “By faith we
understand that the universe was formed at
God’s command, so that what is seen was not
made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:3).
Faith is the result of dwelling in the Word of
God. When we practice the Word of God, it
becomes power to us.
It should be your goal throughout life to build your faith
because the Bible makes it clear that faith is how we live: “The
righteous will live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; see also
Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). We live by faith,
not by sight. (See 2 Corinthians 5:7.) I have been crucified with
Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live
in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and
gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, emphasis added) You have
to work on having faith in God and His Word. Jesus said, “It is
written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). Your faith
needs nourishment from the Word if you are to be spiritually
sustained. Feed your faith by filling it with God’s Word and
acting on that Word. The word of man is what man is; the
Word of God is what God is. To live as a child of God, you must
believe His Word.
Prayer: Father, As I read and meditate on Your Word, I
believe that my faith will grow. Thank You for giving me
the faith I need to walk with You through this life.
Thought: Faith is simply taking God at His Word.
May 7
Are You Living by Doubt?
It is safer and healthier to live by faith than to live by doubt

and wishful thinking. Those things produce only tension and
high blood pressure and make people angry at the world
because they can’t see past their weak hope. Those who live
by faith confound the world’s understanding with their peace
and joy in the midst of difficulty. Like Jesus, they can rest
during storms.
God says, “You aren’t supposed to live by what you see, but
by what I told you.” (See 2 Corinthians 5:7.) That means what
you know is more important than what you see. Much of what
you see contradicts what you know from God’s Word, but what
you know can supersede what you see. If you know that God
will deliver you from every tribulation (see 2 Timothy 4:18),
your “problems” are no more than temporary discomforts.
I don’t use the word problems anymore because I understand
that everything is under God’s command. The Bible says, “We
know that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who have been called according to his purpose”
(Romans 8:28). Everything, without exception, works for my
good because I’m called according to God’s purpose and will. I
am confident in the knowledge that He “calls things that are
not as though they were” (Romans 4:17). If I live only by what I
see, I live in sin. “Everything that does not come from faith is
sin” (Romans 14:23). There are many such sinners in the
church who rebel against God’s will by living according to
what they see rather than by what God says.
Prayer: Father, thank You that all things work to my
good because I love you and am called according to
Your purpose. As I abide in Your Word, I believe my
faith will grow so I can live by what I know about You,
and not only by what I see in this world.
Thought: Faith grows out of one thing—the Word of God.
May 8
God’s Promises Are “Yes”
Some of the promises in the Bible were spoken to specific

people or groups, yet Jesus made these promises accessible to
everybody. “No matter how many promises God has made,
they are ‘Yes’ in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20). However, you
have to qualify in the same way they had to qualify—by faith.
Once you know the promise, you don’t have to say, “If it is
God’s will.” A person says that only when he’s unsure. God
doesn’t go against His promises. That’s why praying the Word
is so important.
Sometimes God will back you into a corner and remove all
your alternatives to show you His miracle-working power. If
God’s Word is all you have to go on, you’re about to receive a
miracle! As long as you have a scheme to fall back on, you
won’t see the miracle. However, when you say, “I can’t do
anything else. If God doesn’t come through, I’m finished,” then
God gets involved because He loves to do the impossible!
If you have faith in His Word, God will take what seems
impossible and accomplish it like an everyday task. He enabled
Sarah in the Old Testament and Elizabeth in the New Testament
to bear sons when they were barren and past childbearing age.
He enabled Mary to become the mother of Jesus when she was
an unwed virgin. I like Mary’s response to the angel who told
her God had chosen her for this honor: “I am the Lord’s
servant.…May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). In
other words, “Lord, do whatever You want to do.”
Prayer: Father, you have so many wonderful promises
in Your Word, and they are “yes” for me in Christ Jesus.
Please help me to surrender the “impossible” to You
and watch for miracles in my life.
Thought: God gives you the promise ahead of the blessing so
that when it comes, you’ll know it came from Him.
May 9
Faith for Difficult Circumstances
When we pray God’s Word in faith, things that have been

bound up will suddenly be released. You will say, “But I have
been trying to accomplish that for ten years!” Yes, but you
hadn’t prayed according to God’s Word and trusted God’s
faithfulness until now. Belief will open doors that hard work
can’t unlock.
God says if you believe Him, He will give you the best. (See
Genesis 45:18.) At your workplace, God may first put you in a
lesser position to check your attitude. He may keep you there
to develop your character until you qualify, when God will say,
“It’s time to move up!” Even if people try to thwart you, prayer
will foil their plans. Expect God to act and look for the
fulfillment of the promise—or it may pass you by.
The local church in Jerusalem met and prayed for Peter when
he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel, and an angel
delivered him from prison. Peter knocked on the door of a
house where many of the believers were praying. When they
saw Peter, they were astonished, even though they had been
praying for his release. (See Acts 12:1–16.)
I believe they were astonished because they didn’t really
believe in the power of prayer, they didn’t believe God could
deliver Peter from his very difficult circumstances, and they
didn’t believe God could answer prayer that quickly.
Are you facing difficult circumstances? Do you expect God to
deliver you, or are you thinking along the same lines as those
who prayed for Peter? God is able to answer your prayer, and
He is able to answer quickly—in any situation.
Prayer: Father, I bring my difficult circumstances before
You right now. Thank You that You have promised
to hear and answer our prayers. I trust You and
Your faithfulness for the answer.
Thought: Belief will open doors that hard work cannot unlock.
Reading: 2 Kings 7–9; John 1:1–28
May 10
God’s Word Is His Will I write these things to
you who believe in the name of the Son of God
so that you may know that you have eternal life.
This is the confidence we have in approaching
God: that if we ask anything according to his will,
he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—
whatever we ask—we know that we have what we
asked of him. (1 John 5:13–15, emphasis added)
First John 5:13–15 pulls together everything we
have been discussing about prayer. It begins, “I
write these things to you who believe in the
name of the Son of God….” This verse applies to
you if you believe in the name of the Son of God.
The passage continues, “…so that you may know
that you have eternal life.” John was saying,
“I’m writing these things so that you can know
you are connected to God.” Then he said, “This is
the confidence we have in approaching God.…”
What is that confidence? “…that if we ask
anything according to his will, he hears us.”
Here’s that conditional word “if” again: “If we ask anything
according to his will….” God’s Word is His will. His Word is
His desire, His desire is His intent, and His intent is His
purpose. “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears
us.” God always hears your prayers when you pray according
to His will. When you pray His Word, He hears Himself. God
will hear you when He hears the words He Himself has spoken.
Prayer: Father, I believe that Your Word is Your will.
Through Your Word, show me Your
will for every area of my life.
Thought: God’s Word is His desire;
His desire is His intent; His intent is His purpose.
May 11
Speak God’s Words, Not Yours God’s plan for

your life is even bigger than your plan. However,
to enter into His plan, you must believe in and
affirm it by what you say. Jesus’ life was
successful because He didn’t speak His own
words; He spoke God’s words.
For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent
me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that
his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just
what the Father has told me to say.(John 12:49–50) The words I
say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in
me, who is doing his work.…He who does not love me will not
obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they
belong to the Father who sent me. (John 14:10, 24) This is the
secret to living a victorious life of faith. It was a major key to
Jesus’ power on earth. Jesus Christ didn’t invent words to say.
He was always praying to God what God had said first. Why?
Again, it is because God watches over His Word to fulfill it.
Jesus’ works were the Father’s works because His words were
the Father’s words. His miracles were the Father’s miracles
because His words were the Father’s words. He knew who He
was, what He believed, and what to say, and that combination
brought Him victory on earth. The same can be true for us if we
follow His example!
Prayer: Father, teach me how to speak and pray
Your Word, so that my words are Your words,
and my works are Your works.
Thought: Speaking the Father’s words was the primary
secret of Jesus’ power.
Reading: 2 Kings 13–14; John 2
May 12
Faith-Filled Prayers One reason the Bible builds

faith—and therefore gives power—is that it
records how God answers the faith-filled prayers
of His people. Hebrews 11:1 says that “the
ancients” were commended for living by what
God told them rather than by what they could see.
They believed His words and acted upon them,
and He responded accordingly.
The men and women of the Bible were not super-saints. They
were people, just like us, who received answers to prayer as
they put their faith in God, trusting His character and Word.
The Bible makes this very clear: Elijah was a man just like us.
He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain
on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the
heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (James
5:17–18) Acts 10:34 says, “God does not show favoritism.” He
will not treat us any differently from believers in ancient times,
except that now we have an additional advantage—the
atonement and prayers of Christ on our behalf and the
intercession of the Spirit. The powerful examples of believers in
the Bible encourage us to have faith that God can and will
intervene on our behalf.
We know from reading about the lives of these believers that
many of them struggled with doubts, were inclined to mistakes
and failures, and had to learn by experience. However, we also
see God’s faithfulness and love in teaching them His ways,
coming to their aid, and strengthening them for the purposes
He planned for them.
Prayer: Father, Your Word gives us examples of faith-filled
believers. Even though they had weaknesses as I do, they
learned to rely on You and Your Word. Teach me to rely on
Your faithfulness, as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought: Examples of answered prayer build faith for my

own circumstances.

May 13
Heroes of Faith
The Bible is filled with examples of faithful men and women of

God who believed Him to the end and experienced His power to
bless, heal, and save.
A servant (Abraham’s chief servant) and a king (Solomon)
both asked for wisdom, and God gave it in each case. (See
Genesis 24:1–27; 1 Kings 3:4–14.) Hannah asked God for
blessing and deliverance from her distress, and God granted
her request. (See 1 Samuel 1:1–20.) Moses and Daniel
interceded for the nation of Israel, and God heard and
answered in mercy. (See Exodus 32:1–14; Daniel 9.)
Nehemiah prayed for the restoration of Jerusalem (see
Nehemiah 1:1–11) and was protected as he rebuilt the walls.
After lifetimes of devotion to God, Anna and Simeon received
signs confirming God’s promise of a Redeemer. (See Luke 2:25–
38.) Paul and Cornelius received understanding about the way
of salvation after they prayed. (See Acts 9:1–20; Acts 10.)
Jesus at His baptism (see Luke 3:21–22) and the disciples at
Pentecost (see Acts 1:14; 2:1–4) received the Holy Spirit after
prayer. Peter and John received prophetic insight and
revelation while they prayed. (See Acts 10:9–15; 11:1–18;
Revelation 1:9–10.) Paul and Silas were delivered from prison
after praying and singing to God. (See Acts 16:16–34.)
Through these examples, God tells us that He will intervene
on our behalf, too. We are His beloved children, redeemed by
His Son and undergoing preparation to rule and reign with Him
in eternity. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him
up for us all—how will he not also, along with him,
graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
Prayer: Father, thank You for being a God who intervenes
on my behalf as I put my faith in Your Word.
Thought: The Word says much about how God answers
the prayers of believers.
May 14
Preparing Us for Prayer
The Word prepares us for prayer and helps us maintain

communion with God. The Psalms say that when we embrace
the Word, it will keep us aligned with God’s will:
Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all
their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.…I
have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against
you. (Psalm 119:2–3, 11)
Aaron had to prepare himself to enter God’s presence before
offering sacrifices on the day of Atonement. We need to offer
ourselves daily as living sacrifices to God so we can have
continual fellowship with Him. “Offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act
of worship” (Romans 12:1). As our minds are transformed by
reading and meditating on the Word, we will know the will of
God and will pray confidently and effectively:
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be
able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good,
pleasing and perfect will. (v. 2, emphasis added)
The Word of God is a tremendous gift that gives us the power
to know and do the will of God, the power to pray with
certainty and boldness, and the power to know that God hears
us when we pray according to His will. “And if we know that
he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what
we asked of him” (1 John 5:15).
Prayer: Father, as I learn Your Word, please help me to hide
it in my heart so I won’t sin against You. I desire continual
communion with You as I dwell in Your Word.
Thought: The Word gives us the power to know and
do the will of God.
May 15
Putting Prayer into Practice Do you believe God

will keep His Word? Do you think of the Word as
alive and active on your behalf? Or is reading the
Bible just a religious obligation to you? When
you read biblical accounts of God answering the
prayers of His people, does your faith grow?
Focus this week on abiding in Christ and having
His words abide in you (see John 15:7) so the
Word will work powerfully in your life. Spend
time worshipping and fellowshipping with God,
reading and mediating on His Word, praying, and
fasting.
Meditate on verses relevant to your needs in order to build
your faith in God and His Word: wisdom—James 1:5; salvation
—John 3:16; healing—1 Peter 2:24; finances—Philippians 4:19;
prosperity—Isaiah 1:19–20; provision—Matthew 7:11.
Choose three people in the Bible who offered effectual
prayers to God and discover how they prayed, how they lived,
what God promised them, and how He answered their prayers.
Record your findings and refer to them when you face similar
situations.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, Jesus said that
those who hear the
Word and receive it are like good soil. We ask You to fulfill
Your Word in our lives. Let us be fertile soil that produces
good fruit. Your Word says You will answer prayer offered
in faith and according to Your will. We will expect and
prepare for the answer, confident that if You said it, You
will do it; if You promised it, it will come to pass.
Thank You for the faith You have given us.
Help us to expect a miracle.
We pray in the name of Jesus, our High Priest,
who sits at Your right hand and intercedes for us. Amen.
Thought: The Word will bring forth good fruit from us.
May 16
Principles of the Word in Prayer Reflect on the

power of the Word and its relationship to
effective prayer today: 1.Whatever we ask God to
do in our lives, in the lives of others, or in the
world, must be based on His Word. God’s
purpose is to be both the motivation and the
content of our prayers.
2. WithoutGod’s Word as their basis, our prayers have no
foundation. They are based merely on our opinions, desires,
and feelings. Such prayers are powerless to effect change.
3. Prayer is speaking the Word to God exactly as He gave it to
us.
4. Thereis no difference between what God gave the people in
the Bible as the basis for their effective prayers and what He
gives us to work with. Both rely on what God has given all
mankind—His Word.
5. Godwants to use His power in the world; however, for Him to
do so, we must know how to appropriate His Word. We must
understand it and apply it properly.
6. God Himself is speaking in the Word.
7. God’s Word is the foundation of His power. His power is a
reflection of His greatness.
8. The Word reveals God’s nature to us.
9. A cardinal principle
of answered prayer is belief in the
trustworthiness of the One to whom you’re praying. Belief is
trust in action.
10. The Word is alive and active on our behalf.
11. The Word builds faith in us.
12. TheWord says much about how God answers the prayers of
believers.
13. The Word prepares us for prayer.
May 17
The Impact of Sin Spiritual and emotional

hindrances block true fellowship with God and
answers to prayer. We must recognize and
remove them to live in harmony with Him and to
have confidence in prayer.
The first hindrance is the impact of sin, which corrupts our
faith, obedience, and prayers. “Therefore, get rid of all moral
filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the
word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen
to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says”
(James 1:21–22).
When you sin—especially willfully—and disobey the Word,
God will not hear you; you will not receive His favor. Isaiah
59:2 tells us, “Your iniquities have separated you from your
God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will
not hear,” and Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my
heart, the Lord will not hear me” (KJV). First John 3:22 says,
“And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep
His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in
His sight” (NKJV, emphasis added).
When we repent, however, 1 John 2:1 assures us, “If anybody
does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense
—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” Scripture promises that
God will forgive us and hear us again: If my people, who are
called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek
my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from
heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2
Chronicles 7:14, emphasis added) Prayer: Father, thank You for
forgiving my sins.
Please hear my prayers and give me the strength to avoid sin.
Thought: Clearing out hindrances in our lives enables us to
live in harmony with God.
Reading: 1 Chronicles 1–3; John 5:25–47
May 18
Fear Is Faith in the Negative Fear is another

hindrance because it keeps us from believing we
can approach God in prayer. First John 4:18 says,
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love
drives out fear, because fear has to do with
punishment [“because fear involves torment”
NKJV]. The one who fears is not made perfect in
love.” We’re afraid to approach God when we
think He will remember our sin or failure and
hold it against us. This prevents freedom and
confidence in prayer; it blocks faith and renders
prayer ineffective.
The Bible says that “fear involves torment.” Fear immobilizes
you. Fear is faith in what could go wrong rather than faith in
what could go right. It is believing the devil and other people
rather than God.
When you go before God, your sins do not matter if you
confess them to Him, appropriating the cleansing blood of
Jesus to purify you from all unrighteousness. (See 1 John 1:9.)
He will forgive you, and you can approach Him as if you never
sinned. No fear should inhibit your prayers.
When we realize that God loved us first and desired a
relationship with us even when we didn’t know Him and lived
in sin, we will understand that we can come to Him and ask for
forgiveness. Romans 5:8 echoes this idea: “But God
demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us” (emphasis added).
God wants you to be assured of forgiveness and to move
forward in His purposes with confidence. “For God has not
given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a
sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your love and forgiveness.
Help me never to be afraid to approach You.
Thought: Fear is faith in what could go wrong rather than faith
in what could go right.
May 19
Do You Struggle with Guilt?
Some people are hindered by a constant sense of guilt, but

Romans 8:1–2 tells us, “Therefore, there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free
from the law of sin and [its consequence] death” (emphasis
added).
“There is now no condemnation” (Romans 8:1). I once spoke
at a prayer meeting about Christ freeing us from condemnation.
After the meeting, someone told me, “That word was so
important for me. I thought that because I’d done some terrible
things…, God wouldn’t want me to be a part of His work any
longer. I asked for forgiveness, but I just needed to hear God
say, ‘It’s okay. You’re forgiven.’”
Even after some people have been forgiven, they may go to
church, worship, and seem happy, but inside they still feel
guilty. Their spiritual growth is stunted because they think God
holds their sins against them, and they no longer approach Him
in faith and perfect love. God has forgiven and forgotten your
sin if you have confessed, repented, and believed in the
cleansing blood of Jesus. Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will
forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no
more.”
Guilt sometimes stems from distrust. If you have asked God to
forgive you, He has forgiven you. If you still carry around the
sin in your heart and mind, your doubt that God really forgave
you brings the guilt back to life. Put away your distrust. You
can trust God, who is faithful to forgive your sins and cleanse
you from unrighteousness. (See 1 John 1:9.) Prayer: Father, I
can cast off guilt because of Your forgiveness. Help me to trust
You always and to realize there is no condemnation because of
Jesus Christ.
Thought: Guilt is related to the fear of not being forgiven.
May 20
The Sea of Forgetfulness The Bible says, “[God]

will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our
iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah
7:19), and “I, even I, am he who blots out your
transgressions, for my own sake, and
remembers your sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25).
God forgets your sins once He forgives them.
Since He has chosen to forget them, He doesn’t
want you to remind Him about them.
One of my college professors used to say, “After we ask for
forgiveness, God puts up a little sign that says, ‘No fishing.’”
He has cast our sins into the sea of forgetfulness, and we
aren’t to go fishing there. Thank God that everything in the
past is forgiven and forgotten. We have been cleansed by the
blood of Jesus.
Accept that God has cast your sin into the sea of
forgetfulness so you can have power in prayer. Seek
reconciliation in your broken relationships and restitution for
wrongs you have committed. In the future, if you sin, ask God
to forgive you and to continue the process of sanctification in
your life. Receive His forgiveness and draw near to Him again
in confident faith: Therefore, brothers, since we have
confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain,
that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the
house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in
full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse
us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed
with pure water.(Hebrews 10:19–22, emphasis added) Prayer:
Father, I desire to draw near You with a heart
fully assured by faith. You have cleansed me
from sin, and I praise Your name!
Thought: You can walk into God’s presence without feeling
condemned.
May 21
Do You Feel Unworthy?
Feelings of unworthiness will sabotage your prayer life. You

cannot pray effectively if you feel ashamed of yourself and
unworthy to receive what you request of God. If you have a
low opinion of yourself, you don’t know God’s true regard for
you as revealed in His Word. Here is a marvelous Scripture that
describes how God sees us: In love [God] predestined us to be
adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with
his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which
he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in
accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on
us with all wisdom and understanding….In him we were also
chosen. (Ephesians 1:4–8, 11, emphasis added) We were
chosen in Christ long before the earth was made. God lavishes
His love on us. Self-loathing is not from God, but from the
enemy. Satan doesn’t want you to realize that your value to
God is incalculable.
The book of Hebrews says we’re so precious to God that He
gave Jesus to be the sacrifice, or propitiation, for our sin. (See
chapter 10.) Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then approach the
throne of grace with confidence [“come boldly to the throne of
grace” NKJV], so that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help us in our time of need.” In light of our value to God, we
can respect ourselves and approach Him as chosen children
who have received “the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
Prayer: Father, thank You for the riches of Your grace.
Please guide me into Your truth so that I will always approach
Your throne with the confidence of being Your child.
Thought: A low opinion of yourself is not from God.
May 22
Do Your Prayers Deserve Answers?
Self-image plays a significant role in how we approach God in

prayer. When you have a proper estimation of yourself as a
redeemed child of God, you don’t come to prayer as a beggar.
Instead, you present your case confidently. Prayer does not
mean appealing to God’s sympathy; rather, prayer means
coming to Him knowing you deserve what you request
because of the righteousness of Christ and because the
request is based on His Word.
You must present the evidence of God’s Word as in a court of
law. In addition, you must believe that when you walk into the
courtroom of Jehovah, Jesus is at your left, the witness side,
and the Holy Spirit is at your right, as your counsel. (See
Hebrews 7:25; John 14:16–17.) In God’s courtroom, with your
heavenly Father as Judge, your Elder Brother (Jesus the Son)
as witness, and the Holy Spirit as your personal counselor,
how can you lose the case?
Jesus goes before the Father and testifies to your faith in Him.
When you don’t know how to plead, or when you aren’t sure
how to quote the promises, the Holy Spirit intercedes: “In the
same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not
know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself
intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express”
(Romans 8:26). He speaks to God directly from the heart of a
legal counsel. Therefore, when your efforts are inadequate, you
have heavenly assistance to help you pray.
Prayer: Father, please help me to remember that my prayers
deserve an answer when I come to You in Christ’s
righteousness and according to what You have promised in
Your Word.
Thought: You need to present the evidence of God’s Word
as in a court of law.
May 23
Come Boldly to Pray Some people believe they

shouldn’t come to prayer boldly. They are mild-
mannered and fawning, thinking God will see
them as humble and grant their requests. Yet true
humility is not pretentious or feigned; a humble
person knows who he is, and he is honest.
However, you can’t be who you are if you don’t
know who you are. And if you don’t know who
you are, it’s difficult to approach God in prayer.
We are God’s own children, and we need to
approach Him as His children.
How would you feel if your child crawled into the room and
timidly asked, “Would you please feed me today?” That would
be an affront to your love. Something is wrong if your child is
afraid to ask you for food. As a child of God, you can walk
boldly into the throne room and say, “Hello, Abba.” Your
Father will say, “What can I do for you, My child? Remind Me
of what I promised you.” Then, you can present your case.
A lawyer representing you in a court of law wouldn’t merely
beg, “Please, judge, I plead with you to let him go.” He would
bring facts and evidence. Likewise, pleading your case before
God doesn’t mean saying, “O God, please forgive me!” It
means telling Him, “According to Your Word, You have said,
‘This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus
Christ to all who believe’ (Romans 3:22), and I’m presenting
Your words as evidence. I believe; therefore, I ask You to
justify me.” You can’t pray like that if you feel afraid and
inferior. You pray like that when you have assurance of who
you are in Christ.
Prayer: Father, You have invited me to come boldly to Your
throne through Christ. You have called me Your child. May
I never forget that You see me with the eyes of a Father.
Thought: You can’t be who you are if you don’t know who
you are in Christ.
May 24
You Are My Beloved Child Most of us don’t

understand what prayer signifies about our
relationship with God. The parable of the prodigal
son illustrates this relationship for us. (See Luke
15:11–24.) God says to each of us, in effect,
“You aren’t a servant; you are a son.” Too often
we come to prayer and say, “Lord, I am Your
unworthy servant.” God responds, “What are you
talking about? You are My beloved child!”
When you pray, keep in mind who you are in Christ and what
God has promised you. If you do not immediately receive an
answer, don’t allow feelings of unworthiness to make you think
nothing happened. It did. It may take a week. It may take
twenty-one days, as in the case of Daniel. It may take longer.
However, your prayer has been answered and will be
manifested.
Remember—you are not a servant, but a child of God. “He
has made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV).
God loved you before laying the earth’s foundation. When you
were estranged from Him by sin, He sent His Son to die for
you. He has made you worthy in Christ Jesus. He has made
you a coheir with His Son. He sends His angels to minister to
you. Therefore, live and pray accordingly.
Prayer: Father, You have assured me in Your Word that
I am Your child. Please help me to walk as someone who is
accepted by You, loved by You, and listened to by You.
Thought: When you pray, keep in mind
who you are in Christ.
May 25
What Are Your Motives?
What motivates you to pray? Are you asking God for

something just to boost your own ego or to achieve other
selfish purposes, or are you asking God to fulfill His Word so
that His kingdom can come on the earth? If your motives are
wrong, your prayers will be hindered, according to James 4:3:
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with
wrong motives [“ask amiss” NKJV], that you may spend what
you get on your pleasures.”
God knows we have needs, and it’s not wrong to ask Him to
fulfill them based on His Word. Jesus said, “Your Father
knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8). Yet
our main focus should be honoring God and promoting His
purposes. When our priorities are right, we can trust Him to
meet our daily needs. Jesus promised us, Do not worry, saying,
“What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall
we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your
heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well.(Matthew 6:31–33) When you pray, ask
God to forgive you for any impure motives and to enable you
to develop the right motives through the work of the Holy
Spirit. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act
according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).
Prayer: Father, please check the motives of my heart.
Reveal when I pray with impure motives, so that I might
confess them. I want to make Your purposes my own.
Thought: God is the one who enables us to have the right
motives.
May 26
The Danger of Bitterness Bitterness is

dangerous, especially in regard to prayer.
Bitterness accumulates when you withhold
forgiveness. It often indicates a hidden hatred that
hurts you more than it does the other person.
When you harbor bitterness, it goes to the very
source of your life and dries it up. You will not
only suffer spiritually, but you will also wither
mentally, socially, and physically. Bitterness is
like a cancer.
Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity [perversity, moral evil]
in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (KJV). Iniquity is a
secret sin—not because it’s something you commit in private,
but because it’s unseen and intangible, such as having
jealousy in your heart. You may smile at someone to conceal
that you are envious of him. You may hug somebody you
despise and say, “God bless you.” This is iniquity. If we
willfully hold such things in our hearts, it doesn’t matter how
long we pray; God won’t listen.
Bitterness is an especially hideous, dangerous sin. “See to it
that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root
grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15,
emphasis added). To guard against this sin and keep our
prayers from being hindered, we must maintain pure,
transparent hearts before God and men. “Let all bitterness,
wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you,
with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you”
(Ephesians 4:31–32 NKJV).
Prayer: Father, I never want to open my heart to bitterness.
Please convict me of any sins of jealousy and
unforgiveness that I may be hiding.
Thought: Bitterness can grow like a deep root into our hearts.
May 27
Forgive as You Are Forgiven
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against
anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive
you your sins. (Mark 11:25)
An unforgiving spirit can be a destructive presence in our

lives, even when we don’t realize we’re harboring one. Have
you forgiven your ex-husband, ex-wife, or whoever makes you
angry every time you think about him or her? What about
someone on the job who wronged you—someone you’re still
mad at after three weeks, three months, or three years?
Nurturing an unforgiving spirit can block your prayer life. The
Bible says, “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go
down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a
foothold” (Ephesians 4:26–27). Withholding forgiveness does
not reflect the character of Christ, and it demonstrates
ingratitude for the vast forgiveness God has given you.
Jesus made this point in the parable of the unforgiving
servant in Matthew 18:23–35. In this story, the king forgives
one of his servants and cancels a great debt he owed him.
However, this same servant refuses to forgive a fellow servant
of a lesser debt. In the end, the king throws the first servant
into jail for his lack of mercy. Jesus concludes by warning His
disciples, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of
you unless you forgive your brother from your heart” (v. 35).
Withholding forgiveness is a serious matter. You need to
forgive others if you want God to forgive you and to hear your
prayers.
Prayer: Father, I do not want to be captive to an unforgiving
spirit. Help me forgive everyone who wrongs me with the same
forgiveness that You have offered me in Christ.
Thought: Withholding forgiveness does not reflect the
character of Christ.
May 28
Do Your Relationships Need
to Be Repaired?
First Peter 3:7 says, “Husbands, in the same way be

considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with
respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the
gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
Peter was saying, “Husbands, treat your wives with
understanding, and don’t let there be any animosity between
you, or your prayers will be hindered.”
Broken relationships hinder prayer. Peter specifically
addressed husbands, but the same principle applies to
relationships between all family members. As believers, we are
to demonstrate the nature of God to one another. Psalm 103:8–
10 tells us, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to
anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will
he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins
deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” If we do not
practice the same compassion, grace, mercy, and love to others,
we misrepresent God. How can we ask Him to answer our
prayers and fulfill His purposes when we violate those very
purposes in our treatment of others?
Matthew 5:23–24 says, “If you are offering your gift at the
altar and there remember that your brother has something
against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go
and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your
gift.” God is saying to us, “Reconcile your broken
relationships at home before you come to church to pray.” We
are to put our relationships right first, and then go to worship
the Lord.
Prayer: Father, my family relationships are so important.
Please help me to forgive others so that I can maintain
communion with my loved ones and with You.
Thought: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone.”
May 29
Idols of the Heart
Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put
wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them
inquire of me at all? (Ezekiel 14:3, emphasis added)
In this sobering verse, God is saying, “I will not answer your

prayers if you are seeking idols.” He is referring to idols of the
heart. We must be careful not to set up idols in our lives,
however subtle they may be.
An idol is anything we give higher priority than God. We live
in a culture filled with potential idols—things we make so
important that we push God and His purposes for us to the
back burner.
For example, we often make idols out of wealth or
possessions. This can make us greedy or stingy, and an
ungenerous heart hinders prayer. Proverbs 21:13 says, “If a
man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out
and not be answered.” How can we ask God to meet our needs
if we’re not concerned about the needs of the less fortunate? If
we are compassionate and generous, our prayers will be
answered. “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes
others will himself be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25).
Idols can displace God from His rightful place in our lives if
we don’t examine our priorities. God deserves our utmost love,
devotion, and respect. “Love the LORD your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”
(Deuteronomy 6:5). Let us determine, through God’s grace, to
remove all idols from our lives so we can truly love God and
others—and have confident and effective prayer.
Prayer: Father, please help me by Your grace to remove idols
from my heart. I want to love You and show Your love to
others.
Thought: Let us throw off everything that hinders us.
May 30
Putting Prayer into Practice As you seek to

remove hindrances to prayer from your life, ask
yourself these questions: Is anything in my life
keeping me from a clear conscience and
unbroken fellowship with God? Have I accepted
God’s forgiveness, or am I holding on to past sins
and guilt? Have I recognized that I am a child of
God? What are my motives for praying? Am I
harboring bitterness toward anyone?
Now, take some steps to overcome these hindrances. If you
are plagued with feelings of condemnation, consciously
replace these feelings with what the Word of God says about
God’s love and forgiveness toward you. If your relationships
need mending, ask God to help you release your bitterness.
Take a step toward repairing a broken relationship by forgiving
someone or asking for forgiveness. Write down anything you
have put before God, such as money, a relationship, or your
career. Offer it to God and renew your love and commitment to
Him, spending time in worship and acknowledging His
Fatherhood and sovereignty.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, as Your Word
says, we are burdened by things that hinder us spiritually and
emotionally, and we too easily become entangled with sin.
These encumbrances keep us from having a joyful, unbroken
relationship with You and with our families, friends, and
coworkers. Enable us to have a true understanding of who we
are in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us
to clear away every hindrance so we can live freely as Your
children and pray in harmony with Your will and purposes.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, who is our Burden-Bearer—
who has carried our sins and sorrows, who has healed us
by His wounds, and whose suffering on our behalf
brought us peace with You. Amen.
Thought: “By his wounds we are healed.”
May 31
Principles for Overcoming
Hindrances to Prayer Today, reflect on these
major hindrances to answered prayer and how to
overcome them: 1.Sin: If we humble ourselves,
seek God, and turn from sin, God will forgive us
and hear our prayers. (See 2 Chronicles 7:14.)
2.Fear: Fear blocks our prayers by undermining
our faith. We must accept God’s forgiveness and
the new spirit He has given us—one of power,
love, and a sound mind.
3. Guilt: To
conquer feelings of condemnation, we must realize
that God has forgiven us and has forgotten our sins; therefore,
we can pray with assurance.
4. Feelings of Inferiority: As
God’s beloved children, we are not
beggars. We can pray confidently based on God’s Word,
Jesus’ testimony, and the Spirit’s advocacy.
5. WrongMotives: When we have our priorities right and put
God’s kingdom first, He will hear our prayers and meet our daily
needs.
6. Bitterness: God
will not hear our prayers if we hold iniquity in
our hearts. We need to maintain pure, transparent hearts before
God and men.
7. An Unforgiving Spirit: Withholding forgiveness blocks our
relationship with God and others. Ephesians 4:26–27 says, “Do
not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not
give the devil a foothold.”
8.Broken Family Relationships: God will not answer our
prayers if we fail to demonstrate His love and grace to our
family members. We must reconcile broken relationships as
soon as we can.
9. Idols: We
must examine our priorities. Anything we value
more than God is an idol that will hinder our prayers.
10. Stinginess: Proverbs 21:13 says, “If a man shuts his ears to
the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.”
Our prayers will be answered if we are compassionate and
generous rather than greedy and stingy.
June
June 1
Do You Understand Fasting?
There is power in prayer and fasting. All the great saints in

the Bible fasted—Moses, David, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Daniel,
Anna, Paul, Peter, and even Jesus Himself. A fast is a
conscious, intentional decision to abstain for a time from the
pleasure of eating in order to gain vital spiritual benefits.
Have you ever thought something like the following? I wish I
had the faith of Joshua, who made the sun stand still. I wish I
could be like Paul, whose very clothes caused the people who
touched them to be healed or delivered. I’d like to be like
John, who received the Revelation from God. We admire these
believers, but we don’t understand how they manifested such
spiritual power. It was because they committed themselves to
high standards in the practice of their faith so God could use
them to fulfill His purposes; in accordance with this, prayer and
fasting were an integral part of their lives.
Fasting is mentioned in Scripture one-third as many times as
prayer. It is a pillar of the Christian faith that was once
recognized as valuable and significant in the church. For
example, early church leaders prayed and fasted in order to
receive direction for ministry. (See Acts 13:2–3.) Throughout
Scripture, people of God fasted in times of crisis or danger.
(See, for example, Esther 4:15–16.) Yet most Christians
deemphasize fasting. Many consider the regular practice of
fasting to be almost fanatical. So little is taught about fasting
that it is not understood by many believers, especially
Christians new to the body of Christ, who conclude the
practice has only historic significance.
Fasting has become a lost art.
Prayer: Father, I want to follow Jesus’ example of fasting.
Open my spiritual eyes to understand the
importance of this practice.
Thought: Fasting is a pillar of the Christian faith.
June 2
Fasting: A Natural Part of the
Christian Life When I talk to believers about
fasting, they ask many questions. “Should every
believer fast?” “How does fasting enhance our
prayer lives?” “Does fasting simply mean
abstaining from food?” “When are we to fast?”
“Can a person fast but not pray?” “What is the
spiritual significance of fasting?”
Fasting has been part of my walk with the Lord since I was
fourteen, and I’ve developed a tremendous love of this
wonderful experience. For the next week or so, we’ll explore
guidelines to help you understand how and why to fast.
First, fasting should be a natural part of the Christian life. In
the same way that we develop habits of reading the Bible and
praying, we should develop the habit of fasting. Prayer and
fasting are partners in a single ministry. In Matthew 6:5–6,
Jesus said, “When you pray…” (emphasis added), not “If you
pray.” In the same passage, He said, “When you fast…” (vv.
16–17, emphasis added). Just as prayer is not optional for
believers, fasting is not optional. God expects His people to
fast. At times, the Holy Spirit moves upon a person or group
and supernaturally gives them a desire to fast. Most of the
time, however, fasting is an act of faith and will. It’s a decision
we make in obedience to Christ. Even if we want to eat, we
temporarily choose not to because of our love for Him.
Prayer: Father, I know that believers in the Bible often
prayed and fasted. Lead me by Your Spirit to a
time of prayer and fasting with You.
Thought: Fasting is a natural part of the Christian life.
June 3
Fasting Puts God First In the Old Testament, the

Hebrew word for fast is tsum. It means “to cover
over the mouth.” In the New Testament, the
Greek word is nesteuo, meaning “to abstain from
food.” Remember, a fast is a conscious,
intentional decision to abstain for a time from
the pleasure of eating in order to gain vital
spiritual benefits.
What does true fasting include? Today, let’s look at two
aspects of this practice. First, a fast is a time set apart to seek
God’s face. You abstain from things you enjoy in order to give
your whole heart to Him in prayer. Fasting tells God, “My
prayers and the answers I’m seeking are more important than
my pleasure in eating.”
Second, a fast puts God first; it focuses all attention on Him—
not on His gifts or blessings, but on God Himself. It shows Him
how much you love and appreciate Him. In this way, a fast
brings intimacy with God. God reveals Himself only to people
who want to know Him. He says, “You will seek me and find
me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). A
fast is a purposeful commitment to God. If you tell Him, “Lord, I
want to see Your face,” but your mind wanders, He will say, “I
cannot show you My face when you’re not looking at Me.”
Fasting is not a matter of trying to get something from God;
it’s a matter of trying to get to God. When you find God
Himself, you will discover that everything you need comes
with Him.
Prayer: Father, I desire to put You first in my life.
Help me to understand the role of fasting in my pursuit of You.
Thought: Fasting brings intimacy with God.
June 4
Fasting Creates an Environment
for Prayer Yesterday, we saw that fasting is a
time set apart to seek God’s face, and that fasting
puts God first. A third characteristic of true
fasting is that it fosters a sensitive environment
for prayer.
In the Old Testament, people fasted in conjunction with
wholehearted prayer in times of repentance. Fasting was also
used as a point of deliverance from situations. When an enemy
threatened God’s people, the Israelites often committed
themselves to fast. They would say, in effect, “We will fast
until the Lord tells us what to do.” The Lord would respond
with a strategy, and they would win the battle. Fasting,
therefore, creates an environment for God to work. We see
God’s Word and purposes fulfilled for us as individuals and as
the collective body of Christ.
Fourth, fasting is an avenue of intercession. The majority of
fasts in the Bible were observed on behalf of others’ needs,
such as national problems or family situations. I believe those
who fast reap personal benefit from their obedience. The main
purpose for fasting, however, is to benefit others.
Just before beginning His ministry, Jesus fasted forty days
and nights to consecrate Himself for the difficult task of
redeeming the world to fulfill God’s purpose. (See Luke 4:1–2.)
Before choosing His twelve disciples, Jesus spent the night in
prayer. (See Luke 6:12–16.) Right before His crucifixion, Jesus
prayed for His disciples and those who would believe because
of their testimony. (See John 17:6–26.) Jesus prayed and fasted
for others, and we should do the same.
Prayer: Father, lead me in a time of consecration and fasting so
I can put others’ needs before my own. Make me more like
Jesus.
In His precious name, I pray. Amen.
Thought: Fasting fosters a sensitive environment for
the working of prayer.
Reading: 2 Chronicles 21–22; John 14
June 5
Fasting Helps Us Hear from God Fasting—

emptying ourselves of food and filling ourselves
with God—increases our spiritual capacity. As
human beings, we are spirits, but we dwell in
bodies that control us most of the time. When
you fast, your spirit increases its control over
your body. Fasting enables you to discipline your
body to be a servant of the Lord rather than the
master of your spirit. Your body submits to your
spirit rather than pursuing its own impulses.
Fasting does not change God; it changes us
and transforms our prayers.
Much power flows through fasting. Fasting enables us to
better discern God’s voice to receive guidance, wisdom,
instruction, and knowledge. When Moses went up on Mount
Sinai, he was seeking God’s will for the Israelites. God took him
on a forty-day fast and gave him a powerful revelation—the
Law, with its Ten Commandments—which many nations have
used as the foundation of their societies. Our penal codes are
based on the Law that Moses received during his fast. That’s
how powerful the fast was. When you fast, God will speak to
you, giving you a revelation you couldn’t otherwise receive.
During a fast, the time you would normally spend on meals
should be spent in prayer and Bible study so you can hear
what God wants to say. It’s amazing how many hours are spent
on food each week. Planning meals, shopping, cooking, eating,
and cleaning up are time-consuming. When you fast, use that
time to seek God. He has always desired a close relationship
with you, and fasting allows time for you to develop true
intimacy with Him.
Prayer: Father, I desire to receive guidance, wisdom,
instruction, and knowledge from You. Increase my spiritual
capacity to hear from You through prayer and fasting.
Thought: Fasting increases your spiritual capacity.
June 6
Fasting Brings Power from God Sometimes

prayer alone isn’t enough to accomplish God’s
purposes. The Bible tells of a man who had a
demon-possessed son. Jesus’ disciples failed to
cast out the demon; it laughed at them. Why?
They were unprepared. After Jesus cast out the
demon, he explained to His disciples, “This kind
does not go out except by prayer and fasting”
(Matthew 17:21 NKJV).
Christ could cast out any demon He encountered because He
had spent forty days fasting and praying in preparation for
ministry, and because He continued to fast and pray regularly.
Spiritual powerlessness can come from feeding your flesh and
neglecting your spirit. Even though God created our bodies to
require food, He wants them to be controlled by our spirits. I
teach the Word of God almost daily, and I eat very little
beforehand. If you eat before speaking the Word, your flesh
can get in the way of the flow of the anointing.
When Jesus told His disciples that the demon could come out
only by prayer and fasting, He was saying, in effect, “Prayer is
good, but sometimes you need to add something to your
prayers: a spirit of consecration to God and an abstinence from
what can interfere with the flow of God’s power in your life.”
If you have ever thought, “I’ve been a believer for many
years, but God seems so far away. I feel like I’m in the desert. I
have no spiritual zeal,” fasting with prayer can draw you close
to God, revive your spirit, and give you spiritual power.
Prayer: Father, I have walked with You for some time but
I have lost my zeal for You. Please draw me to you
and fill me with Your power as I fast and pray.
Thought: Fasting with prayer helps to prepare you for
a more powerful ministry.
June 7
Christ Is Our Example We should model

Christ’s example when fasting. When He was on
earth, He had God’s anointing to meet people’s
needs, but He still needed to fast. The Bible says,
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the
Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert,
where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing during those days.…When the
devil had finished all this tempting, he left him
until an opportune time. Jesus returned to Galilee
in the power of the Spirit.(Luke 4: 1–2, 13–14,
emphasis added) The Holy Spirit had come upon
Jesus when He was baptized. (See Luke 3:21–
22.) Yet after fasting, He returned “in the power
of the Spirit.” Jesus didn’t receive the Holy
Spirit after He fasted, but the Spirit within Him
was manifested with new power. Although you
received the Holy Spirit when you were born
again, fasting ignites His power within you; you
develop a hunger for intimacy with God, and the
work of the Holy Spirit is manifested in your life.
Witnessing about God’s love and grace brings you
joy, and you serve God in ways you never
expected.
Soon after His forty-day fast, Jesus encountered a demon-
possessed man. When you fast, God sends you challenges
because you’re ready to handle them now through His Spirit.
There are people to whom God wants you to minister, but they
won’t cross your path until you’re equipped to help them.
Fasting prepares you for ministry.
Prayer: Father, thank You for teaching me about the
power that accompanies fasting. Please equip me for
ministry as I consecrate myself to You.
Thought: A fast ignites the power of the Spirit within you.
June 8
Breakthrough in Difficult Situations Fasting

often brings a breakthrough in difficult
circumstances or in the lives of those resistant to
the gospel. In the book of Joel, we read, The vine
is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the
pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree—all the
trees of the field—are dried up.…Come, spend
the night in sackcloth, you who minister before
my God; for the grain offerings and drink
offerings are withheld from the house of your
God. Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly.
Summon the elders and all who live in the land to
the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to
the LORD. (Joel 1:12–14, emphasis added) This
seems like a depressing passage of Scripture,
doesn’t it? It lists all the things that are lacking.
Everything had gone wrong for the Israelites, but
the Lord had the answer. He said, “Declare a
holy fast.” Likewise, when nothing seems to be
going right for us, God says, “Stop everything and
consecrate yourself. Come to Me.”
“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your
heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your
heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for
he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and
abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. (Joel
2:12–13) Later, God said, in essence, “After you fast, get ready,
because something good is going to happen. Start making
some noise, because I’m getting ready to break forth.” (See
Joel 2:18–32.) Prayer: Father, You are always there for my
deliverance. Please help me turn to You and consecrate my
heart through prayer and fasting.
Thought: After sincere fasting and prayer, God responds with
deliverance and blessing.
June 9
Only Prayer and Fasting Have you been praying

about something for a long time? You may need
to add fasting to your prayers. I used to wonder
why my mother would say to my siblings and me,
“All of you are going to get saved. I’m fasting for
you all.” My mother would often fast, especially
when one of her sons was getting into trouble.
She called it “paying the price for him.” Today,
every one of her eleven children is born again.
She saw us all saved before she went to be with
the Lord. Praying isn’t enough for some children.
They’re so tough that you have to go a little
deeper and fast for them to be delivered.
James reminds us of the importance of consecration in prayer:
“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective”
(James 5:16). A fervent, heartfelt prayer from a believer in Christ
has power and accomplishes much.
Perhaps you have been trusting God to bring certain family
members, friends, and acquaintances to Christ. It is possible
that evil spirits from the enemy are deceiving them, and that
they won’t leave unless you add fasting to your prayers. (See
Matthew 17:21 NKJV.) Perhaps you have been praying for a
breakthrough at your workplace—you can fast for that, too.
You can pray, “Father, I’m consecrating myself. I’m setting
myself apart for this situation at work.” When you “pay the
price” by praying and fasting, God will respond.
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your Word, which assures us
You will respond to fervent, consecrated prayer. Help me to
rely on the Holy Spirit as I fast and pray for my loved ones.
Thought: In some circumstances, only prayer and fasting
can bring deliverance.
June 10
The Right Way to Fast Fasts must be observed in

the right spirit. Isaiah 58 tells us right and wrong
ways to fast. In verse three, God quoted the
Israelites: “‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and
you have not seen it? Why have we humbled
ourselves, and you have not noticed?’” His
reply was, Yet on the day of your fasting, you do
as you please and exploit all your workers. Your
fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in
striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot
fast as you do today and expect your voice to be
heard on high. (Isaiah 58:3–4) The Israelites’
fasting was characterized by injustice to others,
and it ended in “quarreling and strife.” It sounds
as if the Israelites were competing with one
another—even in spiritual matters. That’s strife.
When God says, “Declare a holy fast; call a sacred
assembly” (Joel 1:14), He is saying, “Call people away from
their regular duties and have them fast as a holy duty to Me.”
To get serious with God, we must commit to the things we
should be doing—with the right attitude. If we “do as we
please” instead of seeking and obeying God when we fast, He
will ask us, Do you expect Me to answer your prayers while
you have this attitude? This is no game. Either you are fasting
or you are on a diet. To consecrate yourself before Me, you
have to set yourself apart and seek Me rather than your own
interests.
Prayer: Father, I desire to have the right spirit before You
when I fast. Show me how to fast in a way that pleases You.
Thought: When we earnestly seek God’s ways, He will
pour out His power on us.
June 11
Fasting Brings Restoration Is not this the kind of
fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of
injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set
the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not
to share your food with the hungry and to provide
the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see
the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away
from your own flesh and blood? Then your light
will break forth like the dawn, and your healing
will quickly appear; then your righteousness will
go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be
your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD
will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say:
Here am I.(Isaiah 58:6–9) Isaiah says a fast
pleasing to God has the power to break the chains
of injustice and destroy the yokes of the
oppressed. God’s anointing—which comes
through fasting consecrated to Him—can deliver
people. A true fast causes you to value what’s
important, such as giving to those in need and
having a burden for souls.
Isaiah 58:12 describes the outcome of such a fast: “Your
people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the
age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken
Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” Lives will be
restored to God and you will receive God’s blessings. Verse
eight says, “Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear.” Fasting activates faith
for healing. Isaiah 58:8 also says, “Your righteousness will go
before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.”
Protection and other blessings result from fasts that please
God.
Prayer: Father, help me turn to You in a time of fasting
that breaks the yokes of the oppressed and
restores the lives of people around me.
Thought: Fasting restores people’s lives and brings God’s
blessings.
Reading: Ezra 1–2; John 19:23–42
June 12
Putting Prayer into Practice When you fast,

prepare for answers to prayer. God has promised
that if you fast in the right way, He will hear and
answer. Your spiritual capacity to hear and
receive will be increased. Emptied of your own
comforts and interests, you will be ready for Him
to fill you.
Ask yourself these questions: Do my prayers tend to focus
on myself or on others? Is there a situation in my life, or a
person for whom I am praying, that is resistant to prayer? Do I
hear from God and experience the power of His Spirit to meet
the needs of myself and others? Is fasting a regular practice in
my life?
Compare Isaiah 58:6–9 with 1 John 3:14–19 and Matthew
25:31–40. How do the New Testament passages reinforce what
God said is important to Him during a fast, which He described
in the passage from Isaiah? Considering the kind of fast that
pleases God, how can you help meet someone’s spiritual or
physical needs this week? Set aside a time to consecrate
yourself in prayer and fasting on behalf of someone who needs
a breakthrough.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have taught
us that
when we pray, we are to bring other people’s needs before You.
We want to be empowered by Your Spirit through
fasting so we can minister to others and counteract
the work of the enemy. We consecrate ourselves
to You in prayer and fasting, setting ourselves
apart to seek Your will rather than our own interests.
Use us to fulfill Your purposes for Your glory.
We pray this in the name of Jesus, who fasted and prayed
not only for His disciples, but also for us who have
believed in Him through their testimony. Amen.
Thought: “You will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.”
Reading: Ezra 3–5; John 20
June 13
Principles of Fasting Today, reflect on these

principles of fasting: 1.God expects His people to
fast; it’s not optional. In the same way we practice
the habits of reading the Bible and praying, we
should also practice the habit of fasting.
2. A fast
is a conscious, intentional decision to abstain for a time
from the pleasure of eating in order to gain spiritual benefits.
3. Thefollowing are characteristics of fasting: •Fasting is a time
set apart to seek the face of God and to abstain from other
things in order to give one’s whole heart to God in prayer.
•Fasting puts God first, focusing one’s attention on Him
alone.
•Fasting fosters a sensitive environment for the working of
prayer.
•Fasting is a form of intercession for others.
4. Fasting does not change God; it changes us and our prayers.
results of fasting are: •Hearing from God: We receive

5. The
guidance, wisdom, instruction, and knowledge.
•Power from God: We receive the fullness of the Spirit for
ministry.
•Breakthroughs in Difficult Situations: Fasting brings
breakthroughs in tough circumstances and in the lives of
those who are resistant to the gospel.
6. According to Isaiah 58, right and wrong ways to fast are:
•Right: Being consecrated and committed to God, having the
right priorities, lifting people’s burdens, showing love and
generosity to others, and having a burden for souls.
•Wrong: treating others with injustice, quarreling and
striving with others, pursuing our own pleasures rather than
God’s will.
7. The outcomes of a true fast are: •People are delivered and
restored to God.
•The one who fasts receives God’s blessings.
Reading: Ezra 6–8; John 21
June 14
Not a Magic Formula Using the name of Jesus is

crucial for effective prayer. In conjunction with
praying according to the Word, praying in the
name of Jesus gives our prayers tremendous
power.
Many believers have unanswered prayers because they
misunderstand what it means to pray in the name of Jesus. We
tend to think the phrase “In the name of Jesus, amen” makes
any prayer effective with God, but it doesn’t work that way.
We can’t sanctify our prayers simply by tacking on Jesus’
name at the end. His name is not a magic formula that
guarantees automatic acceptance. When the Bible tells us to
pray in the name of Jesus, it doesn’t mean the word J-e-s-u-s as
such—that’s just the English word for the name of the Son of
God; other languages translate His name using different words.
It’s not the word, but what the word represents, that makes the
difference.
Naming your son Bill Gates won’t make him an automatic
billionaire. The name doesn’t mean anything unless there is
substance behind it. Likewise, we do not pray effectively just
by using the word Jesus, but by understanding the
significance of who He is and appropriating His power through
faith in His name. As Peter said of the man crippled from birth
who was healed at the temple gate, “It is Jesus’ name and the
faith that comes through him that has given this complete
healing to him” (Acts 3:16, emphasis added).
Prayer: Father, help me see the significance of faith in
the name of Your Son, Jesus, so I can pray prayers
of substance and reality that You can answer.
Thought: Jesus is the name above all names.
Reading: Ezra 9–10; Acts 1
June 15
The Power of Jesus’ Name Some Jews who went
around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the
name of the Lord Jesus over those who were
demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name
of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to
come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief
priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit
answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about
Paul, but who are you?” Then the man who had the
evil spirit…gave them such a beating that they ran
out of the house naked and bleeding. When this
became known to the Jews and Greeks living in
Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the
name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
(Acts 19:13–17, emphasis added) We can use
the name Jesus all we want, but we have no
authority over the devil unless we are in proper
relationship with Christ and understand how to
use His name. We must be able to legally use the
authority behind the power of Jesus’ name in
order to obtain results in prayer.
If someone uses another name without legal authority, the law
calls it fraud. Suppose you attempted to withdraw money from
my bank account. The bank teller would ask for proof of
identification.
Most of us wouldn’t think of committing fraud on a bank, but
we do try to commit fraud in prayer. We pray hard, saying, “In
the name of Jesus.” The Father says, “Show me some ID. Are
you in right relationship with My Son? Do you understand
who He is, and do you believe in His authority and power?” As
the sons of Sceva discovered, praying in Jesus’ name without
knowing who He is doesn’t work.
Prayer: Father, open my heart to the power
and authority of Jesus’ name.
In His name I pray, amen.
Thought: Praying in Jesus’ name without knowing
who He is doesn’t work.
Reading: Nehemiah 1–3; Acts 2:1–21
June 16
Use Your Covenantal Rights Anyone who is not

in proper relationship with God through Christ
cannot legally do business with God. Jesus
cancelled our sins with His sacrifice on the
cross, providing us with forgiveness and legal
access to God through His name. Only the
children of God can claim power through Jesus’
name. “But as many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12
KJV, emphasis added).
The authority we have in Jesus’ name through prayer is based

on our covenant relationship with God through Christ. “But
the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs [the
priests of Israel] as the covenant of which he is mediator is
superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises”
(Hebrews 8:6). We can pray directly to God in Jesus’ name
because Jesus has given us authority to do so. In the New
Testament, Jesus made seven statements like the following,
authorizing us to use His name with God: I tell you the truth,
my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until
now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and
you will receive, and your joy will be complete. Though I have
been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no
longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about
my Father. In that day you will ask in my name. (John 16:23–26)
Prayer: Father, thank You for being true to Your
Word and allowing me to pray in the power and
authority of the name of Jesus.
In His precious name I pray, amen.
Thought: The authority we have in Jesus’ name is
a covenantal authority.
June 17
What’s in a Name?
At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and

on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10). Since Christ
restored our relationship with God, His name is our legal
authority to transact all spiritual business.
Today, most people name their children based on how the
names sound or look. In Scripture, however, names usually
symbolize a person’s attributes and characteristics—his nature,
power, and glory.
First Corinthians 15:41 says, “There is one glory of the sun,
another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for
one star differs from another star in glory” (NKJV). The glory of
something is its best expression of itself. A flower is in true
glory when it’s in full bloom. A lion is in true glory when it’s at
peak strength. The sun is in its true glory at noon. Again, when
the Bible refers to a name, it is generally talking about that
person’s true nature, or glory.
God gave Adam the privilege of naming Eve—of
encapsulating her attributes. Adam actually named Eve twice—
first to describe her origin, second to describe who she would
become to fulfill her purpose. First, he said, “This is now bone
of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man” (Genesis 2:23). Later, the Bible
says, “Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become
the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20). The Hebrew word
for Eve is chavvah, meaning “life-giver.” Her name describes
the essence of her nature as the mother of mankind.
Names are important to God, and no name is more important
than that of His only-begotten Son.
Prayer: Father, Thank you for my redemption and
authority in Jesus, whose name means “salvation.”
Thought: We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who is Lord
over the new covenant.
Reading: Nehemiah 7–9; Acts 3
June 18
Names Signify Purpose Sometimes God

changed the names of His people to reflect
promises He made and purposes He had for them,
which far exceeded their expectations or their
parents’ expectations.
In Genesis 17:4–5, Abram’s name, which meant “exalted
father” or “high father,” was changed to Abraham, meaning
“father of a multitude,” reflecting the promise that “Abraham
will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all
nations on earth will be blessed through him” (Genesis 18:18).
In Genesis 32:27–28, Jacob’s name, which meant “supplanter,”
was changed to Israel, meaning “he will rule as God” or “a
prince of God.” This reflected the fact that the nation of Israel
—the nation intended as God’s earthly representative, “a
kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6)—would
come from his line.
In John 1:42, Jesus changed Simon’s name, which is derived
from a Hebrew word meaning “hearing,” to Cephas, meaning “a
rock” or “a stone.” In English, this name is “Peter.” Peter’s new
name signified his role in establishing and leading the church
in its infancy. (See Matthew 16:18.) God puts emphasis on
people’s names because He places great significance on His
own name, and mankind is made in His image. Using our
definition from yesterday, God’s name symbolizes the essence
of His nature. It represents His collective attributes—His
nature, power, and glory. What God says is consistent with
what He does; He has complete integrity, or wholeness—the
definition of holiness. The main reason we are commanded not
to use the name of God in vain (see Exodus 20:7) is that His
name does not just represent who He is, but it is who He is.
Prayer: Father God, I desire to honor Your name in
my every word, action, and prayer.
Thought: God’s purposes for us far exceed our own
expectations.
June 19
“I Am Who I Am”
Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to
them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they
ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God
said to Moses, “I A M W HO I A M. This is what you are to say to
the Israelites: ‘I A M has sent me to you.’” God also said to
Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your
fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of
Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name
by which I am to be remembered from generation to
generation.”(Exodus 3:13–15) G od was saying, “I am My

name. Whatever I am, that’s what I’m called.” Translated into
English, this concept basically means, “My name is whatever I
am at the time I am it.” God is our all-sufficiency, and His name
differs according to what we need at a specific time. God says,
“If you need bread, then pray, ‘Father, You are my Bread.’
When you acknowledge that I am your Provider and
Sustenance, then I become Bread to you. If you are thirsty,
pray, ‘Father, You are my Water.’ I manifest the qualities of
whatever you need.”
By calling Himself “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac
and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:15), God affirms that He is a
personal God who meets individual human needs. He desires to
be your God and to meet your individual needs. This is why so
many names are attributed to God in the Old Testament. Yet I
A M encompasses all His nature and attributes.
Prayer: Father, Creator, Sustainer, Healer, Provider,
thank You for being my All in All.
Thought: God says, “I AM WHO I AM.”
June 20
Son of God, Son of Man How does the Bible’s

emphasis on the meaning of names—especially
God’s name—apply to praying in the name of
Jesus? Since a person’s name represents his
collective characteristics, the names of the
second person of the Trinity convey all that He is,
both as the Son of God and as the Son of Man—
His nature, power, and glory.
Like God the Father, the Son has a variety of names that
describe who He is. In the Old Testament, some of His names
are the “Seed” (Genesis 3:15 NKJV), “the Branch” (Zechariah
6:12), and “Immanuel [“God with us”]” (Isaiah 7:14). In the
New Testament, the Son has many designations, but the first
we read of is the name Jesus.
Jesus’ earthly parents didn’t name Him—His name was given
by God, His heavenly Father. (See Luke 1:31; Matthew 1:21.)
God named Jesus to affirm Jesus was His Son and to express
His identity and role. The name Jesus means “Savior”—He
came to earth as a human to accomplish the salvation of the
world. Therefore, Jesus is the name of Christ in His humanity—
as the Son of Man. However, I AM is the name of Christ in His
divinity—as the Son of God. “‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus
answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’” (John 8:58).
Jesus Christ is the revelation of God in human form. Because
He is fully divine as well as fully human, He is ascribed a
variety of names, just as God the Father is. Praying in the name
of Jesus, therefore, means calling on all His attributes.
Prayer: Father, Jesus’ name is above every other name.
May I always bow to His name, remembering that there is
no other name by which I can be saved.
Thought: Jesus Christ is the revelation of God in human form.
Reading: Esther 1–2; Acts 5:1–21
June 21
Jesus’ Name Meets Our Needs Jesus said, “I am

the bread of life” (John 6:35). He is also the
water of life: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come
to me and drink” (John 7:37). The attributes
Jesus manifests reveal His glory and correspond
to His people’s needs. He called Himself “the
way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6)
because He gives us spiritual life and access to
the Father. He called Himself “the true vine”
(John 15:1) because in Him we bear spiritual
fruit.
To pray “in the name of Jesus,” we must pray based on the
divine name that meets our particular need. If you know Jesus
only as Savior, that’s probably all He will be to you. If you
know Him only as Healer, that’s all He will be to you. Martha’s
knowledge of Jesus was limited: when Jesus said her brother
would rise again, she answered, in effect, “Someday in the
future when God raises the dead, my brother will rise.” (See
John 11:23–24.) Jesus replied, “I am the resurrection and the
life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and
whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you
believe this?” (vv. 25–26, emphasis added). He was prompting
Martha to call Him by the necessary name: Resurrection. “‘Yes,
Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son
of God, who was to come into the world’” (v. 27). Her word of
faith helped bring Jesus’ resurrection power into the family’s
situation, and Lazarus’ life was restored.
Prayer: Father, I long to know You and Your Son, Jesus, in
all the ways You are revealed in Your Word. Teach me every
name and characteristic that describes who You are to us.
Thought: We can pray based on the divine name
that meets our need.
June 22
Call on His Name You can depend on Jesus for

anything when you’re living the way you’re
supposed to. The Bible says, “The righteous will
live by faith” (Romans 1:17). Have faith in Jesus
and the many attributes His names convey.
If you want a friend or family member to be saved, pray the
name Savior—“Jesus, Savior, save Judy.” Pray for others
using the name that designates Jesus as the One who can save
them. Acts 2:21 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the
Lord will be saved.” Call on the name of the Lord on behalf of
others.
Living by faith sometimes involves saying things that seem
strange. For example, the Bible says, “Let the weak say, ‘I am
strong’” (Joel 3:10 NKJV). We’re weak, but God tells us to say
the opposite. He says, “Call on My strength. Call Me Jehovah
Omnipotent.” He doesn’t just want us to use His name; He
wants us to understand His nature and to appropriate it in
faith. If you are weak, call on the Lord your Strength. (See
Psalm 18:1.) If you are in poverty, call on Jehovah-Jireh, your
Provider. (See Genesis 22:8.) If you are sick, call on Jehovah-
Rapha, the God who heals. (See Exodus 15:26.) God tells us to
dwell not on the problem, but on His attribute that addresses
the problem. Since He is the I AM, His attributes are as
numerous as your needs—and beyond!
Prayer: Father, I believe Jesus will meet all my needs.
Even if the words You want me to say seem strange, I want
to speak Your truth. Teach me to pray and believe
according to Your marvelous attributes and power.
Thought: The name of Jesus is given to us to use
in relation to our needs.
Reading: Esther 6–8; Acts 6
June 23
Jesus Has Power of Attorney
When you give power of attorney to someone, you appoint

that person to represent you, granting him legal authority to
speak for you and to do business in your name. Praying in the
name of Jesus gives Him power of attorney to intercede on
your behalf when you make requests of the Father.
Jesus said,
I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in
my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my
name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
(John 16:23–24)
While Jesus was on earth, the disciples didn’t need to pray to
the Father. When they needed food, Jesus provided it. When
Peter’s mother-in-law was sick, Jesus healed her. When they
needed to pay taxes, Jesus supplied the money. With Jesus,
they had everything they needed; requests were made directly
to Him. After His resurrection, Jesus would return to the Father,
however, meaning they would no longer be able to ask Him for
anything directly. They would need to pray to the Father, and
Jesus instructed them to do so in His name, because the Father
works through Christ.
Jesus works on our behalf from His position at the right hand
of the Father. (See Romans 8:34.) He represents our interests to
God: “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come
to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for
them” (Hebrews 7:25). He brings glory to the Father by
fulfilling the prayers we pray according to the Word.
Prayer: Father, thank You that Jesus sits at Your right hand
and intercedes for me. He is the only representative
I need to bring my requests before You.
Thought: Jesus actively works on our behalf at the
right hand of the Father.
June 24
The Holy Spirit Helps Us to Pray I tell you the
truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I
have been doing. He will do even greater things
than these, because I am going to the Father. And
I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the
Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask
me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
(John 14:12–14) After Jesus told His disciples
to pray in His name, He talked about the Holy
Spirit, who continues Jesus’ ministry on earth. “If
you love me, you will obey what I command.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you
another Counselor [“Comforter” KJV] to be with
you forever—the Spirit of truth” (vv. 15–17).
Jesus said, in effect, “The Holy Spirit will be your Counselor.
He will assist in exercising power of attorney by helping you
bring your case to God. He will sort out your situation so you
can present it to the Father in My name.”
One of the repeated themes about the Holy Spirit in the New
Testament is that He helps us when we do not know how to
pray: We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot
express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of
the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in
accordance with God’s will. (Romans 8:26–27) Prayer: Father,
thank You for sending the Holy Spirit,
to whom I can turn for help when I do not know how to pray.
Show me the power the Holy Spirit brings to my prayers.
Thought: The Holy Spirit will help you present
your case to the Father.
Reading: Job 1–2; Acts 7:22–43
June 25
The Key to Heaven Jesus emphasized that “the

Father loves the Son” (John 3:35; John 5:20). If
the Father loves the Son, the Father will do what
He asks. With the Son as your Representative,
you know your case will be heard.
Don’t try to do business with the Father without the name of
Jesus, because His name is the key to heaven. Jesus didn’t say
to bring a list of saints to the Father when you pray. Why
would we want their help when we have the Son? Martha,
Mary, Luke, Bartholomew, John, James, and others were faithful
believers. Yet when Peter encountered the man at the gate
Beautiful, he healed him in the name of Jesus, not in the name
of the believers. He said, in effect, “All I have is a name, the
name, and I’m about to do business with heaven. The Father is
working, and I see you healed already. Therefore, I will bring to
earth what I see in heaven, but I must do it through the legal
channel.” (See Acts 3:1–8.) Jesus is the sole legal channel to
the Father.
If we want to do business with the Father, we must come in
Jesus’ name alone. “There is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Our
laws say that only the person whose name is on the document
as power of attorney can legally give representation.
According to God’s Word, Jesus is the only one who can
speak for you: “For there is one God and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Prayer: Father, thank You for the name of Your Son,
the key that opens the gates of heaven to You.
In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Thought: Jesus is our only legal channel to the Father.
June 26
Every Knee Will Bow Therefore God exalted
[Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the
name that is above every name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth. (Philippians 2:9–10)
To make the knee of poverty, sickness, or
depression bow, use Jesus’ name. Proverbs 18:10
says, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.” If you
need healing, apply Jesus’ name to your situation.
Perhaps you need deliverance from bad habits. To
break them, you must use the power of His name.
Sometimes people give testimonies that they
were nearly robbed, but they said, “Jesus!” and
the robbers fled because the Savior’s power was
present.
Jesus’ name is power in heaven, and every tongue will
eventually confess that Jesus is Lord—Lord of everything.
This truth is the basis on which we are to fulfill the Great
Commission, telling others about the power of Jesus’ name to
save and deliver.
Then Jesus came to [His followers] and said, “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:18–
19) Acting on Christ’s authority, the apostle Paul “preached
fearlessly in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27). Our authority in
Jesus gives us the courage and boldness we need to make
disciples of all nations.
Let’s call on the name of the Lord.
Prayer: Father, I call on the name of the Lord to be saved,
protected, healed, and set free. I call on that name
knowing that You are my everything.
Thought: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower.”
June 27
Putting Prayer into Practice Have you prayed in

the name of Jesus without considering what it
really means? What specific attributes of Jesus
meet your needs today?
Jesus’ name is the only name that can activate power in
heaven. Since He is the great I AM, His attributes are as
numerous as your needs. He is Savior, Healer, Strengthener,
Vision-Giver, Sustainer, Rent-Payer, Business-Grower, and so
much more. He gives freedom, joy, wisdom, kindness,
friendship….
Take time this week to worship the Lord for His marvelous
attributes. Ask Him to forgive you for taking His name lightly
or misusing it. Determine in your heart to honor His name
always.
Whenever you encounter difficult situations, don’t be fearful,
anxious, or angry; run to the Lord in prayer and call on Him as
your Salvation and Righteousness, as your Protector and
Defender. (See Proverbs 18:10.) Prayer: Heavenly Father, how
majestic Your name is!
Your Word says that at the name of Jesus, every knee
will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord
over everything. Jesus said if we ask for anything in His name,
You will do it. We know that we cannot ask in Jesus’ name
unless we ask according to Your will. However, we also
know that when we ask in your Son’s name, He will present our
requests to You properly. He will pray for us when we don’t
know how. Lord, we ask that Your will be done. There is no
name by which we make our requests but the name of Jesus.
We call on the power of His name to meet all our needs.
We pray in the name of Jesus,
whose name is above all names. Amen!
Thought: Jesus is Lord over everything.
June 28
Principles of Praying in Jesus’ Name
Jesus’ name is not a magic formula that guarantees automatic

acceptance of our prayers.
•We must be able to legally use the authority behind the
power of Jesus’ name in order to obtain results in prayer.
•The authority we have in Jesus’ name through prayer is
based on our covenant relationship with God through
Christ.
•In the Scriptures, a person’s name symbolized the essence
of his nature. It represented his collective attributes and
characteristics—his nature, power, and glory.
•God’s overarching name, I A M, encompasses His nature
and attributes.
•The names of the second person of the Trinity refer to all
that He is, both as the Son of God and as the Son of Man—
all of His nature, power, and glory.
•Jesus is the name of Christ in His humanity—as the Son of
Man. I AM is the name of Christ in His divinity—as the Son
of God.
•If we want God to meet a need when we pray “in the name
of Jesus,” we must pray based on the divine name that
meets our particular need at that time.
•To pray in the name of Jesus is to give Him power of
attorney on our behalf when we make requests of the Father.
•The Holy Spirit continues Jesus’ ministry on earth. He
assists in exercising power of attorney by enabling us to
pray when we don’t know how.
•Jesus’ name is the only name that can activate power in
heaven.
•The authority of Jesus’ name is the basis on which we are
to fulfill the Great Commission.
June 29
Become a Person of Prayer
In the first half of this devotional book, we have explored

many powerful prayer principles. By praying, we invite God to
intervene in the affairs of earth, we agree with His sovereign
will, and we ask Him to work His ways in this world. Prayer is a
vital part of God’s purpose in creation; it is something we’re
called to pursue.
I challenge you to test the principles of this book. Begin
praying according to God’s Word and in Jesus’ name. Review
the questions and action steps at the end of each segment and
put them into practice. Discover your power, your authority,
and your rights as an intercessor for the earth.
Become a person of prayer who—
•knows that prayer is a sacred trust from God.
•understands his or her purpose in life as God’s priest, or
intercessor, for the world.
•has a relationship of trust with the heavenly Father and
desires the world to experience the power of His presence
and life.
•knows that the will of God will flow from heaven to earth
only through his or her prayers and the prayers of all God’s
people.
If we know God’s plan for prayer but fail to pursue it, we are
like the person who sees his reflection in the mirror, but then
immediately forgets what he looks like. (See James 1:22–25.)
Prayer is mandatory, not optional. If we want to see God’s will
done on earth, we must do our part—we must pray.
Prayer: Father, You have called me to be a person of prayer
and have equipped me with prayer principles from Your Word.
Enable me to be a person of prayer all my life.
Thought: Discover your power, your authority, and your rights
as an intercessor for the earth.
June 30
God Desires You as His Partner God wants you

to partner with Him to reclaim and redeem the
world. The Bible says, “If my people, who are
called by my name, will humble themselves and
pray and seek my face and turn from their
wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and
will forgive their sin and will heal their land”
(2 Chronicles 7:14). Once again, God has called
His people to be His priests, or intercessors—
this refers to the entire body of Christ, not just an
elite group of “Intercessory Prayer Warriors” in
the church. We all have the power to bring God’s
will on earth so the world can be healed and
transformed by His grace.
God’s will can be executed only through mankind’s
cooperation. Prayer is this medium of cooperation and is
therefore the most important activity of humanity. Use the
purpose and position God has given you to invite heaven’s
intervention on earth. Prepare your heart, mind, soul, and
strength to agree wholly that God’s will be done on earth until
“the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our
Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15).
The earth is depending on you to pray. Your children’s
children are depending on you to pray. All creation is
depending on you to pray. Heaven is depending on you to
pray. I challenge you: Pray!
Prayer: Father, here I am; send me. Use me in prayer
to touch the people around me; use me in prayer to see
Your will accomplished in my family, my church, my job,
my school, my neighborhood, my state, and my country.
I am Yours, Lord; use me.
Thought: Heaven is depending on you to pray!
July
July 1
God’s Purpose in Vision We have seen that God

has given us authority over the earth and
communion with Him through our prayer lives.
Our destiny on this earth is to rule with Christ
through prayer.
God has also given each of us specific purposes to fulfill in
life. These purposes come to us in the form of a vision or plan
for our lives that God places within our hearts. It is His gift to
us—to allow us to fulfill our roles in His kingdom on earth. The
second half of this devotional book will therefore focus on
discovering your personal vision for life.
I am excited to share these biblical principles on vision, for
they will enable you to realize your destiny! Through these
devotionals, you will understand why vision is essential to
your success, identify your vision’s goals and stay on course,
overcome obstacles to your vision, develop a specific plan for
achieving your vision, and live for the purpose you were meant
to fulfill in God’s kingdom.
Why should we focus on vision and destiny? Because God
has an exciting plan for your life! You are a joint-heir with
Christ (see Romans 8:16–17), and you were created with God-
given authority to rule the earth with Him. My desire is that
you will be inspired, motivated, and challenged to fulfill your
dream. I want you to achieve your greatest in God’s purpose
for your life.
Prayer: Father, please open my heart to the principles
of vision. My desire is to discover Your purpose
for my life and to walk in it.
Thought: God has given each of us specific purposes
to fulfill in life.
July 2
Vision as the Source Vision is a conception that

is inspired by God in the heart of a human. The
greatest gift God ever gave humanity is not sight,
but vision. Vision is the source and hope of life.
No invention, development, or great feat was ever
accomplished without the inspiring power of this
mysterious source called vision. Civilizations
were born and developed through the driving
power of visionary leaders. Social, economic,
architectural, medical, scientific, and political
achievement and advancements owe their
conception and birth to the power of vision.
It was vision that inspired Abram to leave the land of Ur in
search of the “Promised Land.” Vision inspired the Greeks to
produce philosophy and art that still impact the thinking of our
world. Vision motivated the great Roman empire to expand its
influence and colonize the known world. Vision inspired the
explorers who circumnavigated the globe and ignited the
creation and expansion of many of the nations that we know
today. Vision transformed the agricultural world into the
industrial age. Vision gave birth to the thousands of inventions
in the last two centuries that have transformed our lives. For
example, it was the vision of flight that inspired the Wright
brothers to invent the airplane.
Vision is the energy of progress. Vision is the foundation of
courage and the fuel of persistence. Vision is a gift from God.
Prayer: Father, You have given us the gift of vision.
You have placed visions in men’s hearts since the
beginning of time. Please enable me to
understand Your gift of vision better.
Thought: Nothing noble or noteworthy on earth was
ever done without vision.
Reading: Job 22–24; Acts 11
July 3
Our Need for Vision The wise king of Israel,

Solomon, stated in his book of Proverbs, “Where
there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs
29:18 KJV). These words have been quoted and
repeated by millions of people over the years
because they capture the significant role vision
has in our individual, corporate, and national
lives. The full essence of his statement implies
that where there is no revelation of the future,
people throw off self-control, personal
discipline, and restraint. Simply put, vision is the
source of personal and corporate discipline.
Our world today is in desperate need of vision. Even a casual
look at the prevailing conditions in our twenty-first century
world is enough to produce fear, hopelessness, and
uncertainty.
There are many who have no vision for their lives and wonder
how to obtain one. There are others who have a vision but are
stuck in the mud of confusion not knowing what to do next.
Then there are those who had a vision but abandoned it
because of discouragement, disillusionment, some measure of
failure, or frustration. If you are in one of these categories, you
will soon understand the nature of vision, how to capture or
recapture your personal vision, how to simplify your vision,
and how to document your vision.
How can I know what my vision is? How can I make my vision
a concrete reality? Let’s uncover the answers together in the
following pages!
Prayer: Father, You have said in Your Word that
without a vision, Your people will perish. I want
to walk in the abundant life that Jesus came to give me.
I ask You to answer my questions concerning
vision today and in the days to come.
Thought: Our world today is in desperate need of vision.
July 4
The Gold inside You In the mid-twentieth

century, in Bangkok, Thailand, the government
wanted to build a large highway through a village.
In the path of the planned road was a Buddhist
monastery with a little chapel, so they had to
relocate the monastery—including a heavy,
eleven-foot clay statue of Buddha—to another
place. When the workers transported the statue of
Buddha to the new location and began to lower it
into place, unexpectedly, the clay on the statue
started to crumble and fall off. The people were
afraid because this was a precious religious
symbol to them, and they didn’t want it to be
destroyed. Suddenly, the workers stared in
amazement because, as the clay fell away, they
saw that the statue was pure gold underneath!
Before the statue was moved, people thought it
was worth about fifty thousand dollars. Today,
that golden Buddha is worth millions and,
because of the story behind it, is visited by
hundreds of thousands of people every year.
This story illustrates that what we can see is not necessarily
what really is. I believe that many of us are living as clay
vessels when, in reality, we are pure gold inside. This gold is
the dreams we have—or once had—for our lives that are not
yet reality, the God-given gifts and talents that we have not yet
developed, the purpose for our lives that is not yet fulfilled.
How do you remove the clay and uncover the gold within you?
Your dreams, talents, and desires can be refined in a process of
discovering and fulfilling your life’s vision so that the pure
gold of your unique and personal gifts to this world can truly
shine forth.
Prayer: Father, You have created me with unique and
precious gifts, like gold. Help me to discover these gifts
and use them to bless the world around me.
Thought: Many of us are living as clay vessels
when we are pure gold inside.
July 5
You Have a Unique Vision God created each

person with a unique vision. No matter who you
are or what country you live in, you have a
personal purpose, for every human being is born
with one. Every person is a leader in his or her
own vision, because that person is the only one
who can imagine, nurture, and fulfill it. God has
tremendous plans for you that no one else can
accomplish. The tragic thing is that many people
live their whole lives without ever recognizing
their visions.
What does it mean to capture the vision for your life? Ted
Engstrom, the former president of World Vision, told a story
that went something like this: A little girl was on a cruise ship,
and she and her father were standing on the deck. It was a
beautiful clear day, and the air was crisp and fresh. The little
girl, standing on tiptoe, said to her father, “I can’t see
anything.” The father picked her up and put her on his
shoulders, so that she was higher than everyone else on the
deck and was able to see everything around her. “Daddy!” she
exclaimed. “I can see farther than my eyes can look!”
That little girl’s statement captures the essence of vision: the
ability to see farther than your physical eyes can look—to see
not just what is, but also what can be, and to make it a reality.
The ability to see your vision has been given to you by the
Father. Begin trusting Him to help you see it.
Prayer: Father, it is my desire to trust You today.
Please allow me “to stand on Your shoulders” to see
my vision. Through faith in You and Your Word,
I want to “see farther than my eyes can look.”
Thought: Vision sets you free from the limitations of
what the eye can see.
July 6
Vision Is Inspired by God Sight is a function of

the eyes, but vision is a function of the heart.
You can have sight but no vision. God gave
humanity the gift of vision so we would not have
to live only by what we see.
God has given us birth for a purpose. As far as He is
concerned, that purpose is already finished because He has
placed within us the potential for fulfilling it. We can see that
purpose through faith. To paraphrase Hebrews 11:1, faith is the
substance of things you hope to accomplish, the evidence of
things you can see even when others cannot.
For true visionaries, the imaginary world of their visions is
more real to them than the concrete reality around them. There
is a story about when Disney World had just opened and had
only one ride. Walt Disney was sitting on a bench on the
grounds, seeming to just stare into space. One of his workers,
who was manicuring the grass, asked him, “Mr. Disney, what
are you doing?” “I’m looking at my mountain,” he answered.
Walt died before Space Mountain was built, so he never saw it
constructed. When Space Mountain was dedicated, the
governor and the mayor were present, and Walt’s widow was
also there. One of the men stood up to introduce her and said,
“It’s a pity Walt Disney is not here today to see this mountain,
but we’re glad his wife is here.” Mrs. Disney walked up to the
podium, looked at the crowd, and said, in effect, “I must correct
this young man. Walt already saw the mountain. It is you who
are just now seeing it.”
Prayer: Father, my vision, whether large or small, is the
vision You have given me. Let me be a visionary and see
with eyes of faith so that my vision will be accomplished.
Thought: Sight is a function of the eyes, but vision is a
function of the heart.
July 7
The Force of Vision One of the most powerful

forces in life is the force of vision. A young man
did a college paper in his Yale economics class
on his vision for overnight mail. The professor
gave him a “C” and wrote, “Do not dream of
things that cannot happen.” After the young man
left school, he started Federal Express. Your
vision determines your destiny. At age thirteen, I
wrote down my vision for my life. I carried it
with me all through junior high and high school.
Much of what I’m doing right now was on paper
when I was a young teenager. Vision makes you
persistent.
I believe with all my heart that when you have no vision, you
will simply relive the past with its disappointments and failures.
Therefore, vision is the key to your future. In Numbers 13 and
14, Joshua and Caleb and ten other men were sent by Moses
into the Promised Land as spies. They all saw a rich land
flowing with milk and honey that was being given to the
Israelites by God. Ten spies were afraid to enter that land,
afraid to pursue the dream. However, Joshua and Caleb
believed God and had the vision and faith to go into it and take
it. Because of their vision, they did not die in the wilderness
with the unbelieving Israelites. They were allowed to move into
the Promised Land with the next generation and see God’s
promises to the people of Israel fulfilled.
Prayer: Father, Joshua and Caleb saw beyond the giants and
beyond their fears; they saw the vision of Your Promised Land.
Please let me see the vision You have given me. I want
to have the faith and courage to see and pursue it.
Thought: One of the most powerful forces in life is
the force of vision.
July 8
Your Purpose in Life Years ago, during the

Christmas season, my wife and I took our
children to a large toy store. At the time, my son
Chairo was about four years old, and his eyes lit
up when he spotted a rocking horse. He climbed
on, held tightly to the ears of the horse, and began
to rock back and forth. After a few minutes, I
tried to get him off, but he became angry. When
we were about ready to leave, he was still having a
wonderful time on that rocking horse, so we let
him continue while we walked through the store
one last time and told our daughter it was time to
go. When we came back, Chairo was rocking even
faster. By then, he had been going for about half
an hour, and he was soaking wet with sweat. As I
watched him, I felt as if God was saying to me,
“That’s how most people live. They’re working
hard, sweating hard, but they’re making no real
progress in life. They’re not going anywhere.”
What about your own life? What are you using your precious
energy on? What are you accomplishing? Remember, God has
told us that “where there is no vision, the people perish”
(Proverbs 29:18 KJV). Now is the time to find the special vision
God has for you. I want you to get off the rocking horse and
find a living stallion—your life’s vision.
Prayer: Father, thank You for giving each of us a vision
for this life. Please open my spiritual eyes so
I can see the plans You have for me.
Thought: God has placed within each person a vision
designed to give purpose and meaning to life.
July 9
A Sense of Personal Purpose “I know the plans I
have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) If you
ask people, “Why do you exist?” most cannot tell
you. They can’t explain their purpose in the
world. They have no vision for their lives.
Do you have a sense of personal purpose? Do you know why
you were born? Does your purpose give you a passion for
living? You may ask me, “Do I really need to have a reason for
my existence?” My answer is, “Absolutely!” Life is intended to
have meaning; you were not born just for the fun of it. You
were meant to be going somewhere, to be headed toward a
destination.
I want to help you understand the principles of vision and to
provide the practical tools and skills necessary to bring your
vision into reality. You were born to achieve something
significant, and you were destined to make a difference in your
generation. Your life is not a divine experiment, but a project of
Providence to fulfill a purpose that your generation needs. This
personal purpose is the source of your vision and gives
meaning to your life.
I therefore encourage you to believe in your daydreams and
to reconnect with your passion; your vision awaits your
action. Your future is not ahead of you—it lies within you. See
beyond your eyes and live for the unseen. Your vision
determines your destiny. God truly has plans for you.
Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me meaning in life.
You have created me with a purpose; I desire to understand
that purpose and to follow it all the days of my life.
Thought: Life is intended to have meaning; you were not
just born for the fun of it.
July 10
A Clear Purpose P resident Ronald Reagan had a

clear sense of his life’s purpose: the elimination
of Communism. He desired to lift totalitarian
oppression from millions of people who were
suffering under its ideology and policies. His
purpose became his passion, and it influenced his
thinking, his pursuits, and his foreign policies as
president of the United States. Unlike previous
American leaders, he believed that Communism
not only could be contained, but that it could also
be defeated. Reagan said, It is time that we
committed ourselves as a nation—in both the
public and private sectors—to assisting
democratic development....What I am describing
now is a plan and a hope for the long term—the
march of freedom and democracy which will
leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of
history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle
the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of
the people....Let us now begin a major effort to
secure the best—a crusade for freedom that will
engage the faith and fortitude of the next
generation. For the sake of peace and justice, let
us move toward a world in which all people are at
last free to determine their own destiny.
Like Winston Churchill, Reagan became the leader of his
country late in life, but everything he experienced and
accomplished up to that point seemed to prepare him for his
final and essential role. Reagan believed in his purpose so
much that he inspired not only his nation, but also the world,
and he lived to see the collapse of Communism.
Prayer: Father, please give me a clear sense of my vision.
Help me to keep that vision as the guiding purpose of my life.
Thought: When your purpose is your passion, it influences
your thinking and your pursuits.
July 11
What Is Your Dream?
Having a vision is inherent in being human. Maybe you once

had ideas of what you wanted to be and do, and you still have
those ideas. Do you see yourself becoming a lawyer and
starting your own firm? Do you think about owning a day-care
center that has a first-class curriculum and services two
hundred children? Do you want to write a novel? Do you
dream about going back to school and doing something with
your education and academic abilities?
I have come to the conclusion that the poorest person in the
world is the person without a dream. A dream, or vision,
provides us with direction. It has been said that if you don’t
know where you’re going, any road will take you there. We
don’t want to end up on just any road in life.
While the poorest person in the world is the one without a
dream, the most frustrated person in the world is someone who
has a dream but doesn’t know how to bring it to pass. Yet if
you can have hope for the future, you have true riches, no
matter how much money you have in your bank account. It
doesn’t matter what you currently have or don’t have, as along
as you can see what you could have. This vision is the key to
life because where there’s a dream, there’s hope, and where
there’s hope, there’s faith—and faith is the substance, or
fulfillment, of what you are hoping for. (See Hebrews 11:1.)
Prayer: Father God, I don’t want to be directionless in life.
Keep me from walking on a road to nowhere. Help me
stay focused on You and the purpose You have for me.
Thought: Vision generates hope and provides endurance
in difficult times.
Reading: Psalm 1–3; Acts 17:1–15
July 12
Born to Be Distinct You were designed by God

to stand out, not to blend in. Think of the
thousands of kinds of flowers in the world. They
are all flowers, but each one is unique in its
species. Think of a forest. At first glance, the
trees all seem to blend together. When you get
closer, however, you see that the shape of each
tree is unique. Every type of tree has leaves with
a distinct design. Why? Uniqueness is part of
God’s creation.
Individual design is as true of humanity as it is of nature. We
read in the Psalms, “For you created my inmost being; you
knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I
am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13–14). God
doesn’t want any one person to get lost in the midst of
everyone else. There are over six billion people on the planet—
and not one of them has your fingerprints. We can become
complacent about this astonishing truth, yet it is something we
must continually remind ourselves of since it is easy to feel lost
in the crowd. You are one of a kind, irreplaceable, original; you
are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”
If you go to a sale at a discount store, you’ll notice that many
of the dresses, sports coats, or ties on the racks are just alike.
They’re inexpensive because they were mass produced. If you
want an original dress, however, you have to go to a designer.
You are not like mass-produced clothing; God has not placed
you on a sale rack. You are Designer-made.
Prayer: Father, help me to remember I am uniquely
designed by You. Since I am unique, You have given me
a unique vision. May I discover and walk in it.
Thought: Your uniqueness is part of God’s creation.
July 13
What Has God Wired You For?
God not only created each person on earth with a distinct

design, but He also placed in everyone a unique vision. No
person can give you this vision. It is only God-given. You can
go to as many seminars as possible and receive all kinds of
wonderful instruction, but no one except God can give you the
idea you were born to fulfill.
The poor man, the rich man, the black man, the white man—
every person has a dream in his heart. Your vision may already
be clear to you, or it may still be buried somewhere deep in
your heart, waiting to be discovered. Fulfilling this dream is
what gives purpose and meaning to life. In other words, the
very substance of life is for you to find God’s purpose and
fulfill it. Until you do that, you are not really living. You need to
make sure you can say at the end of your life, as Jesus did, “It
is finished” (John 19:30) and not just, “I am retired,” for your
dream is much bigger than mere retirement.
Jesus said, “For this reason I was born, and for this I came
into the world, to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). You must
have a clear reason for your life, as Jesus did. I know what mine
is. I was born to inspire and draw out the hidden leader in
every human being I meet. If you stay around me long enough,
you’ll start being your true self. Why? I was born for that. I
was wired for that. What has God wired you for?
Prayer: Father, what have You wired me for? I am one of
Your children whose vision is still buried in my heart.
Please draw it out so that I may see it and then fulfill it.
Thought: Fulfilling your vision is what gives purpose
and meaning to life.
Reading: Psalm 7–9; Acts 18
July 14
The World Can’t Forget
Every human being was created to accomplish something

specific that no one else can accomplish. It is crucial for you to
understand this truth: You were designed to be known for
something special. You are meant to do something that will
make you unforgettable. You were born to do something that
the world will not be able to ignore. It may be in your church,
your community, your state, or beyond.
The Bible is a great book for recording the stories of people
who did little things that the world can’t forget. One example is
Rahab, the prostitute, who risked her life for people she didn’t
even know. She was born to hide Joshua’s spies so that the
Israelites could defeat Jericho. (See Joshua 2, 6.) Everyone who
reads the Old Testament knows about her act of courage.
In the New Testament, there is the story of the woman who
took an alabaster jar of perfume and anointed Jesus’ head with
it. This woman was taking a chance by violating the accepted
social code of the day and interrupting a group of men who
had gathered for a meal. She decided to pour out her life in
gratitude to Jesus, no matter what the consequences. Some of
those present severely criticized her because she had “wasted”
costly perfume on Jesus when it could have been sold for
charitable purposes. Yet Jesus said to them, “Leave her
alone....I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached
throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in
memory of her” (Mark 14:6, 9). No matter how small the act may
be, if you put your whole life into it, it won’t be forgotten.
Prayer: Father, I am encouraged that as I serve You,
I will accomplish things that will not be forgotten.
My desire is to put my whole life into service for You.
Thought: You were designed to be known for something
special.
July 15
Known for Her Love Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu,

whom the world has come to know as Mother
Teresa, was born in Skopje, Macedonia. From the
time she was a girl, she felt her life’s purpose was
to serve God full-time. When she was eighteen,
she became a nun and went to India with the
Sisters of Loreto and taught in a Catholic high
school for many years. Her life’s purpose and
passion crystallized as she felt called by God to
help “the poorest of the poor” and devoted
herself to bring hope, dignity, healing, and
education to the needy in Calcutta—those whom
other people dismissed as being either beyond
help or not worthy of it.
Mother Teresa started her own order called “The Missionaries
of Charity” and became internationally recognized for her
selfless humanitarian work. Her passion to help others led her
to identify totally with them: she became a citizen of India and
always kept her vow of poverty, even when she became
famous. Her work expanded beyond India to other nations of
the world, influencing hundreds of thousands of people to join
in her vision. She believed in the difference that one person
could make in the world, saying, “If you can’t feed a hundred
people, then just feed one.” Mother Teresa was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and continued her work until her
death in 1997.
Mother Teresa encouraged others not to wait for well-known
leaders to do a job but to follow their visions. By acting when
there was a real need and doing what she personally could do
to help, Mother Teresa became a leader herself. She influenced
numerous others to awaken their own visionary gifts and, in so
doing, multiplied her effectiveness thousands of times over.
Prayer: Father, You are a God of love. Help me to be
remembered for doing acts motivated out of love for You.
Thought: Believe in the difference that you can make in the
world.
July 16
Known for Your Vision Are you in your

twenties? What have you done so far with your
life? Have you spent so much time trying to
please your friends that you don’t know who you
are or what your life is about? If so, you aren’t
doing yourself any favors. You aren’t fulfilling
your purpose. You may say you are just reacting
to “peer pressure.” In reality, you are allowing
others to rule your life.
Maybe you are forty years old. What have you done so far
that the world can’t forget? How long will you drift along
without working toward your dream? Be careful—
procrastination can become a full-time occupation! Many
people spend a lifetime wandering away from who God made
them to be because they have never recognized who they are
in the first place. For example, perhaps you have been a
secretary for twenty years. You are at the same level as when
you started, even though you dream of being an administrator.
People don’t fulfill their visions because they have no sense of
destiny.
We need to be like the apostles, who were known for their
acts, not their talk. The biblical book about them is called The
Acts of the Apostles because they were doers. They were
affecting government. They were transforming the world.
Nations were afraid of them, and towns became nervous when
they showed up because they were said to have “turned the
world upside down” (Acts 17:6 NKJV). It’s exciting to be around
people who know that they are doing what they were born to
do. You should be known for your God-given vision, too.
Prayer: Father, I want to be known as a doer of Your Word and
not a hearer only. I want to understand the vision You have
placed in my heart and move toward the fulfillment
of that vision. Please help me to do this.
Thought: Be careful—procrastination can become
a full-time occupation!
July 17
Your Purpose Is Your Passion It has been said

that there are three kinds of people in the world:
First, there are those who never seem to be aware
that things are happening around them. Second,
there are those who notice but are continually
asking, “What just happened?” Third, there are
those who make things happen. Ronald Reagan
and Mother Teresa belonged to the third group.
I have observed firsthand the truth of this statement,
paraphrased from John Stuart Mill: One person with vision is
greater than the passive force of ninety-nine people who are
merely interested in doing or becoming something. Most
people have an interest in their destinies, but they have no
passion or drive to fulfill them. They don’t really believe the
dreams God has put in their hearts. If they do believe them,
they don’t do the things that will take them in the direction of
fulfilling them. Yet that is what separates the people who make
an impact in the world and those who just exist on the planet.
When you discover your vision, it will give you energy and
passion. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to
do, do it with all your might.” I believe this Scripture
expresses a truth that most people miss: You accomplish only
what you fight for. If you are willing to put all your energy into
your vision, then nobody can stop it from succeeding.
Prayer: Father, may the vision that You have placed in my heart
give me the energy to live each day for You. I desire to do
everything You have laid before me with all my might.
Thought: When you discover your vision, it will give
you energy and passion.
July 18
What Is Godly Passion?
Passion is the juice for living. For many people, life is

drudgery. They have no motivation in regard to their jobs,
spouses, education, or personal development. Someone once
said that the most difficult thing about life is that it is so daily.
Passion helps us to rise above our daily routines. Godly
passion is a deep motivation to serve the Lord. Remember that
the apostle Paul said, “I press on toward the goal to win the
prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ
Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). If you’re not motivated, then you will
become a weight or burden to others. When you have passion,
you don’t need the “right” conditions to move forward
because passion is internally generated and is not affected by
external conditions.
Where does passion come from? First, it comes from a sense
of purpose. You are pursuing something that gives your life
meaning. If you become distracted or opposition stands in
your way, your destiny still pulls you in the direction of your
desire because you can’t imagine not fulfilling it.
Second, passion comes from having a sense of destiny.
Passion comes from something outside this world and is
connected to it. If you get your passion from something on
earth, then when it stops, you will stop. Yet if you capture a
sense of destiny that existed before you and will continue to
exist after you, if you feel you’re involved in something that is
larger than yourself, then you’re on your way to leadership and
the fulfillment of your vision.
Prayer: Father, I know that my life and purpose are all a
part of Your plan for this earth. This gives meaning to
my life each day. Please help me to walk in my destiny.
Thought: Passion comes from having a sense of
purpose and destiny.
July 19
Purpose of a Heroine Corrie ten Boom was fifty

years old when the Nazis invaded her native
Holland. Up to that time, she had lived an obscure
life with her sister as they helped their father run
his watch shop and quietly but devotedly
practiced their Christian faith. After Holland fell,
she and her family were confronted with the
reality of the Nazis’ persecution and murder of
the Jews. Through this crisis, they discovered
their purpose: preserving the lives of Jews and
others persecuted by the Nazis by hiding them in
a secret room in their home. Their passion was so
strong that they risked their own lives for its
fulfillment.
Corrie and several of her family members were eventually
turned in. Corrie’s father died in prison and her sister died in a
concentration camp. After suffering in prison, a work camp,
and a concentration camp, Corrie was about to be executed
when she was released on a clerical error.
After her release, Corrie found a new purpose. Traveling
around the world, she told her story and urged people to find
healing and freedom through forgiveness. This purpose was
severely tested when she encountered one of the former
guards who had beaten her beloved sister. He didn’t recognize
her, but he had heard her message and been moved to change
his life through the hope of forgiveness. He came and extended
his hand to her. Corrie underwent intense inner struggle, but
her passion was even stronger than her pain, and she offered
her own hand in forgiveness.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the testimony of women like
Corrie ten Boom who were driven by a passion to serve You.
May I have this type of passion in my own life.
Thought: When your passion for Christlikeness is stronger
than your pain, you can forgive your worst enemy.
July 20
What If They Had Said No?
If you do not discover your personal vision, you will not be

able to fulfill your life’s assignment. The result is that you will
deprive your generation and succeeding generations of your
unique and vital contribution to the world. The great king
Solomon wrote that there is “a time to be born and a time to
die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). This means that the timing of your birth
was essential to some need in the world that you’re supposed
to meet.
Suppose Moses had refused to go to Egypt and tell Pharaoh
to set the Hebrews free. Consider what the world would be like
if, during World War II, Winston Churchill had said, “The
survival of Great Britain and the rest of the free world is
someone else’s problem. I’m going to let the Nazis do whatever
they want.” Suppose Corrie ten Boom had decided that hiding
Jews was too risky a proposition. What if Martin Luther King
Jr. had not thought civil rights were worth dying for? What
would have happened if Mother Teresa had ignored the poor
and sick on the streets of Calcutta?
We may never know in our lifetimes the full impact of our
influence and actions, great or small. In light of this truth,
developing one’s vision should not be an option for anyone.
As we come to understand the nature and attitudes of true
visionaries, we can remove whatever is hindering us from
having the same spirit so that we can make a positive and
lasting contribution to our generation.
Prayer: Father, I may never know the impact of my influence
and actions during my lifetime. Help me to trust You
that each thing I do in Your name is contributing
to the plan for Your kingdom on this earth.
Thought: We have a responsibility to find, perform, and
complete our purposes.
July 21
You Were Born at the Right Time In the book of

Ecclesiastes, we read about the revelation of
God’s purposes to the hearts of human beings.
The third chapter begins, “To everything there is
a season, a time for every purpose under
heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV). God has not
only given you a purpose, but, according to this
Scripture, He has also determined the time for
that purpose to be accomplished. There is “a
time for every purpose.” Whatever you were
born to do, God has assigned a season in which it
is to be done—and that season is the duration of
your life. Do you see why it is crucial for you to
know the vision that is in your heart? Your
purpose can be fulfilled only during the time you
are given on earth to accomplish it.
Within this season called life, God has also appointed specific
times for portions of your purpose to be accomplished. As you
pursue the dream God has given you, He will bring it to fruition
during the period of your life when it is meant to be completed.
As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful
in its time.”
Some people wish they had been born during a different time
in history. Yet if you had been born a thousand years ago, or
even a hundred years ago, you would have been miserable
because you would have been living in the wrong time to
complete your purpose and vision. You were born at the right
time to accomplish your vision during your generation.
Prayer: Father, how awesome that You have chosen a
particular place and time for me to be born and to live
on this earth. I will confess in faith that I have been
born at the right time to accomplish my vision.
Thought: You were born at the right time
to accomplish your vision.
July 22
His Eternal Purpose in Your Heart Ecclesiastes

3:10 says, “I have seen the burden God has laid
on men.” The word “burden” in the Hebrew
could actually be translated as “a heavy
responsibility,” “occupation,” or “task.” It could
also be described as a “responsible urge.” Every
human being comes to earth with a purpose that,
in a sense, weighs on him. Whether you are
twenty, fifty, or eighty years old, there is a burden
within you, a “responsible urge” to carry out all
that you were designed to do. Do you sense that
burden? Almost everybody does, even if they
have never expressed it. That feeling, longing, or
burden comes from God. He has placed a
“responsible urge” on your heart because of His
purpose for you.
In Ecclesiastes 3:11, we read, “He has also set eternity in the
hearts of men.” That is a powerful statement. There is
something within you that is being called by eternity. The
vision God has put in your heart is “a piece of eternity” that He
gave you to deliver in time and space—that is, on the earth
during your lifetime. What God put into your heart is also what
is in His own heart. I think this is what the Bible means when it
talks about “deep calling unto deep.” (See Psalm 42:7.)
Therefore, God has done something awesome. He lives in
eternity, yet He has specifically placed you in time so that
others on earth will be able to see a piece of His eternity
through your life.
Prayer: Father, thank You for placing
eternity in my heart. I hear You call to me
through Your Holy Spirit and in Your Word.
Help me to walk in the vision You have given me.
Thought: God placed His eternal purpose in your heart.
July 23
Your Gift Will Make a Way How is the

fulfillment of vision meant to work in practical
terms? Proverbs 18:16 is a powerful statement
that reveals the answer: “A man’s gift makes
room for him” (NKJV). You were designed to be
known for your gift. It is in exercising this gift
that you will find real fulfillment, purpose, and
contentment in your work. Your gift may be in
leadership or organization; it may be in educating
adults or children; it may be singing or leading
worship in church. God has very specifically
placed a purpose and gift in you.
It is interesting to note that the Bible does not say that a
man’s education makes room for him, but that his gift does.
Somehow we have swallowed the idea that education is the key
to success. Our families and society have reinforced this idea,
but we will have to change our perspective if we are to be truly
successful. While education can’t give you your gift, it can
help you develop it so that it can be used to the maximum. If
education alone were the key to success, then everyone who
has a Ph.D. should be financially secure and happy.
If you are intelligent but are not exercising your gift, you’re
probably going to be poor. If you’re educated but have not
developed your talent, you’re likely to be depressed,
frustrated, and tired. Education, in itself, doesn’t guarantee
anything; it is your God-given gift that is the key to your
success.
Prayer: Father, thank You that You are a gift-giving God.
Thank You for giving me gifts with which to serve You.
Using those gifts will bring me fulfillment in life.
Please continue to reveal these gifts to me.
Thought: Your God-given gift is the key to your success.
July 24
The World Will Make Room for You The second

part of Proverbs 18:16 says, “A man’s
gift...brings him before great men” (NKJV). You
don’t realize that the gift you’re sitting on is
loaded. The world won’t move over for you just
because you’re smart. Whenever you exercise
your gift, however, the world will make room for
you. Anyone—yourself included—who discovers
his or her gift and develops it will become a
commodity. If you’re a young person in high
school or college who is planning your career,
don’t do what people say will make you wealthy.
Do what you were born to do, because that is
where you will make your money and find your
life’s fulfillment. No matter how big the world is,
there’s a place for you in it when you discover
and manifest your gift.
Michelangelo poured his life into his art. That’s why we still
remember him five hundred years after he lived. Alexander
Graham Bell believed that sound could be converted into
electrical impulses and transmitted by wire. No one remembers
all the people who thought Bell was crazy; we remember only
the man who had vision enough to create the telephone.
Thomas Edison reportedly would spend eight or nine days
straight locked up in a room working on his experiments. He
didn’t just happen to make a mistake and create a lightbulb—
he had a dream. Although it took him a long time, he believed
that we could harness energy and that it could produce light.
Because he believed it, he stayed with it until he saw the
fulfillment of his vision. That’s what makes him unforgettable.
Prayer: Father, I don’t want to live a mediocre life. You have
placed gifts within me to be used for You. Please help me to
exercise those gifts with joy, hard work, and persistence.
Thought: There’s a place for you when you discover
and manifest your gift.
July 25
Stirring Up Your Gift The apostle Paul wrote to

Timothy, “For this reason I remind you to fan
into flame the gift of God, which is in you” (2
Timothy 1:6). In the New King James Version,
the verse is translated, “Stir up the gift of God.”
The gift is not something we learn. It is
something God gave us. It is something we need
to discover and then stir up. No one else can
activate your gift for you. You have to do it
yourself. You stir up your gift by developing,
refining, enhancing, and using it.
I once read an article about Louis Armstrong, the jazz artist,
who reportedly applied to go to music school when he was a
young man. At his audition, he was given scales to sing, but
he could sing only the first two notes properly. He was told he
didn’t have what it takes to be a musician. The story said that
he cried at first because he had been rejected from the music
program, but that he told his friends afterward, “I know there’s
music in me, and they can’t keep it out.” He eventually became
one of the most successful and beloved jazz musicians ever.
What made the difference? Louis Armstrong put his life into
the gift he knew he had, and this gift made room for him. He
was an original, and he knew it.
You are an original, too. God said so. Do you believe it?
Prayer: Father, just as Paul told Timothy to stir
up the gift that was in him, I want to stir up my gift.
Guide me as I step out in faith and develop my gift.
Teach me how to use it with more confidence each day.
Thought: You stir up your gift by developing, refining,
enhancing, and using it.
July 26
Don’t Be an Imitator Although we are all born as

originals, most of us have become imitators. I
used to think about becoming like everyone else
and joining the rat race. Yet I soon realized that if
all the rats are in a race and you win, you simply
become the Big Rat. I recommend that you get
out of the rat race, stop being in a contest with
society, and stop trying to please everybody.
Moreover, you are not to mimic the gifts of others. You are to
stir up your own gift. Unfortunately, many people are jealous of
other people’s gifts. Let me encourage you not to waste your
time on jealousy. You should be so busy stirring up your gift
that you don’t have time to be jealous of anyone else or to feel
sorry for yourself.
Perhaps you are fifty-five, sixty-five, or seventy years old.
You’re looking back over the last thirty or forty years and
asking, “What have I done with my life? I’ve followed the
crowd, and I haven’t developed my own gift.” If you believe
you’re too old to use your gift, you’re believing a lie. We read
in the Bible that God went to people who were already past
retirement age and recharged them. They have become
noteworthy in history because they started over when others
(even they themselves) thought their lives were almost over.
(See the stories of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18:11–15;
21:1–8, and Elizabeth and Zechariah in Luke 1.) Your gift will
give you your youth back. Your gift will give you energy and
strength. You will be healthier. You will stop talking about
dying and start talking about living.
Prayer: Father, I believe that You will allow me to use
my gifts throughout my lifetime. Help me to remember
that there is no “retirement” in Christ. We can use
our gifts for You as long as we are alive.
Thought: If you believe you’re too old to be using your gift,
you’re believing a lie.
July 27
You Can Be an Innovator
Instead of being an imitator of others, the person with vision

should be an innovator. Innovation is the ability to be creative
and to think outside the box. Our ability to innovate comes
from the fact that we are made in the image and likeness of our
Creator. Paul said that we are to “put on the new self, which is
being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator”
(Colossians 3:10). This means that the more we are transformed
into the image of the One who created us, the more innovative
we should be.
In light of the mind-set of the innovator, let’s look at some
definitions of innovation. Innovation is the capacity to create
new approaches and concepts to deal with both old and new
challenges, the perceptiveness to see possibilities in the
combination of old and new concepts, and the capacity to
think beyond the known, defy the norm, and believe in one’s
abilities to solve problems.
Whenever you encounter a project, a challenge, or a problem
in fulfilling your vision, practice thinking in new ways and with
a different mind-set. Ask the Creator to give you a fresh
perspective, and see what happens! As Paul wrote, “Now to
Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that
we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”
(Ephesians 3:20). Visionaries don’t follow paths—they create
trails. They venture where others don’t dare to tread. Venture
into the uncomfortable zone—innovate.
Prayer: Father, You are the wondrous Creator who has given
me the ability to innovate. Please help me to use my gifts with
Your creativity. I want to fulfill my dream in a way that
will be successful and creative and bring You honor.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thought: Innovation is the ability to be creative and to think
outside the box.
July 28
Jesus, the Greatest Innovator The greatest

example of a person with the spirit of innovation
is the ultimate man of vision, Jesus Christ.
During His time on earth, He demonstrated the
same innovative spirit as the heavenly Father. His
creativity was manifested in all His work among
men. For example, in performing His miracles,
He used a variety of approaches to solve
problems.
He healed the blind using several different methods. For
some, He merely touched their eyes and they were made well.
For one, He laid his hands on the person’s eyes and put mud
on them. For still another, He simply spoke the words, “Go,
your faith has healed you.” When Jesus wanted to feed
thousands of people who had gathered to hear Him speak, He
didn’t have his disciples buy food at the market; instead, He
multiplied five loaves and two fish so that everyone was fed
and had leftovers to spare. When Jesus raised the dead, He did
so in several ways. One time He touched a young man’s coffin
and then told him to get up; in another instance, He took a little
girl by the hand and told her to get up; and at another time, He
called out to Lazarus, who was still in his grave, and Lazarus
walked out of the tomb alive. Every instance was unique and
most likely tailored to the individual or to God’s specific
purposes at the time.
Jesus’ innovative spirit shows that true vision demands that
we always be open to new ways of fulfilling our purposes.
Prayer: Father, Jesus is a perfect example for every part
of my life. Please help me to remember that all means
of creativity are open to me as I seek to serve You.
Thought: Jesus’ creativity was manifested in all His
work among men.
July 29
Vision Always Comes from Purpose To

understand and develop your vision, you must
remember that vision always emanates from
purpose. Why? God is the Author of vision, and
it is His nature to be purposeful in everything He
does. Every time God appeared on the scene in
human history, it was because He wanted
something specific accomplished and was
actively working it out through people’s lives.
God is a God of action based on purpose. Moreover, His
purposes are eternal. Psalm 33:11 says, “The plans of the LORD
stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all
generations,” and Isaiah 14:24 says, “The LORD Almighty has
sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have
purposed, so it will stand.’” Nothing can get in the way of
God’s purposes; they always come to pass.
God created everything to fulfill a purpose in life. You may
have been a surprise to your parents, but you were not a
surprise to God! He has given you a special vision to fulfill.
The Scriptures say, “For he chose us in him before the
creation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4). God planned in
advance all that you were born to be and accomplish. I am
continually positive about life because I know that God created
me for a purpose and that He will bring that purpose to pass.
Do you believe that about yourself? Do you know that your
life has a purpose?
Prayer: Father, You chose me for Yourself before
the creation of the world, and You created me
with a purpose. Reveal Your plan to me;
I desire to live a positive and significant life before You.
Thought: Do you know that your life has a purpose in God?
Reading: Psalm 49–50; Romans 1
July 30
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision You are the

sum total of the choices and decisions you make
every day. You can choose to stay where you are
right now, or you can choose to move forward in
life by pursuing your dream. I want to challenge
you to stop making excuses for why you can’t
accomplish what you were born to do. Take your
life out of neutral. God has given you the power
and the responsibility to achieve your life’s
vision.
Ask yourself some serious questions as you ponder your
purpose. What is your dream? Have you truly discovered your
purpose and vision yet? Do you know what you want to
accomplish in this life? Are you doing what you believe you
were born to do?
Most people do things because they have to. Wouldn’t you
like to do things because you have decided to, based on your
purpose? You must choose to be on the offensive rather than
the defensive. I hope you will decide you have had enough of
being “normal” and that you will declare your distinction.
Remember, you were created to stand out, not to blend in. You
were created to accomplish something that no one else can
accomplish because God gave the assignment to you.
Now, let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your Word
says that you have a plan
for each of our lives. You have given us a purpose to fulfill
in this world, and You have redeemed us because of Your
love. I ask You to open our spiritual eyes so that we can
clearly see the specific purposes You have for us.
We want to complete those purposes with joy
and with the knowledge that we have
accomplished Your will for our lives.
Thought: You are the sum total of the choices and decisions
you make every day.
July 31
Principles of Purpose and Vision
Today, reflect on the principles we have learned so far about

vision: 1. The poorest person in the world is a person without a
dream.
2. The
most frustrated person in the world is someone who has a
dream but doesn’t know how to make it come to pass.
3. God created everything and everyone with a purpose.
4. Every person was created by God to be unique and distinct.
5. Vision comes from purpose.
6. God has placed in every human being a unique vision and call
that is designed to give purpose and meaning to life.
7. No person can give you your vision. It is God-given.
8. Every
human being was created to accomplish something that
no one else can accomplish.
9. Every person was created to be known for something special.
10. You
were given a burden or “responsible urge” to complete
your purpose.
11. You were born at the right time to fulfill your purpose.
12. Oneperson with vision is greater than the passive force of
ninety-nine people who are merely interested in doing or
becoming something.
13. Your gift will make a way for you in the world and enable you
to fulfill your vision.
14. You are responsible for stirring up the gift within you.
15. Aslong as a person can hold on to his vision, then there is
always a chance for him to move out of his present
circumstances and toward the fulfillment of his purpose.
August
August 1
What Is the Heart?
Your entire life is controlled and determined by your heart.

What is the heart? The Bible provides us with many truths
about it. When it uses the word heart, it’s usually referring to
our subconscious minds and their contents. Historically, the
heart has been a metaphor for the center of our being.
Our hearts or subconscious minds are what motivate us in our
attitudes and actions, even though we may not be aware of
what is influencing us. Jesus Christ emphasized the following.
For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The
good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him,
and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in
him.(Matthew 12:34–35) But the things that come out of the
mouth come from the heart, and these make a man “unclean.”
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery,
sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are
what make a man “unclean”; but eating with unwashed hands
does not make him “unclean.”(Matthew 15:18–20) In these
simple statements, the principle of the heart and its power to
control all of one’s life is evident. Whatever is in your heart
dictates your experience in life. According to Jesus, all our
actions are motivated by the content of our hearts or what is
stored in our subconscious minds.
This leads us to the following truth to ponder: The way you
think about your vision and how you act on it come from your
heart, as well.
Prayer: Father, my heart is the center of my being and reflects
who I actually am. I want my heart and life to reflect You. May
my words and actions reveal the good things You have stored
up in me.
Thought: Whatever is in your heart dictates your experience in
life.
August 2
The Tablet of the Heart The Bible has much to

say about the importance of the heart. Wise King
Solomon spoke of the heart’s power and function.
In the book of Proverbs, we read, “Let love and
faithfulness never leave you; bind them around
your neck, write them on the tablet of your
heart” (Proverbs 3:3). What we “write” on our
hearts we use as a reference for our attitudes and
actions. Again, in Proverbs, we read, “To man
belong the plans of the heart” (Proverbs 16:1).
The heart is where we sift things over and make
decisions about what we want to do and be.
Jeremiah the prophet records, “I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his
conduct, according to what his deeds deserve” (Jeremiah
17:10). Attitude and behavior are tied together because your
actions come from what you think. Finally, the book of
Hebrews says, “The word of God is living and active. Sharper
than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing
soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). We are held
accountable not only for our actions, but also for our thoughts
and attitudes. In order to walk successfully in the vision God
has given you, you must pay attention to your heart, study
what’s in it, and make certain that the Word of God is your
source of truth.
Prayer: Father, Your Word is living and active as it judges
the intentions of my heart. Please help me to make
certain that Your Word is my source of truth.
Fill my mind and heart with Your Word
so that I cannot be led away from
You or from my vision.
Thought: What we “write” on our hearts we use
as a reference for our attitudes and actions.
August 3
Completed in Eternity We can better understand

vision when we realize that our purpose has
already been completed in eternity. The following
passage entirely changed my perspective on the
fulfillment of vision: I am God, and there is no
other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make
known the end from the beginning, from ancient
times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose
will stand, and I will do all that I please.(Isaiah
46:9–10, emphasis added) In this Scripture, God
mentions two things that He does. First, He
establishes the end before the beginning. This
means that He finishes things first in the spiritual
realm, and then He goes back and starts them up
in the physical realm. Second, He reveals the end
result of something when it is just beginning.
I have noticed in the Scriptures the principle that “purpose is
established before production.” In other words, God first
institutes a purpose, and then He creates someone or
something to fulfill that purpose. He is the Alpha and the
Omega, the beginning and the end. We often don’t recognize
the fact that when God starts something, He has already
completed it in eternity. “Yet they cannot fathom what God has
done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We can see
this principle in creation. Everything was already finished in
God’s mind before He laid the foundation of the world. In a
similar way, the vision He has placed within you has already
been completed in eternity.
Prayer: Father, You have already completed my purpose
in eternity. Help me to fulfill Your plan on
earth as I follow Your direction.
Thought: When God starts something, He has already
completed it in eternity.
August 4
Purpose before Production There is a street

near my house called Shirley Street. At one time,
there was a parking lot there. One day when I was
driving along that street, I saw a large sign with a
beautifully painted picture of a building. There
was no building on the site yet, but there was the
big sign and the name of the building. It showed
the landscape, the color of the building, the
windows, everything; it was a very detailed
picture of what the completed building would
look like. The sign said, “Coming soon.” I drove
past the lot and sensed God saying to me, “Did
you see that?” I said, “See what?” He said, “Did
you see the finish?” So I turned my car around
and went back to take a closer look at the sign. By
showing the completed picture of the building,
the construction company was revealing the end
of its purpose.
Again, God essentially completed us before He created us.
Not only does He establish our ends, but He also gives us
glimpses of them through the visions He puts in our hearts. We
must pay attention to His work within us so that we will be able
to understand more of what He “has done from beginning to
end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). God wants you to “see” the
completion of your vision by knowing that He already planned
and established it before you were born. Therefore, instead of
striving to fulfill what God has given you to do, you can rely
on Him to finish it as you allow Him to guide you in the
specifics of carrying it out.
Prayer: Father, please help me to “see” the completion
of my vision with the eyes of faith.
Thought: God essentially completed us before He created us.
August 5
The Project Start-Up In the book of Genesis,

which means “origin” or “source,” we read about
the start-up of God’s project called “earth.”
Those of you who are involved in project
management know that start-up is a significant
step in the process of building. When you reach
the start-up phase, it means that you have all the
plans drawn, all the physical resources in place,
and all the management resources in order.
Before you start a project, all these things must
be in place. Only then can you begin.
When do you start building a house? Is it when you dig the
foundation? Essentially, you begin building whenever the idea
for the house is conceived. Digging the foundation is simply
the beginning of bringing your purpose to pass. Therefore,
after you dig the foundation, and somebody asks you, “What
are you doing?” your answer is very definite. You point to the
architect’s rendering of the house and say, “I am building this.”
God wouldn’t have allowed you to start your life and your
purpose unless they were already completed in eternity. You
must realize, however, that your end doesn’t look anything like
your beginning—or like any other point in the process, for that
matter. God redeems you because of the vision you are
carrying, and now you must live out that vision. The Bible
says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to
do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”
(Ephesians 2:10, emphasis added).
Prayer: Father, may I be reminded daily that the good
works I walk in were prepared by You since the
beginning of time. May I do those good works
with joy at being a part of Your plan for the earth.
Thought: You were born to manifest something
that is already finished.
Reading: Psalm 68–69; Romans 8:1–21
August 6
A Glimpse into the Future
At this point, I want to clarify the difference between purpose

and vision. Purpose is the intent for which God created you—
the reason why you were born. Purpose is what God has
already decided in His own mind that you’re supposed to
begin to fulfill. Therefore, we can conclude the following:
•Purpose is when you know and understand what you were
born to accomplish.
•Vision is when you can see it in your mind by faith and begin
to imagine it.
When you are able to see your purpose, your vision comes to
life. For example, my purpose is to identify and encourage
leadership and visionary qualities in people throughout the
world. My vision is to do it through Bahamas Faith Ministries
International, which will include a convention center and a
hotel in the future.
We have insight into God’s purpose for us based on what we
know God has already accomplished in eternity. Vision is a
glimpse of our future that God has purposed. We don’t know
all the details of how our purposes will unfold, but we see their
“ends” because God reveals them to us in the visions He gives
us. This is why we can be confident that they will come to
pass. When God created you with a purpose, He also designed
you perfectly to be able to fulfill it. God always gives us the
ability to do whatever He calls us to do.
Prayer: Father, my life’s vision is an exciting look
into the future that You have purposed for me. Thank You
for assuring me that You have already put the plan
in motion so that I might complete it.
Thought: Vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight.
August 7
Vision Is about God
At its essence, vision isn’t about us—it’s about God.

Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but
it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” True vision is not a
human invention. It’s about the desires God imparts to us. His
purpose was established well before we had any plans for our
lives. We were meant to consult God to find out His purposes
for us so we can make the right plans. Ecclesiastes 3:14 says, “I
know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing
can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so
that men will revere him.”
Let’s review the following facts: Purpose is the source of your
vision. Your purpose existed before you did. What you were
born to do was accomplished by God before you even arrived
on the scene, and He ordained your birth in order to carry it
out.
We must understand the key to recognizing personal vision.
After reading my books on purpose, many people write to me
and say, “Okay, I read your book. It’s wonderful, it changed my
life, and I’m ready to go, except that I don’t know what my
vision is. Tell me how to find it.” To find your vision, you have
to look within yourself, where God has placed it. The key is
this: God’s will is as close to us as our most persistent
thoughts and deepest desires.
Prayer: Father, I realize that vision is about You
and not about me. Vision is about fitting into
Your plan for establishing Your kingdom on this earth.
Lead me into my part of that plan.
Thought: To find your vision, you have to look within
yourself, where God has placed it.
August 8
The Dream That Won’t Go Away P salm 37:4

says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will
give you the desires of your....” Desires of your
what? “Your heart.” Wait a minute. Doesn’t God
give us desires from heaven? Yes, He does. Our
desires originate there, but remember that God
has placed His desires for you within your heart.
He put the plans for your life within you when
you were born, and they have never left you. The
heart, in this case, means your subconscious
mind. Sometimes His ideas come in multiples.
God may put five or six things in your mind that
He wants you to do, each one for a different
season of your life.
Whether He gives you one idea or six ideas, the thoughts of
God are consistent, and they will be present throughout your
life. No matter how old you grow, the same thoughts will keep
coming back to you, and the desires will never leave you. This
is because the will of God for you never changes. The Bible
says, “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans
11:29). The specifics of your plans may change as your
purpose unfolds, but your purpose is permanent.
I have found that people are constantly waiting for God to tell
them what to do when it has been given to them already. At
times, Christian people look for God’s will everywhere except
within themselves. It’s necessary for them to realize that they
don’t receive their purposes after they are born again; they
were already given their purposes when they were physically
born. You’re not saved for the sole purpose of going to
heaven; you’re saved to finish your assignment on earth.
Prayer: Father, thank You for placing Your desires
within my heart. You saved me so that I could complete my
assignment on this earth; please help me to do this.
Thought: Vision is the idea that never leaves you—the dream
that won’t go away.
August 9
God Speaks to You Many people ask me how

God speaks to us. They say, “I want to hear from
God. Does He speak in an audible voice? Does
He come in the night and whisper in my ear? Will
He speak through some animal or write on the
wall like He did in the Old Testament?” They
don’t realize that God has been speaking to them
since they were born, and He is still speaking to
them now. He speaks to them through the
thoughts, ideas, and visions they keep having in
their minds. If you are unclear about your vision,
you can ask God to reveal to you the deepest
desires He has placed within you.
Some people call psychic hotlines to get others to tell them
their futures. The sad thing is that some Christians do nearly
the equivalent of this when they run from meeting to meeting,
asking people to prophesy over them concerning their futures,
not understanding that God has given them their visions
directly. A prophet can confirm your vision, but he or she will
not give you your vision. God gives you that directly, and He
reveals it to you as you listen to Him and follow Him. God says,
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts”
(Jeremiah 31:33).
Again, one way to discern whether something is a vision from
God is to determine whether you have a real desire to do it or
merely a passing interest in it.
Prayer: Father, I am so grateful that You are a God who speaks
directly to His people. Thank You for speaking to me through
Your Holy Spirit, through Your Word, and through
the ideas and dreams You have given me.
I want to use them to Your glory.
Thought: A prophet can confirm your vision, but he or she will
not give you your vision; God gives you that directly.
August 10
Vision Is Unselfish True vision is unselfish. Its

purpose is to bring God’s kingdom on earth and
turn people to Him. A vision should always focus
on helping humanity or building up others in
some way.
First, this means that God will never have you pursue your
vision at the expense of your family. A beloved friend of mine
went to a conference where a supposed prophet spoke to him
about what God wanted for his life. He came to me and asked,
“Did you hear what the prophet said? What do you think?” I
replied, “Well, let’s pray over that prophecy. Let’s take our time,
get counsel, and find God’s will on it.” However, the next time I
heard from him, he had already set up a plan to fulfill this
prophecy. He went to another country, leaving behind a
confused and angry family. Was this really God’s purpose?
There are instances when family members will agree to be
apart for a time to serve a certain purpose. Moreover, your
family will not always understand or support your dream. Yet
pursuing it shouldn’t destroy their lives. Vision should always
be accompanied by compassion.
Second, a true vision will not take the form of building a big
business just so you can have millions of dollars for expensive
homes and cars. These things may be goals, but they are not
vision—in fact, they are probably selfish ambition because
they build your kingdom rather than God’s kingdom. Your
vision might well involve making a large amount of money. The
difference, however, is in your motivation and attitude. You
need to treat your finances as a resource God has provided to
fulfill your vision, not as a tool to fill your life with luxuries.
Prayer: Father, I know that You want me to pursue
my life’s dreams with compassion for others.
Please keep me from selfish motives.
Thought: Vision’s purpose is to bring about
God’s kingdom on earth.
August 11
Vision Brings Fulfillment
Your life’s vision is real when it is the only thing that gives
you true satisfaction. Ecclesiastes 3:13 says, “That everyone
may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is
the gift of God.” It is God’s desire for us to enjoy our work, but
this can happen only when we’re doing the right work. Merely
working at a job is disheartening. Going to work is a dismal
experience for many people because, day after day, they are
doing something they dislike. That is not what you were
created to do. Again, Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the
plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that
prevails.” True success is not in what you accomplish; it is in
doing what God told you to do. That is why people who build
big projects or gain great fame can be successful and
depressed at the same time.
Going against your purpose may be a personal issue, but it is
never a private one. You can mess up others’ lives if you aren’t
supposed to be where you are, or if you are supposed to be
somewhere that you refuse to go. Remember the story of Jonah
in the Bible? God told him that his purpose was to go to
Nineveh to warn the people there to turn to God. Jonah’s
response was, in effect, “I’m not going!” He got on a ship
headed for Tarshish instead. God had purposed that Jonah
would go to Nineveh even before the prophet was born. I urge
you not to board the wrong ship, but to remain on course in
God’s purpose.
Prayer: Father, please help me to stay on course with You.
I don’t want to drift to the right or to the left,
but to continue to follow Your direction.
Thought: Until you follow God’s dream, you will be unfulfilled.
August 12
A Vital Connection with God Many people don’t

recognize the vision God has placed within them
because they don’t have a vital connection with
God. God’s purpose never changes, and since His
purpose is woven into our desires, our own ways
are never ultimately satisfying.
God provided salvation through Christ to salvage His will and
purpose in your life. He said, in effect, “I’m not going to lose
what I gave you birth to do.” He restores us to Himself so we
can do the works He had in mind for us before the world began.
Remember, “we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for
us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). We are not saved by doing good
works but for the purpose of doing good works. We are saved
for relationship with God and to fulfill our earthly visions.
Once we are restored to God, we receive His Holy Spirit and
can see and understand the vision He has placed in our hearts.
The Bible says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God…” (2
Corinthians 10:5 KJV). This verse is talking about ideas. It
continues, “…and bringing into captivity every thought to
the obedience of Christ.” Any idea that is contrary to the
Word of God, or to obedience to Christ’s wishes for your life, is
not a God idea. You must set it aside. The vision God gives you
will always line up with His Word.
Prayer: Father, please help me to maintain a vital
connection with You through Your Holy Spirit
and Your Word. I want to be sensitive
to Your voice and to Your purposes.
Thought: Genuine vision is always in alignment with
God’s nature and character.
August 13
Vision Is Personal and Corporate We must

realize that vision is both personal and corporate;
personal vision will always be found within a
larger corporate vision. It is not God’s method to
give a vision to a group. He gives the vision to an
individual who shares his vision with the group
and transfers it to them. The members of the
group then run with the vision because they find
in it a place for their own personal visions to be
fulfilled.
Moses was constrained by a vision to deliver the people of
Israel and lead them to the Promised Land. Joshua was
motivated by a vision to possess that land. David was driven
by a vision to settle God’s people. Nehemiah was possessed
by a vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. In every case, the
vision was given to an individual who was ultimately
responsible for seeing it through, and the individual transferred
the vision to a group.
When a person starts to sense his purpose and gift, he often
interprets this as a call to autonomy and separation. However,
nothing could be further from the truth. In order to accomplish
a corporate purpose or make a larger vision come to pass, God
brings together many people’s personal gifts and unique
visions. God wants you to bring your time, energy, resources,
and creative power to be part of a larger vision to which your
vision is connected.
Prayer: Father, Your Word says that believers are
the body of Christ. We are many members,
each with different purposes and gifts.
Help us to appreciate one another and the
unique visions You have given us,
so that we will function as a whole body.
Thought: In order to accomplish a larger vision, God brings
together many people’s gifts and unique visions.
August 14
We Need Teamwork Teamwork is defined as the

ability to work together toward a common vision.
Because it directs individual accomplishment
toward corporate objectives, teamwork is the fuel
that allows common people to attain uncommon
results. Teamwork intrinsically appreciates the
diversity of gifts that the team members bring to
a partnership or group. Paul wrote, 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. We have
different gifts, according to the grace given us.
(Romans 12:4–6) We have seen that while God
calls individuals to carry out His purposes, He
doesn’t want them to pursue their callings alone.
Even Moses, who was called the friend of God
and did extraordinary things, needed leadership
help from his brother Aaron and sister Miriam.
We also see the idea of teamwork in the first-
century church with the traveling teams of Paul
and Barnabus, Peter and John, and Priscilla and
Aquila. When Paul worked with the churches he
founded, he often had many coworkers who
assisted him. Jesus Himself emphasized
teamwork. He did not carry out His ministry
alone, but instead gathered a group of twelve
disciples to assist Him and learn from His
example. When He sent out His disciples to
minister, He told them to go two by two. (See
Mark 6:7; Luke 10:1.) In the same way, whatever
your personal vision is, God wants you to be
joined with others as a team to fulfill those plans.
Prayer: Father, may we always be thankful for the gift
of one another. Please help me to recognize the people
You want me to work with in my vision.
Thought: Teamwork is defined as the ability to work together

toward a common vision.

August 15
Problems in Corporate Vision When people

don’t understand teamwork or accept the
relationship between personal and corporate
vision, there can be problems. If the members of
the group think they are inferior to the person
with the original vision, or the leader starts to
think he is more important than the members, or
if one or more of the members wants to supplant
the person who has the larger vision, that is when
the trouble will begin.
Moses had the latter problem with Miriam and Aaron, his
sister and brother. God had appointed them all as leaders. (See
Micah 6:4.) Moses, however, was the one who had received the
original vision, and he was the one with whom God met directly
and through whom God spoke. When Miriam and Aaron
became jealous of Moses and wanted to usurp his role, it
caused turmoil within that leadership group. God had to remind
Miriam and Aaron in a very graphic way that it is His purposes
that prevail, not our private ambitions. (See Numbers 12:4–15.)
We must have an attitude of cooperation with those with whom
we share corporate vision. If we are going to do something for
God so that the world will be better off because we were here,
we can’t do that with a private, individualistic attitude. Let us
be cognizant of God’s ways and work with them rather than
against them.
Prayer: Father, we know that Your children
do not get along at times. Please help me to cooperate
with the believers with whom You have placed me.
Help me to join with them in fulfilling
the corporate vision that You have given.
Thought: If we are in line with God’s nature and character,
we will desire what He desires.
August 16
Drawing Out the Vision When we understand the

relationship between personal and corporate
vision, we will recognize a chief way in which
God fulfills people’s dreams. Proverbs 20:5 says,
“The purposes of a man’s heart are [like] deep
waters, but a man of understanding draws them
out.” In other words, everyone has a vision in his
heart, but a person of understanding causes that
dream, that purpose, that vision to be brought out
so it can become reality. A person of
understanding will figuratively lower a bucket
into the deep well-waters of your soul and begin
to draw out what you are dreaming and thinking.
What is the process by which this occurs? After God
conveys a vision to a leader, you will then somehow come into
contact with this person, who will present the corporate vision.
You will become excited about participating in it because you
will see how your private vision finds fulfillment in it. It is
essential for you to understand that God brings the corporate
vision into your life not to give you vision, which He has
already given you, but to stir up your personal vision. In other
words, you don’t receive your vision from other people, but
you are enabled to fulfill it through others.
It is my desire to stir up your vision. As I wrote earlier, my
own vision is to inspire and draw out the hidden leader in
every person I meet. You are a leader in the specific purpose
God has given you to accomplish through your gift because no
one else but you can fulfill it. Are you beginning to believe in
the possibilities?
Prayer: Father, thank You for making me a leader in the vision
You have given me for my life. Please enable me to stir up
that vision and see it come to fulfillment in You.
Thought: God brings the corporate vision into your life
to stir up your personal vision.
August 17
I Need Your Vision, You Need Mine The

corporate vision in which your personal vision
will ultimately be fulfilled might be that of a
company, a church, a nonprofit organization, or
even your own family. That is why, when you hear
of something that is related to your vision, you
should pay attention to it, because it may be that
you’re supposed to attach yourself to it. You
yourself may be given the corporate vision, such
as starting a business or organizing a community
project. Yet none of us is meant to complete our
visions on our own.
The joy of God’s plan for personal and corporate vision is that
nothing we are born to do is to be done by ourselves or for
ourselves. If you and I are part of the same corporate vision,
then I need your vision, and you need mine. I’m not involved
in the work that I’m doing to build a name for myself. My life’s
work is to complete the assignment God gave me. Every
member of my staff and organization has a part to play in our
vision. My part is to stir up their individual dreams, and their
part is to stir up mine. When we stir up each other’s visions,
the divine deposit of destiny starts flowing. Vision generates
vision. Dreams always stir up other dreams.
You need people around you who believe in dreams that are
even bigger than your own so you can keep stirring up your
vision. There are too many other people who will tell you to
settle down and do nothing. Yet no matter where you came
from, where you’re going is better.
Prayer: Father, help me to stir up the dreams and visions
of those around me. I want to be open to their plans and
to receive their encouragement as well.
Thought: None of us is meant to complete
our visions on our own.
August 18
Action Steps in Fulfilling Vision The first step

to fulfilling your reason for existence is realizing
that you have been given a vision. Yet how exactly
do you receive, recognize, and activate your
vision? When you understand God is the source
of your vision and that He has placed it in your
heart, you learn the secrets to its working in your
life. This knowledge helps you take your dream
from initial idea all the way to fulfillment.
There are simple action steps you can take as you
contemplate the vision God has given you. Take half an hour
and allow yourself to dream about what you would like to do in
life. What ideas and desires do you have? What have you
always wanted to do? Think about your primary gifts or
talents. How do your dreams and your gifts go together? Write
down your ideas, desires, and gifts and read them over every
evening for a week. Then ask yourself, “Do these ideas hold
true? Are they what I really want to do?” If the answer is yes,
keep them where you can refer to them as you read this book;
watch them form into a specific vision and concrete goals that
will move you along toward the completion of your purpose.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are the
Source of our lives.
You have decided, in Your divine purpose, to place a vision
within each of our hearts. We know that this vision is
to be used for Your glory and to accomplish Your
purposes on this earth. We are so thankful that
we are Your workmanship, that we have been created
to walk in the good works—or vision—that
You have given us to fulfill.
In Your love and wisdom, please guide us to
complete all that You have called us to do.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.
Thought: God is the source of your vision.
Reading: Psalm 100–102; 1 Corinthians 1
August 19
Principles of the Nature of Vision Today, reflect

on these principles of the nature of vision: 1.Your
purpose is already completed in God.
2. God completed you before He created you.
3. The
fact that you were started is proof that you are
completed.
4. You were designed to perfectly accomplish your purpose.
5. When you know and understand what you were born to
accomplish, that is purpose. When you can see it in your mind
by faith, that is vision.
6. Vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight.
7. Vision isn’t about us. It’s about God and His purposes.
8. Youalready know your vision. It is as close as your most
persistent thoughts and deepest desires.
9. To
have vision is to have more than a mere interest in
something; it is to have a real desire and passion for it.
10. Vision persists, no matter what the odds.
11. Vision is unselfish.
12. Vision is the only thing that brings true fulfillment.
13. Vision requires a vital connection with God.
14. Personal vision will always be found within a larger
corporate vision.
15. Thosewho are in the same corporate vision must work
together harmoniously to achieve it.
16. Theleader of corporate vision “draws out” the personal
visions of those in the group by helping them to activate their
passions, dreams, gifts, and talents.
17. Vision generates vision.
August 20
Vision Is Specific A vital aspect about true

vision is that it is specific. One of the greatest
causes of failure among people who are pursuing
their visions is that they don’t identify their
objective of success.
Suppose I came to you and said, “Let’s meet.” You say,
“Okay; where?” I reply, “Oh, anywhere.” You ask, “Well, when
do you want to meet?” and I say, “Anytime.” What do you
think are the chances that we will actually meet? Practically
zero. Vision must be specific rather than general or vague.
I have asked many people, “What are you going to do with
your life? What is your vision?” and I usually receive
responses such as these: “I’m going to build a big house, own
several cars, and have a good family.” “I want to get married.”
“I want to open a restaurant someday.” These are not visions,
but mere goals. When I ask pastors the same question, they
generally give me one of the following answers: “My vision is
to win my city to Christ.” “My vision is to ‘preach the gospel
to every creature’ (Mark 16:15 KJV).” “Our vision as a church is
to know Him and to make Him known.” “Our vision is to equip
people for the work of the ministry.”
None of the above answers are visions. They are missions.
Why? They are too general for visions. A mission is a general
statement of purpose that declares the overall idea of what you
want to accomplish. In contrast, a vision is a very precise
statement that has a specific emphasis and definable
boundaries. God has given you a specific vision to fulfill.
Prayer: Father, please help me to identify my specific vision,
clarifying any general or vague ideas I have be trying to follow,
so I can truly fulfill Your plan for me.
Thought: A vital aspect about true vision is that it is specific.
August 21
Vision versus Mission God is not vague about

your life. Therefore, it is essential that you learn
the difference between vision and mission. You
were designed to be unique and to fulfill a
particular purpose. If you are to carry out this
specific purpose, your vision has to be specific.
Otherwise, you will be just like everyone else
around you. Remember, your vision—like your
fingerprints—is meant to distinguish you from
every other person in the world.
Let me use the Christian church as an example. The
assignment that Jesus gave His followers two thousand years
ago—“Go into all the world and preach the good news”
(Mark 16:15)—is called the Great Commission. It is the “co-
mission,” the joint or corporate mission of the worldwide
church. Therefore, if a local church thinks its particular vision
is to preach the gospel, then it has a mistaken idea of vision. It
knows its mission, but it hasn’t yet found its true vision, that
one thing that distinguishes it from all other churches.
One church is not assigned where another church is assigned.
That is why an individual church shouldn’t compare itself with
other churches in its city or nation or use another church as a
measure of its own success. Each church is to fulfill its part of
the Great Commission through the specific emphasis or
approach that God has given it. The same general principle
holds true for you and your personal vision. What is the
specific emphasis or approach in life that God has given you?
Prayer: Father, my mission as a believer is to see others won
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Please open my heart to see the
specific vision You have given me to fulfill this mission.
Thought: You were designed to be unique and
to fulfill a particular purpose.
August 22
No Need for Competition When we truly

understand the difference between mission and
vision, we are protected from jealousy. One day,
while I was talking with a friend who owns the
McDonald’s franchise in the Bahamas, the owner
of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise stopped
by. I was curious and asked the Kentucky Fried
Chicken man what he was doing there. He
responded, “We’re going to have lunch.” I decided
to go with them because I wanted to see where
they would end up eating. They went to Pizza Hut!
During lunch, I asked, “Excuse me, gentlemen. Aren’t you
competitors?” They responded, “No.” My friend added, “He
doesn’t sell what I sell. I don’t sell what he sells. How can we
be in competition?” Then I asked, “Why did you come here?”
He replied, “We didn’t feel like eating burgers or chicken. We
felt like eating pizza!” There is a place for all three
establishments in our city because each has its own specific
vision.
I travel around the world and speak at large churches
alongside well-known pastors. Sometimes I notice certain
approaches or methods their churches are using. I’m tempted
to imitate them, thinking, “I should try that. Maybe I can get
more people to come if I do what they do.” Yet the Lord says to
me, “Don’t you dare.” If I try to imitate others, I won’t be
fulfilling the specific vision He has given me, and I will no
longer have His full blessing. Each of us must measure the
success of our visions by God’s assignments to us. We need
to ask ourselves, “Am I doing what God told me to do?”
Prayer: Father, love, and not competition, should abound
among Your people. As I seek to fulfill my vision, let me work in
harmony with others, respecting their unique contributions.
Thought: When you’ve discovered your own vision,
you do not need to be jealous of anyone.
August 23
The Trap of Wishful Thinking One reason people

aren’t specific about their visions is that they
confuse them with mission. Another reason is
that they get caught in the trap of wishful
thinking. Their dreaming doesn’t go beyond vague
ideas of what they would like to do “someday.”
Yet dreaming is only the beginning of vision.
Instead of wishing that things would get better, we
must make concrete resolutions. We have to say,
“Things must get better, and here, specifically, is
what I’m going to do about it.” For example,
instead of saying, “I wish I could go to college,”
sit down today and send for applications to
specific colleges. When they arrive, start filling
them out. Instead of saying, “I wish I could lose
weight,” see your doctor and go on a specific
weight-loss plan. Make a decision, and then take
the first step.
People’s success or failure in life is not dependent on the
color of their skin. The real problem is the color of some
people’s lives; their lives are “gray.” Such people don’t have a
precise way of living. They’re just here. They drift along,
allowing life to happen to them. God doesn’t want anyone to
live in a gray zone. When someone is living in the gray, it
means that person isn’t saying “yes” or “no,” but “maybe.” He
has no real intention of doing anything with his life. God has
invested so much in us. He doesn’t want to see us wasting our
lives in wishful thinking. He wants us to place our feet on the
solid ground of God-given vision.
Prayer: Father, I don’t wish to live in a gray zone.
Help me to make concrete decisions that will help me to
fulfill the vision You have placed within me.
Thought: God doesn’t want anyone to live in a gray zone.
August 24
Are You Committed?
I am committed to fulfilling what God gave me birth to do. I

resolved years ago that I would look only to God’s Word and
the vision He put in my heart to know what I could accomplish.
In this way, God’s purposes and principles have determined
what I’m going to be and do rather than my own fears or
others’ opinions. The Bible says, “Now it came to pass, when
the time had come for [Jesus] to be received up, that He
steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51 NKJV).
Jesus set His face “steadfastly” or “like flint” (Isaiah 50:7) in
His determination to fulfill His purpose. Flint is one of the
hardest rocks you can find. This analogy means that after
Jesus had set His goal to go to the cross, it was too late to talk
Him out of it.
Sometimes we know what we should be doing, but we’re
hesitant to take that first step. We intend to do it, but we never
do. We make excuses, such as “When my life gets less
complicated,” “When I feel more confident,” or “After I pray
about it more.” There is a story of two fishermen who were lost
in a storm on a lake. The storm was blowing so fiercely that
they couldn’t see a thing. One of the fishermen said to his
colleague, “We have two choices. We can pray or row.” The
other answered, “Let’s do both!” That’s the way you need to
live. Instead of deliberating about what you need to do, just
say, “Let’s row.” Set a destination even while you’re praying,
and God will guide you where you need to go.
Prayer: Father, I am committed to Your purposes
and Your Word. Please help me keep the vision
You’ve given me always before me.
Thought: Are you committed to your vision?
Reading: Psalm 116–118; 1 Corinthians 7:1–19
August 25
Seeking Balance Some people don’t want to

focus on a specific goal because they fear their
lives might not be well-balanced. They say things
such as these: “I don’t really want to go after
anything in particular because then I will be
closing off other options,” “I don’t want to
become too narrow,” or “If I become too serious
about something, I might miss what I really want
to do in life.” The problem is that people will say
things like these for forty-five years and never
end up doing anything! What they call a pursuit of
balance is really an excuse for not making a
decision. They end up being average, mediocre
people.
True balance is the maintenance of equilibrium while moving
toward a destination. A good example of this truth is the way a
ship functions on the ocean. A ship always needs to maintain
its balance. Wouldn’t it be a waste of precious time and fuel,
however, for a boat to expend all its energy just trying to
balance on the water so that it didn’t tip over? Some people
live for sixty-five years, seventy-five years, or ninety years just
balancing. Yet balance is not an end in itself; it is a means to an
end. A ship keeps its balance as it makes its way to a specific
port. Likewise, we need to have a destination while we’re
maintaining balance in our lives.
Prayer: Father, please help me to keep my conviction
about my vision strong. I want to be balanced in my life,
but I want to do so as I move forward
boldly in Your purpose for me.
Thought: Balance is not an end in itself;
it is a means to an end.
Reading: Psalm 119:1–88; 1 Corinthians 7:20–40
August 26
Trying to Do Everything Is your busyness

keeping you from your vision? Some people
aren’t specific about their visions because they’re
trying to do too much. Their problem is not that
they’re hesitant about getting started, but that
they’re running around attempting too many
things. Even though they are constantly
constructing something, they’re actually building
nothing at all because they never complete
anything. Why does this happen? Because most
people make the mistake of believing that the
main goal in life is to stay busy. This way of
thinking is a trap. Staying busy does not
necessarily mean that you are heading toward a
specific destination.
I have learned this very important truth that has set me free
from both indecision and ineffective busyness: I was not born
or created to do everything. This statement might be a good
thing to put at the top of your office or household calendar.
When we aim at everything, we usually hit nothing. Yet many
of us are breaking our necks trying to hit everything in sight.
Let me assure you: you were not born to meet all the needs on
earth.
All the needs that you see in your nation cannot be met by
you. All the trouble that you see in your community cannot be
solved by you. God created you for a purpose, and that
purpose should be your focus. It will keep you centered on
what is most important for you to be involved in.
Prayer: Father, it is a relief to know that
I am not required to meet all the needs on earth!
Show me the needs that I can meet—the works
that You have created me to walk in.
Thought: You were not born to meet all the needs on earth.
Reading: Psalm 119:89–176; 1 Corinthians 8
August 27
A Jack-of-All-Trades Has God blessed you with

many gifts? Some people never pursue their true
visions because they have the “problem” of being
multi-talented, of being able to do many things. A
misunderstanding of their gifts causes many
talented and intelligent people to be ineffective
and unsuccessful in life. These people say, “I have
so many gifts that I don’t know which ones I’m
supposed to use. I want to develop all of them.”
As a result, they develop none of them to
proficiency. I have many interests myself. I’m a
teacher, a preacher, a speaker, and a writer. I can
also paint, sculpt, and compose and play music.
However, I have had to focus on specific gifts in
order to be effective in life.
Let me ask you this: Have you ever seen anyone who became
successful in life by doing everything? When a person tries to
do everything, he ends up becoming a “jack-of-all-trades and
master of none.” I’m sure you know some multi-gifted people
who seem to have the best chances of success but who aren’t
doing anything with their lives. You have to guard against the
temptation to try to do everything. No matter how many gifts
you have, don’t let them distract you. You must decide to
concentrate on one or two gifts, and then stir them up. Don’t
worry about losing the other gifts. As you stir one gift up, the
other gifts will follow it. God will not waste what He has given
you.
Prayer: Father, please help me to keep focused.
There are things that I can do, but I want to do them
only if they are part of Your plan for my life right now.
Help me to decide which gift to begin concentrating on today.
Thought: God will not waste what He has given you.
August 28
The Cost of Vision You must recognize the cost

of fulfilling your vision. I think many people
believe that successful people are born
successful. In reality, success comes in
installments, similar to a payment plan. It’s a
process. You receive a little bit of success today,
a little more tomorrow, and more next week.
One of the costs of vision is diligence. All human beings
dream, yet only the few who wake up, get out of their beds of
comfort, and work hard will experience the fulfillment of their
dreams. For example, if you think you have had a string of bad
luck in life or that you are an unlucky person, you will probably
not make the effort necessary to cause your vision to succeed.
You may think, “Why bother?” This type of reasoning can
undermine your entire life, destroying your desire to achieve
your goals. You must realize that you are not defined by your
past or confined by external factors.
Some people believe that others are responsible for causing
their visions to fail. Maybe their parents couldn’t afford to
send them to college, and now they are bitter and resentful
because they didn’t pursue the careers they wanted to. Life will
present us with challenges, but this fact doesn’t have to derail
our visions. If you want something badly enough, you will be
patient in acquiring it, even if the timetable isn’t what you
would have wanted. You are not a victim. You are a child of the
King, and He has given you a vision for your life that you can
fulfill through Him.
Prayer: Father God, everything precious in life comes with a
cost. One cost of fulfilling my vision is diligence.
Help me to be strong and diligent in You.
Thought: Life will present us with challenges, but they
don’t have to derail our visions.
August 29
Your Purpose Is Greater Than Your Past Some

people think their past experiences or failures—
educational, social, or spiritual—preclude them
from having a vision for their lives. Please realize
this: God is not against you. He is for you. Do
you believe that in your heart? God still has a
definite plan for your life in spite of your
background or your mistakes. We often imagine
that our pasts loom larger than our futures.
Sometimes we think that what we have done is so
bad that it is greater than Jesus’ sacrifice for us
on the cross. Yet nothing is so bad that it can
compete with the forgiveness of Jesus. If you
have had a baby out of wedlock, if you have been
on drugs, if you have been to prison, if you have
betrayed someone, God still loves you and wants
to redeem you. He wants to give you back your
purpose.
The Bible says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does
not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). This is a very
important statement about God. It says that God gives gifts,
and that when He gives a gift, He doesn’t change His mind
regarding it. Don’t ever believe that your failures are greater
than what God gave you birth to do. God is a restorer, a
reclaimer. Let me urge you not to allow circumstances to
destroy your passion for living. The winds of adversity can be
very strong, but your God-given vision will be your anchor in
life.
Prayer: Father, I will not consider the things that are
in my past to be obstacles to my future. I know that
You still lead me and will enable me to fulfill
my vision by the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Thought: Whatever God has invested in you,
He wants to see you use.
August 30
Let Your Life Be Fueled by Vision Life was

designed to be inspired by purpose and fueled by
vision. This means that you don’t have to live a
defensive life that is made up of crisis
management. Instead, you can pursue an offensive
life that steadily follows its vision and initiates
its own goals and actions. My desire is to help
you clarify your vision, formulate a plan for
accomplishing it, and bring it to a fulfilling and
successful completion.
Ask yourself the following questions concerning vision:
What do you think is your greatest obstacle to pursuing and
completing your vision? What steps can you take to begin
overcoming that obstacle? For example, have you
distinguished between your life’s mission and its vision? Will
you trust that your life is under God’s purposes and that you
are not a victim of “bad luck”? Will you stop blaming others for
the way your life has turned out and start thanking God that He
will enable you to complete His vision for your life? Take some
time to answer these questions in the next few days. Ask the
Lord to help you search your heart for the answers.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, You can enable
us to overcome
any obstacles to knowing and fulfilling our visions.
Please search our hearts. You have placed a vision
within each of us. Help us to see our visions clearly.
Give us the strength from Your Word and Your Holy
Spirit to pursue those visions and to see them fulfilled.
I desire to see Your purposes accomplished.
In the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Thought: You can pursue a life that steadily follows its vision
and initiates its own goals and actions.
August 31
Principles for Understanding Vision Today,

reflect on these principles for understanding
vision: 1.Two major obstacles to fulfilling vision
are not understanding the nature of vision and not
recognizing the cost of vision.
2. The essential nature of vision is that it is specific.
3. Missionis a general statement of purpose while vision is a
very precise statement with a specific emphasis and definable
boundaries.
4. Themeasure of the success of your vision is God’s
assignment to you, not what others are doing.
5. Dreamingis only the beginning of vision. Instead of wishing
things would get better, we must take concrete steps to change
our lives.
6. Indecisiveness is a vision-killer and drains the joy out of life.
7. If you
set a destination for your life while you continue to
pray about your vision, God will guide you where you need to
go.
8. You
were not born or created to do everything. You were
meant to meet certain needs, not every need.
9. When you have several gifts and talents, focus on one or two
of them and stir them up. Don’t allow multiple gifts to distract
you from taking specific steps toward fulfilling your vision.
10. Youare not defined by your past or confined by external
factors.
11. God
has a definite plan and purpose for your life in spite of
what your background is or what mistakes you have made.
12. When God gives a gift to someone, He doesn’t change His
mind about it. Whatever God has invested in you, He wants to
see you use.
September
September 1
Follow His Directions Jeremiah 29:11 tells us,

“‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the
LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” God
has plans for us, and He wants those plans to be
fulfilled. Yet for this to happen, we must follow
His direction.
When Joshua took over leadership of the Israelites, God said
to him, in effect, “Though Moses is now dead, you have a big
vision; it’s your time now to fulfill your purpose.” (See Joshua
1:1–6.) The Lord’s advice to Joshua was to obey His Word: Be
careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not
turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be
successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law
depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that
you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will
be prosperous and successful [“have good success” NKJV].(vv.
7–8) In other words, God was saying, “You will be successful if
you learn and follow My precepts and principles.” God
guaranteed Joshua success if he would obey the commands
that Moses himself had had to obey. Note that God didn’t tell
Joshua to literally imitate Moses’ life, but to follow Moses’
principles, the ones Moses had used in his own work.
Likewise, you can never—nor should you ever—imitate
another person’s life. Follow God’s principles in His Word and
You will be an imitator of Your heavenly Father while carrying
out the vision He has given you. (See Ephesians 5:1.) Prayer:
Father, teach me to follow Your precepts and principles. Help
me to be attentive to everything You tell me in
Your Word. I believe that success will follow me.
Thought: God has plans for us, but they can be fulfilled only
as we follow His direction.
September 2
Principles for Fulfilling Personal Vision God

has never created a failure. He designed you,
sculpted you, and gave you birth to be a success.
If you have failed, it is only because you are a
success who went off track. Remember that you
don’t have to stay on the sidelines. Redemption
restores to you the ability to accomplish your
vision.
As I have studied God’s Word and the nature of vision, I have
developed “Twelve Principles for Fulfilling Personal Vision.”
These principles will help you to find your specific vision and
stay on course. The principles aren’t hidden or exclusive to
only a few. They may be clearly discerned from the Scriptures
and the lives of accomplished visionaries, and they are
historically proven. Jesus Himself had to use each one of these
principles to be successful in His work of redemption.
Few people seem to be following the principles that lead to
success. Either they don’t know them, or they have never
proven them by putting them into practice. A successful
person is someone who understands, submits to, and adheres
to the principles that will carry him to success. The twelve
principles that follow have been used by people of vision and
are designed to protect, preserve, and guarantee the fulfillment
of your dream. We will explore these important truths for the
rest of the year. If you can capture these principles, you will
move beyond survival mode; you will be an overcomer and see
your vision come to pass.
Prayer: Father, thank You for giving us principles to live by in
Your Word. Open my heart to understand these principles
for the protection and fulfillment of my dream.
Thought: If you put these principles into practice, you can see
your vision come to pass.
September 3
The First Principle:
Have a Clear, Guiding Purpose The first
principle in our Twelve Principles for Fulfilling
Personal Vision is that you must have a clear
guiding purpose for your life. Every effective
leader or group of people in history has had one
thing in common: They were directed by a clear
vision. Remember that Moses, Joshua, David, and
Nehemiah each had visions that drove them and
motivated their actions.
I cannot stress enough the need for a guiding vision in life
because it is perhaps the single most important key to fulfilling
your dream. You personally, as an individual, must have your
own guiding life vision. This vision must be absolutely clear
to you because, otherwise, you will have nothing to aim at, and
you will achieve nothing.
As I wrote earlier, when you know and understand what you
were born to accomplish, that is purpose. When you can see it
in your mind by faith and begin to imagine it, that is vision. You
cannot contribute to God’s greater purpose if you don’t know
your personal vision. If you have no sense of focus, you will
just drift along. I like what Jesus said in Luke 2:49: “I must be
about my Father’s business” (KJV). There were many other
businesses Jesus could have been about, but He identified a
specific life work that was His own and that motivated
everything He did. Having a clear guiding purpose will enable
you to stay on track when you are tempted to be distracted by
lesser or nonessential things.
Prayer: Father, please help me to define a clear guiding purpose
for my life, according to Your will for me.
Thought: Without a clear guiding purpose, you
will achieve nothing.
September 4
The Why of Existence One of my undergraduate

degrees is in education, and I had to take a course
in biology for a full year as part of my degree
requirements. I really enjoyed that course
because it was extremely detailed; we studied the
neurological and circulatory systems of the
human body. At the end of the class, a question
burst into my mind: “Now that you know what the
human body is, do you know why it is?”
Education can give us knowledge, but it can’t
always give us reasons. It is more important to
know why you were born than to know the fact
that you were born. If you don’t know your
reason for existence, you will begin to
experiment with your life, and that is dangerous.
Let me ask you some difficult but necessary questions: Have
you changed jobs several times in the last few years? Do you
keep changing your major in college? Do you do one thing for
a time and then go on to something else because you are bored
or dissatisfied? If so, you lack vision. You were not created to
be bored and dissatisfied. I want to squeeze everything I can
out of each day because I have a vision that keeps me
passionate. Proverbs 6:10–11 says, “A little sleep, a little
slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will
come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.”
You must choose where you want to go in life and then be
decisive and faithful in carrying it out.
Prayer: Father God, You have created me to love and serve You.
Please direct me in vision so that I will know the reason
for my existence and be faithful in fulfilling it.
Thought: Having purpose and vision enables you to answer
the question, “Why was I born?”
September 5
A Job versus a Purpose There is an excellent

illustration in the Bible that shows the difference
between simply having a job and having a clear
guiding purpose. It is found in the life of
Nehemiah. Nehemiah was in a top position in the
court of the Persian king Artaxerxes; he was
cupbearer, and he was a highly regarded, trusted,
and influential advisor to the king. As prestigious
as Nehemiah’s occupation was, it was simply a
job for him because his mind was occupied with
something else.
Nehemiah was a descendant of one of the large number of
Jews who had been carried into captivity by the Babylonians.
At the time of the Babylonian captivity, the city of Jerusalem
had undergone terrible destruction. Yet, when the Babylonians
were defeated by the Persians seventy years later, fifty
thousand Jews had returned to Judea and had rebuilt the
temple. Then, an effort to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem was
thwarted by opposition from neighboring peoples who had
convinced King Artaxerxes to issue a decree to stop the work.
When Nehemiah heard that “the wall of Jerusalem is broken
down, and its gates have been burned with fire” (Nehemiah
1:3), the news filled him with grief. He “sat down and wept. For
some days [he] mourned and fasted and prayed before the God
of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4). Nehemiah’s job might have been
prestigious, but his life was clearly shifting in another
direction. Is God shifting your direction to line up with His
purposes?
Prayer: Father, thank You for the job that I have right now.
Yet please reveal to me a purpose beyond my job,
a vision that will bring meaning to my life.
Thought: There is a difference between simply having a job
and having a clear guiding purpose.
September 6
What You Were Born to Do I like to think of
Nehemiah’s cupbearer job as his preliminary
occupation, or his “pre-occupation,” because he
was born to fulfill another, much more important
role. Your true work is what you were born to do.
Your job is what you do only until you are ready
to fulfill your vision. God had placed in
Nehemiah’s heart a vision of rebuilding the wall:
“I had not [yet] told anyone what my God had
put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (Nehemiah
2:12).
Nehemiah 2:1 reads, “In the month of Nisan in the twentieth
year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I
took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in
his presence before.” It appears that Nehemiah was doing fine
on his job until he heard about the wall. Then he had the idea
to rebuild it. His desire to accomplish his life’s work began to
interfere with his job. The king said to him, “Why does your
face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but
sadness of heart” (v. 2).
When God gives you a vision and confirms it, nothing can
stop it. If He tells you to build, start, invest, create, or
manufacture something, then it will bother you deep inside;
you will be dissatisfied until you do it. Is your true work—your
purpose—making it uncomfortable for you to stay in your
present job? That was Nehemiah’s situation. Nehemiah saw the
wall completed in his mind’s eye before he started to work on it,
and that vision drove his passion.
Prayer: Father, I was born to love and serve You.
Help me to serve You according to my true purpose.
Thought: Your true work is what you were born to do.
September 7
What Do You Want?
One of the most significant questions you can ask a person

is “What do you want?” When King Artaxerxes saw
Nehemiah’s sadness, that is exactly what he asked him. (See
Nehemiah 2:4.) What is equally significant is that Nehemiah
was able to answer the king specifically. He said, “Let [the
king] send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried
so that I can rebuild it” (v. 5). Nehemiah knew his clear guiding
vision, and his plan was so specific that he was able to give the
king a time frame for completing it. (See verse 6.) You need to
seriously ask yourself the same question: What do I want?
Do you know what you really want out of life? Some people
want to indulge in self-serving activities. Others think life
begins at retirement, and they miss out on practically their
entire lives. Some people just want to own a nice house and
car. Fine. Then what? There has to be something more to life
than the things we accumulate. In Luke 12:15, Jesus said, “A
man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his
possessions.”
In order to find your vision, you must be in touch with the
values and priorities of the kingdom of God. Your vision should
be something that lives on after you’re gone, something that
has greater lasting power than possessions. People’s lives
should be changed by your vision. What do you want? The
King of Kings is asking you this question today, and you must
be able to give Him an answer.
Prayer: My King and Father, Your Word says that
if we call to You, You will hear us. Please help me
to answer the question, “What do I really want?”
Confirm the vision you have placed in
my heart and give me clear direction.
Thought: You need to seriously ask yourself, What do I want?
Reading: Proverbs 1–2; 1 Corinthians 16
September 8
Vision Is Future-Focused Your vision is a clear

conception of something that is not yet reality,
but which can exist. It is a strong image of a
preferable future. This means that the present is
not enough; something else is needed. Vision is
always pushing the envelope. It demands change
by its very nature.
This is a very important point. Many people don’t realize that
vision is active even when times are good and things are in a
positive state. Why will God activate a vision when things are
going well? To stir up your life so that you will move forward
and progress rather than becoming complacent. A vision will
always take you from good to better and from better to best.
Vision is always future-focused. Sometimes people say, “Let’s
go back to the good old days.” Yet if we do that, we will not
progress in what God has planned for us. We need to build on
the past, but we cannot return to it. I confess that the
temptation to focus on the “good old days” has been one of
my challenges in life. Vision does not mean regaining what you
had; it means moving forward to gain what you have never
had. Vision doesn’t try to recapture the good old days; rather,
it desires to create days that have not yet existed.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the times in my past,
both good and bad. You have used them to mold me
into the person I am today. Yet I don’t want to focus on the
past.
Move me forward each day in fulfillment
of the exciting plans You have for me.
Thought: A clear vision gives us a passion that keeps us
continually moving forward in life.
September 9
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision When you are

very close to a visionary, or very close to a
vision, you’re constantly going to be driven to
change. To go to a new place, you have to go to a
new location. You also have to think in a new way.
That sometimes causes discomfort. Vision can
constantly keep you unsettled, but it also keeps
you fluid and mobile, ready to take the next step
toward your vision. This truth is essential to
understand because, when you keep company with
God, you have to keep moving. When the
Israelites were traveling in the desert, they would
put down their stakes and set up their tents, but
soon the pillar of cloud would move again, and
they would need to follow it.
Have you truly answered the King’s question, “What do you
want in life?” Write down your answer. What things are
distracting you from the real “business” of your life? Take
some time to really pray about this important question. It will
change your life.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for
declaring
in Your Word that You have a plan for our lives
that will bring us a good future and an abiding hope.
You have placed within us a purpose that is exciting
and that goes beyond just working at a job.
Through Your love and Your purposeful design,
You give our lives true meaning.
Please help us to walk in Your purposes,
for Your kingdom’s sake.
In the name of Jesus, our wonderful Lord and Savior, amen.
Thought: When you keep company with God,
you have to keep moving forward.
September 10
Principles of Vision as Guiding
Purpose
Today, reflect on these principles of vision as our guiding

purpose and catalyst: 1.You must have a clear guiding purpose
for your life.
2.The key to life is not only knowing what you are, but also
why you are.
3.Your true work is what you were born to do. Your job is what
you are doing just until you are ready to fulfill your vision.
4.When God gives you a vision, it will bother you until you do
it.
5.One of the most significant questions we must each answer
for ourselves is, “What do you want?” (See Nehemiah 2:4.)
6.Your vision should be something that lives on after you’re
gone.
7.Your vision is a clear conception of something that is not yet
reality, but which can exist. It is a strong image of a preferable
future.
8.A vision demands change by its very nature.
9.A vision is active even when times are good and things are in
a positive state.
10.Vision doesn’t try to recapture the good old days; rather, it
desires to create days that have not yet existed.
11.When you keep company with God, you have to keep
moving.
12.A clear vision gives us a passion that keeps us continually
moving forward in life.
September 11
The Second Principle:
Understand Your Potential In our Twelve
Principles for Fulfilling Personal Vision, the
second principle is that you will never be
successful in your vision until you truly
understand your potential. Recall that your
potential is determined by the assignment God
has given you to do. Whatever you were born to
do, you are equipped to do. Moreover, resources
will become available to you as you need them.
What this means is that God gives ability to fulfill
responsibility. God will never call you to an assignment without
giving you the provision for accomplishing it. If you
understand this principle, no one can stop you from fulfilling
your vision.
We must come into an awareness of our potential. In the
biblical story of Gideon, we first see him threshing wheat at the
bottom of the winepress, hidden from the Midianites, the
enemies of Israel. The angel of the Lord comes to him and says,
“The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). Gideon’s
answer is, in effect, “How can you say that? The Midianites are
destroying Israel, and I am the youngest man in the smallest
clan. What can I do?” (See verses 13–15.) Yet the angel of the
Lord knows Gideon’s potential because of the purpose the
Lord has for him. Through Gideon, three hundred men of Israel
defeat thousands of their enemies, and God receives the glory.
What hidden seeds of potential has the Lord placed in you,
ready to be revealed through your purpose and vision?
Prayer: Father, so often my own abilities come up short.
Help me to look to You and understand that the ability
to fulfill my vision comes from You. I can truly do everything
You set before me through Christ who strengthens me.
Thought: Whatever you were born to do,
you are equipped to do.
September 12
The Power at Work within Us Now to him who is
able to do immeasurably [“exceeding abundantly”
KJV] more than all we ask or imagine, according to
his power that is at work within us.(Ephesians
3:20) Many of us have heard this verse so many
times that we think we know it. Yet I don’t believe
we really understand what it is saying:
“According to his power [or potential] that is at
work”—where? It doesn’t say His power is at
work in heaven. It says it is at work in us! God put
His vision and His Spirit within us, and that is
more than enough potential for our needs.
What are the implications of this truth? It means that what
you are able to accomplish has nothing to do with who your
parents were. It has nothing to do with your past or with
physical factors such as your race or appearance. Instead, it
has to do with “his power” working within you.
This Scripture changed my life at a point when I wasn’t
manifesting much of my purpose. I was brought up with the
religious idea that you receive only what you ask for.
Consequently, I didn’t receive much. Then I came to
understand that God never promised to give me merely what I
asked for. Instead, He said something truly extraordinary: He
will do “immeasurably” or “exceeding abundantly” beyond
all that I can ask for, think about, or imagine. Once I grasped
this truth, it began to transform my perspective. It enabled me
to progress from the knowledge of my purpose to the faith that
accompanies vision.
Prayer: Father, what an amazing promise You have given us!
You will do more than we can ask or imagine
through the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name.
Thought: God’s power is actually working within you for the
fulfillment of your dream.
September 13
Take a Tour of Your Vision We can’t begin to

imagine all the things God wants to do for us. Yet
God gave us the gift of imagination to keep us
from focusing only on our present conditions. He
wants us to take a “tour” of our visions on a
regular basis. What do you imagine doing? Visit
everything. See all the details. Then pray, “Let’s
go there, God!”
The Lord told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I
knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed
you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). Notice that
God used the past tense. He had already set apart and
appointed Jeremiah as a prophet. Yet at first, Jeremiah
responded, “I do not know how to speak” (v. 6). God’s
reaction was, in effect, “Do not say that! If I built you to be a
prophet, don’t tell Me you can’t talk!” (See verses 6–7.) Once
God showed Jeremiah why he was born, Jeremiah discovered
what he could do. In other words, when Jeremiah understood
his vision, he began to realize his ability. At first he didn’t think
he could speak publicly for God. Whatever God calls for,
however, He provides for. Whatever He requires, He enables us
to do. In this case, God gave Jeremiah the ability to speak for
Him: “Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my
mouth and said to me, ‘Now I have put my words in your
mouth’” (Jeremiah 1:9).
Whatever God is causing you to dream is a revelation of your
ability. Responsibility is really “respond-ability,” or the ability
to respond to the requirements of your vision.
Prayer: Father, thank You for providing me with the ability
each day to accomplish the works You have given me.
I know I can trust You to supply all that I need.
Thought: Whatever God calls for, He provides for.
September 14
Perfect for Your Purpose Everything about you

is determined by your purpose. God built you,
designed you, and gave you the right makeup for
it. Your heritage and ethnic mix, the color of your
skin, your language, your height, and all your
other physical features are made for the
fulfillment of your vision. You were built for
what you’re supposed to do. You are perfect for
your purpose.
Dreams are given to draw out what’s already inside us and to
activate God’s power in enabling us to achieve our visions.
This is why God may give us dreams that are bigger than our
educations. For instance, I shouldn’t be able to do what I am
currently doing, based on my background and the expectations
of the society I grew up in. Likewise, you may not have the
background to do what you are going to do. People may not
believe you can do it, yet what does it matter what they think?
Just keep doing what God tells you to do.
God never gives us dreams to frustrate us. He gives us
dreams to deliver us from mediocrity and to reveal our true
selves to the world. The more I study the Word of God, the
more I realize that God appoints, anoints, and distinguishes
people to fulfill His will. He doesn’t like them to get lost in
mediocrity. Therefore, He said, in effect, “Abraham, come out.
Moses, come out. David, come out. Gideon, come out.
Nehemiah, come out. You are lost among the average.”
Prayer: Father, my ability isn’t limited to the shortcomings
I think I have. I will trust that as You appointed me to work
toward my vision, You will anoint me for it well.
May my work bring You glory!
Thought: God appoints, anoints, and distinguishes people
to fulfill His will.
September 15
Say Yes to Your Dream The ability to

accomplish your vision is manifested when you
say yes to your dream and obey God. Nehemiah’s
job of cupbearer, in itself, did not give him the
ability to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. If he had
looked only at the resources he had at that time,
he never would have fulfilled his vision. Yet God
had placed him in his position for a reason, and
Nehemiah trusted God to provide what was
needed. You don’t know how your present job
may contain hidden potential for your true life’s
work. Nehemiah had favor as a trusted servant of
the monarch, and God gave him even more favor
with the king so that he could fulfill his vision.
God reveals our potential as we act on our
dreams.
Note that after Nehemiah had stepped out in faith and
articulated his vision in answer to the king’s question, “What is
it you want?” (Nehemiah 2:4), his ability and resources came
into place. The king gave Nehemiah letters granting him safe
passage to Jerusalem and giving him access to timber from the
king’s forest for the rebuilding of the wall. The king basically
paid for the project. Moreover, the king appointed Nehemiah as
governor in the land of Judah so that he had the authority to
carry out the reconstruction of the wall. (See Nehemiah 2:7–10;
5:14.) Have you said yes to your dream? Have you begun to
act on it? When you do, the ability and resources to
accomplish your vision will begin to be manifested.
Prayer: Father, help me to overcome any negative feelings I
may have about my abilities and to rely on You to provide
all I need as I step out in faith and obedience.
Thought: The ability to accomplish your vision is manifested
when you say yes to your dream and obey God.
September 16
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision Let’s review

the second principle for fulfilling personal
vision: understanding our potential. Potential is
hidden capacity, untapped power, unreleased
energy. It is all you could be but haven’t yet
become. Potential is who you really are, in
accordance with your vision, even if you don’t yet
know your true self. God has created you to do
something wonderful, and He has given you the
ability and resources you need to do it.
Our lives are like seeds. We were born with the potential for
the fulfillment of our destinies that have already been
established within us. When God gives a vision to someone,
He’s simply calling forth what He put into that person. This is
why you can always determine what you can do by the dream
that is within you. Plant the seed of your vision by beginning
to act on it and then nurture it by faith. Your vision will develop
until it is fully grown and bears much fruit in the world.
How can you begin to plant the seed of your vision today?
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have placed
potential
in our lives, just as You did in the great men and women
of the Bible. When You called Abraham, Moses, Gideon,
Esther, Paul, and Peter to serve You, You always gave
them the strength, the power, and the abilities to
complete their visions. You acted exceedingly beyond
their imaginations. Please enable us to walk in
God-given power each day of our lives.
Help us to take our ideas from dream to full-fledged reality.
In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
September 17
Principles of Vision as Potential
and Ability
Today, reflect on these principles of vision as the measure of

your potential and ability: 1.You will never be successful in
your vision until you truly understand your potential.
2.Your potential is determined by the assignment God gave you
to do. Whatever you were born to do, you are equipped to do.
3.God gives ability to fulfill responsibility. When you discover
your dream, you will also discover your ability.
4.Power or potential is at work in us. God put His vision and
His Spirit within us, and that is more than enough potential for
our needs.
5.God will do “immeasurably” or “exceeding abundantly”
beyond all that we can ask for, think about, or imagine. (See
Ephesians 3:20 NIV, KJV.) 6.God gave us the gift of imagination
to keep us from focusing only on our present conditions.
7.Whatever God calls for, He provides for. Whatever He
requires, He enables us to do.
8.Your ability isn’t dependent on what you perceive as your
limitations. You are perfect for your purpose.
9.Dreams are given to us to draw out what’s already inside us
and to activate God’s power in enabling us to achieve our
visions.
10.God appoints, anoints, and distinguishes people to fulfill
His will. God gives us dreams to deliver us from mediocrity and
to reveal our true selves to the world.
11.The ability to accomplish your vision is manifested when
you say yes to your dream and obey God.
September 18
The Third Principle:
Develop a Clear Plan The third principle in our
Twelve Principles of Vision is that you must have
a clear plan. There is no future without planning.
I’ve known people who tried to be successful
over and over again without a plan. It never works.
When I was a teenager and had been a Christian for only
about two years, I kept wondering why God didn’t seem to be
guiding me in my life. Perhaps you are wondering the same
thing about your own life. I used to want God to show me His
will, so I would stay up all night with one eye open, just
waiting. I used to pray, “Oh, Lord, let the angels show up.”
Then I would look and there would be nothing but mosquitoes.
Whenever they sang a certain song in church, I used to sing it
the loudest: “Lead me, guide me, along the way!” One day, as I
was singing this song, I felt as if the Lord was saying to me,
“Lead you along what way?” I realized then that if you don’t
have a plan, God doesn’t have anything specific to direct you
in.
Proverbs 16:1 says, “To man belong the plans of the heart,
but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.” That’s a very
powerful statement. God is saying, in effect, “I gave you the
vision. Now you put the plan on paper, and I will work out the
details.” Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his
course, but the LORD determines his steps.” If you don’t have a
plan, how can He direct you?
Prayer: Father, You have given me a clear purpose;
now, please help me to write a clear plan.
Direct me as I articulate the details of my vision.
Thought: For your vision to be successful,
you must have a clear plan.
Reading: Proverbs 30–31; 2 Corinthians 11:1–15
September 19
Ideas Are Seeds of Destiny Ideas are seeds of

destiny planted by God in the minds of
humankind. When ideas are cultivated, they
become imagination. Imagination, if it is watered
and developed, becomes a plan. Finally, if a plan
is followed, it becomes a reality. However, when
a person receives an idea from God, it must be
cultivated soon or the idea often goes away. If
that person doesn’t ever work on the idea, God
will give it to someone else. Inevitably, if the
second person takes the idea, makes a plan, and
starts to work on it, the first person will become
jealous because he had the idea first! Yet it’s not
just having ideas that is important. Ideas need
plans if they are going to become reality.
Young people often think their dreams will just happen. Yet
none of us can move toward our dreams without a plan. Jesus
said that a wise person doesn’t start to build something unless
he first works out the details: Suppose one of you wants to
build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to
see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the
foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will
ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not
able to finish.”(Luke 14:28–30) God Himself had a plan when He
created humanity. Ephesians 1:11 says, “In him we were also
chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him
who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of
his will.”
Do you have a plan for your vision?
Prayer: Father, You had a plan when You created me.
Thank You for choosing me in You.
Please guide me as I develop a plan for my vision.
Thought: Ideas are seeds of destiny planted by God
in the minds of humankind.
Reading: Ecclesiastes 1–3; 2 Corinthians 11:16–33
September 20
Don’t Float through Life Someone once said to

me, “You always seem to be going somewhere.
Why don’t you just relax?” I told him, “I’ve
discovered something about life. Where I live in
the Bahamas, when you just sit on a boat in the
ocean and relax, the current takes you wherever
it’s going, even if you don’t want to go there. Life
is the same way.” Too many people float through
their lives and still expect to make it to their
goals.
A ship has a compass so that the navigator can know what
direction he is going in, and it has a rudder so that the pilot can
steer it. However, a ship is given a specific course—a plan—by
the captain, so that it can arrive at its destination. All three are
necessary—the compass, the rudder, and the plan. Just
because a ship has a rudder doesn’t necessarily mean it is
going anywhere specific. It needs to be steered according to
the coordinates of the plan.
Are you developing a plan for your vision? Suppose you
wish you could start a business, but you’ve never thought
about how you’d go about it. What if someone came to you
and said, “I want to invest some money, and I like you. Why
don’t you develop something with it?” You would probably
answer something like, “I’d like to, but right now I’m just a
clerk....” However, if you had developed a specific plan, if you
were reading the appropriate books and preparing yourself, if
you had everything down on paper, you’d be prepared for this
opportunity. You could say, “You have the money? Here’s the
plan. I’m ready to go!”
Prayer: Father, please direct me in developing a plan for my
vision so I can sail on a specific course to a clear destination.
Thought: Too many people float through their lives and still
expect to make it to their goals.
Reading: Ecclesiastes 4–6; 2 Corinthians 12
September 21
A Blueprint of Your Vision When a contractor is

building a structure, he uses a blueprint. That is
his plan for his vision, which is the finished
building. The contractor always keeps a copy of
his blueprint on site with him. Why? He needs to
keep checking it to see if the building is being
constructed correctly. If you don’t have a plan for
your life, you have nothing to refer to when you
want to make sure you are on track. How do you
begin developing a blueprint of your vision?
Again, you must first secure for yourself the answer to the
question “Who am I?” Until you do, it will be difficult to write a
plan for your life because such a plan is directly tied to
knowing who you are. You will never become really successful
in your life if you don’t have a clear idea of your own identity
in God. Many of us have become what other people want us to
be. We have not yet discovered our unique, irreplaceable
identity. Yet it is knowing your true identity that gives you the
courage to write your life plan.
Next, you must answer the question “Where am I going?”
Once you learn God’s purpose, you can start planning
effectively because you will be able to plan with focus.
Prayer: Father, please continue to reveal to me
my unique, irreplaceable identity so I have
a clear idea of who You have made me and can
write my life plan with courage and confidence.
Thank you, Lord, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought: You will never become really
successful in your life if you don’t have
a clear idea of your own identity in God.
Reading: Ecclesiastes 7–9; 2 Corinthians 13
September 22
The Importance of Planning The importance of

planning for your vision is evident in Scripture.
Note the way Nehemiah planned for his vision of
rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem: I went to
Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set
out during the night with a few men. I had not told
anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for
Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except
the one I was riding on. By night I went out
through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well
and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of
Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its
gates, which had been destroyed by fire....I went
up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally,
I turned back and reentered through the Valley
Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone
or what I was doing, because as yet I had said
nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or
officials or any others who would be doing the
work.(Nehemiah 2:11–13, 15–16) Nehemiah did
not tell everyone about the vision right away
because not everyone could have handled it at that
point. Sometimes you have to keep your plan
secret for a time. Some people will try to talk
you out of it, saying, “You can’t do that!” If you
listen to them, in no time you will throw your
plan away and end up an average person. Not
everybody will understand what you’re dreaming,
but put your dream on paper anyway. Why? Your
dream is worth writing down. If God gave it to
you, it deserves to be done.
Prayer: Father, Nehemiah was wise and did not take action
until he first prayed and then developed a plan. Remind me of
the need to seek You and to plan before I take action.
In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Thought: Your dream is worth writing down.
Reading: Ecclesiastes 10–12; Galatians 1
September 23
Acknowledge God’s Work Remember the

principle of potential? It’s not what you need that
is important. Starting with what you have makes
your vision successful because God will take
care of the rest. I know you have some great
ideas. Start right where you are and go where you
need to go by making a plan and beginning to
implement it.
After Nehemiah had fully made his plan, he was ready to talk
to others about it. He talked to those who would be directly
involved in carrying it out. “Then I said to [the Jews, priests,
nobles, officials, and others], ‘You see the trouble we are in:
Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with
fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no
longer be in disgrace’” (Nehemiah 2:17). Nehemiah expressed
to them his clear vision. Here was one man, with just a few
people, who was planning to do a project that would take
thousands of people to accomplish. He was starting out with a
seeming impossibility, but he said, “Let’s start.”
Next, we read, “I also told them about the gracious hand of
my God upon me and what the king had said to me” (v. 18).
Nehemiah gave credit to God for the vision, and in the process
built up the faith of those who would work on the project. The
statement also shows that Nehemiah was so sure that his
vision was from God and that the Lord was with him that he
was able to say, in effect, “God told me to do this.” I hope you
feel the same way about your dream.
Prayer: Father, I give You the credit for
the vision and the plans You have given me.
Help me to always acknowledge You as my source.
Thought: Starting with what you have makes your vision
successful because God will take care of the rest.
Reading: Song of Songs 1–3; Galatians 2
September 24
Fulfilling Your Destiny
A vision becomes a plan when it is captured, fleshed out, and

written down. Anyone who works with me will tell you that I’m
a stickler for planning. I have plans for what I’m going to do
next week, next month, next year, and five years from now. In
fact, the vision for Bahamas Faith Ministries is on paper for the
next sixty or seventy years!
When you put your plan on paper, you will find that you have
plenty of material for your prayers. If your prayer time is short,
maybe it’s because you have nothing specific to pray about. If
you develop a plan, however, you will never have enough time
for prayer.
Your plan will also enable you to fulfill your destiny. In
Deuteronomy 30:19, God told the people, “I have set before you
life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.” In
other words, He was saying, “Stop procrastinating and hoping
you will eventually get somewhere in life. Decide whether
you’re going to get a curse or a blessing.” Jesus said in
Revelation 3:15–16, “I know your deeds, that you are neither
cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So,
because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about
to spit you out of my mouth.”
Are you going to make a plan, or are you going to
procrastinate on your dream and drift along, ending up
wherever the lukewarm tide takes you? You were not designed
to drift. You were designed for destiny. Make a plan and fulfill
it!
Prayer: Father, as I place my plan on paper,
confirm Your will in it.
I want to know with certainty that my
plans and desires come from You.
Thought: You were not designed to drift.
You were designed for destiny.
September 25
Who Runs Your Life?
If you don’t have any goals, other people will run your life.
The wise king of Israel, Solomon, declared, “Whoever has no
rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without
walls” (Proverbs 25:28 NKJV). If nothing controls and orders
your life, then you are fair game for other people to control
you, and you won’t accomplish your purpose. Remember that
the more successful you become, the more people will compete
for your time, so you have to guard your plans and goals even
more carefully.
Let’s define what a goal is. A goal is an established point for
achievement that leads to a greater accomplishment. A goal is a
point of measure for progress toward an ultimate purpose.
Goals give us a structure for accomplishing our plans one
step at a time. They give us a starting place and an ending
place, and they help us to focus. There are very clear benefits
to having goals: Goals separate achievers from dreamers. Goal
setting is the art of discipline. Goals give specifics to the plan.
Goals create targets for our energy. Goals protect us from
procrastination. If you want to fulfill your vision, make goals
for your life. One of the secrets to success in vision is living a
very focused life in line with your purpose.
Prayer: Father, I realize that goals are important steps to
reaching my vision. Please help me to be more disciplined
in setting up a personal plan for my life.
Thought: If you don’t have any goals,
other people will run your life.
September 26
Setting the Right Goals If you are pursuing a

vision, then you are a leader. All true leaders
possess a goal-driven attitude. Leaders
distinguish themselves from followers by their
passion for preestablished goals. They regulate
their activities and measure their progress against
prescribed objectives and milestones.
Everyone in the world is a goal setter, in one way or another.
Even the man who is failing at life is setting goals that cause
him to fail. In fact, many of us plan not to do things that would
make us successful. Many times, we don’t realize that we are
setting goals. Whenever we make plans to go to the grocery
store, go to school, do the laundry, or meet friends for a meal,
we are in reality setting goals. When we don’t achieve what we
want to achieve or accomplish what we desire to accomplish,
the problem is not goal setting, in itself. Instead, it’s that we
don’t set goals for the things we truly care about, or we set the
wrong kind of goals.
A leader needs to understand how to set the right goals. This
is a vital attitude to cultivate because your future and your life
depend on the goals you set—either consciously or
subconsciously. Where you end up in life is a result of the
goals that you set or did not set for your life.
Success comes from the discipline of goal setting according
to one’s purpose. This is why it is vital, as we set goals, to
remain in communion with the One who gave us our visions.
Prayer: Father, as I work to fulfill my vision, help me
to be a true leader—a goal setter who will not roam
aimlessly through life but will set specific objectives
according to the purpose You have given me.
Thought: Where you end up in life is a result of the goals
that you set or did not set for your life.
Reading: Isaiah 1–2; Galatians 5
September 27
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision Do you have a

plan for your life? Do you know what you want to
do next week, next month, next year, and five
years from now? Do you have a plan for the next
twenty years of your life? God has given you the
ability to do that. He has given you a mind, the
gift of imagination, the anointing of the Holy
Spirit, and the vision of faith. He has also given
you the ability to write so that you can put down
what you see in your heart. What are you waiting
for? God says He will explain how your vision
will be accomplished, yet He can’t discuss it with
you until you have something concrete to talk
about.
Have you truly answered the questions “Who am I?” and
“Where am I going”? Start the process of developing a
blueprint for your vision by writing down answers to these
questions. Think seriously about where you want to be one,
five, ten, twenty, thirty years from now. Jot down your ideas
and continue to think and pray about them. The Lord will be
faithful to hear and answer your prayers. He wants to see His
purpose fulfilled in your life.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, we have much to
consider
as we think about our lives and answer these questions.
Prompt us to search our hearts for the thoughts and dreams
You have placed there. Enable us to write down plans
with specific goals for accomplishing our visions.
We will always submit our plans to You, knowing that
You will make any necessary adjustments along the way.
Help us to take concrete action to carry out our plans.
We trust You to give us the abilities we need
to see our visions become reality.
Thank You, Father, for Your guiding hand.
In Jesus’ loving name, amen.
Reading: Isaiah 3–4; Galatians 6
September 28
Principles of Vision Planning
Today, review the following principles for developing a plan

for your vision: 1. To be successful, you must have a clear plan.
2. If youdon’t have a plan, God doesn’t have anything specific
to direct you in.
3. “Toman belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD
comes the reply of the tongue” (Proverbs 16:1). God leaves the
planning up to the heart of the person, but He will provide the
explanation as to how the vision will be accomplished.
4. When a person receives an idea from God, it must be
cultivated soon or the idea often goes away.
5. We
need to have a plan in place to be ready when
opportunities come.
6. If youdon’t have a plan for your life, you have nothing to
refer to when you want to make sure you are on track.
7. You must secure for yourself the answer to the question
“Who am I?” You will never become really successful in your
life if you don’t have a clear idea of your own identity in God.
8. Youmust answer the question, “Where am I going?” Once
you learn God’s purpose, you can start planning effectively
because you will be able to plan with focus.
9. A vision
becomes a plan when it is captured, fleshed out, and
written down.
10. You
can’t tell your plan to everyone because some people
won’t be able to handle it right away.
11. Your dream is
worth writing down. If God gave it to you, it
deserves to be done.
12. Your plan is material for your prayers.
13. Your plan will enable you to fulfill your destiny.
14. If you don’t have any goals, other people will run your life.
15. Goal setting must be done in accordance with your purpose.
Reading: Isaiah 5–6; Ephesians 1
September 29
The Fourth Principle:
Possess the Passion of Vision The fourth
principle in the Twelve Principles of Vision is
that you’ll never be successful without passion.
Passionate people are those who have discovered
something more important than life itself. Jesus
told His disciples, in essence, “If you are not
willing to take up death and follow Me, then you
can’t be My disciples; you can’t go on with Me.”
(See Luke 14:27.) Giving up false visions and
ambition for your genuine vision is the path to
true life.
Are you hungry for your vision? How badly do you want
what God has placed in your heart? Passion is stamina that
says, “I’m going to go after this, no matter what happens. If I
have to wait ten years, I’m going to get it.” Again, let me say
especially to young people that if you want to go all the way to
your dream, you can’t sit back and expect everything to be
easy. You must have the attitude of those who worked on the
wall with Nehemiah: “So we rebuilt the wall till all of it
reached half its height, for the people worked with all their
heart” (Nehemiah 4:6, emphasis added).
Remember that after Nehemiah first saw in his heart a vision of
the rebuilt wall, he returned to his job, but he was no longer
satisfied with it. He was depressed until he was working on the
vision. The depression came from his passion for change.
People who are satisfied with less than God’s vision for their
lives will never go where they need to be.
Will you be a person who works with all your heart on God’s
vision?
Prayer: Father, I desire to work on my vision with all
my heart, as working for You, Lord, not for men.
Thought: Passionate people are those who have discovered
something more important than life itself.
September 30
Enabled by Passion One reason I stress the need

for a clear guiding purpose is that vision is the
prerequisite for passion. The majority of people
on earth really have no passion for life because
there is no vision in their hearts. In 2 Corinthians,
we find a unique passage that shows the passion
Paul had for his vision. Some false prophets had
challenged Paul’s right to be an apostle and had
drawn people away from the truth. Paul
responded by addressing the Corinthian
believers: I have worked much harder, been in
prison more frequently, been flogged more
severely, and been exposed to death again and
again. Five times I received from the Jews the
forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten
with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was
shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open
sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have
been in danger from rivers, in danger from
bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in
danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in
danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in
danger from false brothers. I have labored and
toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have
known hunger and thirst and have often gone
without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides
everything else, I face daily the pressure of my
concern for all the churches.(2 Corinthians
11:23–28) Paul was saying, “If the vision I
received wasn’t real, do you think I’d go through
all those hardships?” Paul paid a price for his
vision, but his passion enabled him to do it.
Prayer: Father, I want to serve You
with passion—to be so focused on Your vision
for my life that I am willing to pay the price for it.
Thought: You know your vision is from God when
you are still at it once the storm clears.
October
October 1
Faithful to the Vision It’s easy to get excited

about a vision, but it’s harder to be faithful to it.
Faithfulness to vision is one of the marks of its
legitimacy.
The apostle Paul was clearly faithful to his mission. In his
early life, he was envied by the best. This gifted young man
had great power in the religious community and could have
been a prominent Pharisee. He also could have had an easy life.
His father was a merchant and a Roman citizen, and Paul was
born with that citizenship. Paul had his training under Gamaliel,
a leading teacher of the Hebrew people. Paul was a “Hebrew of
Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5). He was so set up to be successful
that he could have made it in any category or profession. He
really could have been a first-class success story. However, he
said, But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the
sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them
rubbish, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:7–8) In essence,
Paul said, “I’m going to jail, I’m going to be whipped, I’m going
to go through a myriad of problems because the vision God
showed me is more important than anything else in my life.”
If someone who had the respect of everyone in the
community and could have had any job he wanted was willing
to go through all that, he had to have vision.
How faithful are you to your vision?
Prayer: Father, I ask You for clarity and direction in my vision,
and also that I might be faithful to it throughout my life.
Thought: Faithfulness to vision is one
of the marks of its legitimacy.
October 2
Vision Is the Source of Passion Later in his

ministry, Paul was on trial before King Agrippa.
As he told the king about the purpose that Jesus
Christ had given him on the road to Damascus, he
made a statement that is very important
concerning people with vision: Then I asked,
“Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting,” the Lord replied. “Now get up and
stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to
appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what
you have seen of me and what I will show you. I
will rescue you from your own people and from
the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open
their eyes and turn them from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan to God, so that they
may receive forgiveness of sins and a place
among those who are sanctified by faith in
me.”(Acts 26:15–18, emphasis added) Paul
summed up his account by saying, “So then, King
Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision
from heaven” (v. 19). He said that God had given
him a clear guiding vision, which was to preach
the gospel to the Gentiles, and that he was not
disobedient to it. He reiterated this vision to
Timothy: “For this purpose I was appointed a
herald and an apostle…and a teacher of the
true faith to the Gentiles” (1 Timothy 2:7).
Paul knew what his purpose in life was, and that is what kept
him going through all his struggles. When your vision is from
God, nothing can stop you. Vision is the source of passion.
Prayer: Father, please help me to have the conviction of
purpose that Paul had, so I can say, “For this purpose I was
appointed….”
Let my vision from You be the source of my passion.
Thought: When your vision is from God,
nothing can stop you.
October 3
Resistance to the Vision A passionate person

gets up in the morning and says, “Good morning,
Lord! Here I am! Thank you for another day that
will take me one step closer to where I want to
go.” Passion means that no matter how tough
things are, what I believe is bigger than what I see.
It is an urge that is deeper than any resistance it
might encounter. People stop too soon. They
don’t win because they give up when they fall
down the first time. In Romans 1:14, Paul said,
“‘I am obligated’ to do the work God told me to
do.” He just had to do it. It was God’s will for his
life, and he was “eager to preach the gospel” (v.
15). He couldn’t wait to do it. A person of
passion is always eager to fulfill his vision.
Passion meets every problem. It says things such as these:
•“You may say ‘no,’ but I know it really means ‘wait’.”
•“Even though you haven’t come around to my idea now, you
will later.”
•“Even though you stop me now, I’m eventually going to jump
this wall.”
If you’re going to be what you see in your mind, if you’re
going to pursue what’s in your heart, believe me, there will be
resistance. You overcome that resistance by having passion for
your vision. When you are truly passionate about your dream,
you can stand strong when trouble comes. Persistence will
keep you moving forward, yet you need passion to feed your
persistence.
Prayer: Father, I do not want to stop at the first sign
of resistance in my life. Your Word reminds me
that I am more than a conqueror. May my passion
for Christ and for the vision You have given me
help me to overcome all resistance to my purpose.
Thought: The only way to overcome resistance is
to have passion for your vision.
Reading: Isaiah 17–19; Ephesians 6:1–9
October 4
Paying the Price Sometimes people will join

your vision for a while and then say, “This vision
isn’t real” because they don’t know what the
vision is costing you.
John Mark was a very excited and zealous young man. He
worked with Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey until a
certain point when he decided to leave them and return to
Jerusalem. Later, when John Mark wanted to accompany them
on another journey, Paul said no because he felt John Mark
had deserted them and the work. (See Acts 12:25–13:13; 15:36–
40.) Barnabas ended up going with John Mark on a separate
journey, and Paul asked Silas to join him. In Philippi, Paul and
Silas were beaten and imprisoned when some men incited a
mob against them. Silas was committed to the vision. If Paul
went to jail, he would go to jail, too. I want you to know that
the prison they were thrown into wasn’t an ordinary lockup.
This “inner cell” has been described as a deep, dark dungeon.
Yet this was the place where Paul and Silas sang hymns! (See
Acts 16:16–25.) Passion is willing to pay the price.
Passion also helps you to stay focused on your vision. You
can see this principle at work in churches. Wherever there is no
vision, there is often fighting, gossiping, murmuring, and
backbiting. Vision preoccupies people to the point that they
have no time to gossip or get angry at the pastor or complain
about his preaching. We must rediscover the passion of
working together for a common purpose and vision.
Prayer: Father, in my local church, help each believer to
rediscover the passion of working together in commitment for a
common vision. Remind us to put off anger, bitterness, and
slander, and
to put on kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.
Thought: We must rediscover the passion of working together
for a common purpose and vision.
Reading: Isaiah 20–22; Ephesians 6:10–24
October 5
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision
If you become passionate about your vision, you can defy the
odds and persevere to the fulfillment of your goals. Whenever
you are tempted to quit too soon or to stay down when life
knocks you over, remember the examples of Nehemiah and
Paul. Capture your vision and stay with it, and you will be
rewarded with seeing that vision become a reality, no matter
what might try to come against it.
What evidence of a passion for vision do you see in your life?
Do you generally give up the first time you fall down? Ask
yourself these questions:
•How hungry am I for my vision?
•How badly do I want what I’m going after?
•In what ways might I have become complacent about my
vision?
•What will I do to regain my passion for my dreams?
Let’s pray together:
Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are a God who is
passionate about Your people. You loved us so much that
You gave Your only begotten Son for us. Jesus was so
passionate about us that He laid down His life for us.
We desire to show that passion in our own lives—to have
a fervent desire to see the vision You have given us fulfilled.
Please help us daily to stir up passion for our visions.
Thought: What evidence of a passion for vision do
you see in your life?
Reading: Isaiah 23–25; Philippians 1
October 6
Principles for a Passion
for Vision Today, reflect on these principles for
developing a passion for your vision: 1.You
cannot be successful without passion.
2. Passionatepeople have discovered something more
important than life itself.
3. Vision is the prerequisite for passion.
4. Vision will be tested by tribulation.
5. Faithfulness to vision is one of the marks of its legitimacy.
6. Passion means that no matter how tough things are, what you
believe is bigger than what you see.
7. A person of passion is always eager to fulfill his vision.
8. Passion keeps you focused on your vision.
October 7
The Fifth Principle:
Develop the Faith of Vision The fifth principle
in our Twelve Principles of Vision is that you
must develop the faith of vision. Remember, sight
is a function of the eyes, while vision is a
function of the heart. The greatest gift that God
gave humanity is not the gift of sight, but the gift
of vision.
You have probably heard of the great author and wonderful
entrepreneur Helen Keller, who became blind, deaf, and mute as
a result of an illness when she was only eighteen months old.
She was a powerful, remarkable woman who impacted her
whole generation, and she still influences us today. In her old
age, she was interviewed by a news anchor about her life.
Communicating his questions to her through Braille, he asked,
“Miss Keller, is there anything worse than being blind?” She
paused for a moment and, in her unique way of talking, said,
“What’s worse than being blind is having sight without
vision.”
What a perceptive woman! This woman, who could not see
physically, had more vision and accomplishments than the
majority of those in her generation who had sight. The Bible
says, “As [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs
23:7 NKJV). We must never let what our eyes see determine what
our hearts believe. “For we walk [“live” NIV] by faith, not by
sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV). In other words, we are to walk
according to what is in our hearts. We are to let what is in our
hearts dictate how we see life.
Prayer: Father, thank You for reminding me that I am
to walk by faith and not by sight in every part of my life.
Help me never to forget that when it comes to my vision.
Thought: You must develop the faith of vision.
October 8
Vision in the Heart I am convinced that most

people have sight but no vision. Physical sight is
the ability to see things as they are. Vision is the
capacity to see things as they could be, and that
takes faith.
God told Abraham something that could be seen, believed,
and achieved only through the eyes of vision: He told him that
inside him was a nation. He and Sarah were already elderly, and
Sarah had been barren throughout their marriage. However,
God said, in effect, “I see a nation in you. Everyone else is
looking at your barrenness, but I see a nation of descendants
as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the
shore.” (See Genesis 11:29–30; 12:1–3; 17:1–19.) When we have
vision, we are governed by the faith God has put in our hearts.
Hebrews 11:1 says that “faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen [that you cannot see]”
(NKJV). Therefore, I would define faith as vision in the heart.
Faith is seeing the future in the present. When you have faith,
you can see things you hope to have and achieve.
If you are operating by sight, you see the problems and
challenges all around you. You see how many bills you have to
pay; you see that your company is downsizing; you see things
that threaten your security. Sight without vision is dangerous
because it has no hope. We must live by vision and see with
the eyes of faith.
Prayer: Father, as I face the many challenges of life, may
I learn to live by vision and to see with the eyes of faith.
Thought: Vision is the capacity to see things as they could
be, and that takes faith.
October 9
Things As They Should Be Remember that sight

is the ability to see things as they are, and vision
is the ability to see things as they could be. I like
to go a step further and define vision this way:
Vision is the ability to see things as they should
be. The vision in your heart is greater than your
environment.
Our spirits were designed to operate as God operates. In
Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our
likeness.” The word “image” refers to moral and spiritual
character, while the phrase “in our likeness” means “to
function like.” In other words, we were created to live
according to the nature of God and to function as He functions
in the world. The Bible is very clear that “without faith it is
impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). If you try to
function in any other way than faith, you will malfunction. Fear,
for instance, will make your vision short-circuit.
Jesus was filled with faith, and He was the calmest person on
earth. He slept soundly in the middle of a storm. When His
frightened disciples woke Him up, He asked them, “Do you still
have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). He was telling them, “If you have
faith, you’ll be able to sleep during a storm as well.” I have
been living this way—by faith instead of fear—for over twenty
years, and it’s been so much fun. I don’t worry for very long
about anything because I believe that, ultimately, everything is
on my side. All things work for my good because I am called
according to God’s purpose. (See Romans 8:28.) Prayer: Father,
I know that faith comes from hearing
the Word of God. As I study and grow through
Your Word, I can count on my faith increasing.
Please help me to continually walk in faith.
Thought: The vision in your heart is greater than
your environment.
Reading: Isaiah 32–33; Colossians 1
October 10
Creative Thoughts and Words How does faith for

your vision work? Let’s look more closely at how
God functions. In Jeremiah 1:12, God declared,
“I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”
The New American Standard Bible says it this
way: “I am watching over My word to perform
it.” As this verse—along with many others
throughout the Bible—demonstrates, God always
brings His words into being.
We talked about this truth earlier. What did God use to create
the universe? He used words. All through the account of
creation, we read, “God said” (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24,
26). God had an idea for the universe, and then He saw or
visualized it. Finally, He spoke His idea into existence. The
result was that everything God saw in His mind’s eye for the
earth and the rest of the universe became visible reality in the
physical world.
Nothing on earth is more important than a thought. Thoughts
are even more important than words because words are
produced from thoughts. Yet while thoughts are the most
important things on earth, words are the most powerful. This
point is crucial to understand because, while thoughts design a
future, words create that future. You can think about something
for twenty years, but that will not bring it to pass. Creative
power is in the words (and actions) that come from thoughts.
Whether those words are spoken or written, they are full of
creative power.
Prayer: Father, the Bible tells us that You will perform
Your word. I trust You to perform Your Word in my life as
I read and apply it. Your promise in Jeremiah 29:11
is true for me: You indeed have a plan for me
that will give me a future and a hope.
Thank You for making my vision a reality.
Thought: While thoughts design a future, words create that
future.
October 11
The Negative Power of Words Words have

power. Unfortunately, there is a negative aspect
to this truth as well as a positive one. You can
undermine your vision by what you continually
say about yourself, such as “I’m fat,” “I’m slow,”
“I’m not intelligent,” “I’m a timid person,” “I
don’t like people,” “I’m a failure,” or “I’ll always
have a mortgage.” I am. I am. I am. You will
become everything you constantly declare about
yourself. That is the power of words.
Satan knows that the key to creating anything is having a
clear vision of it and speaking it into existence. He wants you
to speak negative rather than positive things so that your
effectiveness for God’s kingdom will be negated. Remember
that Satan’s desire for your life is exactly the opposite of God’s.
In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief [Satan] comes only to
steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full [“abundantly” NASB].”
We can help protect our visions, therefore, by guarding what
we say. Instead of saying, “I’ll always have a mortgage,” say,
“I’m going to be debt free.” You may have been imagining that
you don’t owe any bills, but you have to start saying it as well.
Say, “My God will meet all [my] needs according to his
glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19), then pray,
“Lord, please perform Your Word.”
A vision doesn’t have any power until you talk about it. As
you talk about it, you can develop a plan for achieving it. The
Lord will meet you in your words and actions that are spoken
and performed according to His Word.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the power of words.
Please help me to speak faith-filled words
over my vision and my life.
Thought: We can help protect our visions by guarding what
we say.
October 12
Life the Way You See It Life is the way you see
it. When you begin to see with the eyes of faith,
you will understand how to make your vision a
reality. There is a story of a man and his friend
who visited India years ago. They were walking
down the streets of Bombay and saw the
thousands of poor people on the streets. The man
said to his friend, “Look at these people. Isn’t it a
sad sight? They’re without shoes. Isn’t it a shame
that we have so much at home in our country
while these people are poor and without shoes.
I’ll never forget this sight.” By this time, his
friend had already taken out a piece of paper and
was writing down some notes. He had started
working out a plan of how to ship shoes over to
India and how to manufacture shoes in India.
Instead of saying, “Look at the bare feet,” he was
saying, “Look at the feet that need shoes!” Today
his enterprise is one of the largest shoe
companies in America. One man saw bare feet.
Another man saw an opportunity for a much-
needed business. It’s all in how you see.
You can see every problem as an opportunity for ministry,
service, or business. That is really how Bahamas Faith
Ministries International got started. The number one problem
of people in developing nations is ignorance. God raised up
BFMI to be one of the solutions to that problem: to bring
knowledge, training, and information to the Third World.
Prayer: Father God, if I would see life through Your eyes,
I would see all things as possible, I would have faith
without doubt, and I would not experience fear.
Please help me to see life as You do!
Thought: Life is the way you see it.
October 13
Your Vision Should Outlive You Successful men

and women who have impressed and impacted
their generations weren’t “lucky.” They didn’t just
stumble on greatness. They thought great things
and expected great things, and greatness found
them. Big thinking precedes great achievement.
You don’t need to be big to think great thoughts.
You need to think great thoughts to become big.
That is the faith of vision.
You must realize that ideas control the world. Ideas are so
powerful that many nations are ruled by the thoughts of men
who have long since died. When I went to college, most of the
books I read were by people who are no longer living. A vision
is an idea that is so powerful it can live beyond the grave. Your
own vision should outlive you. In order for that to happen,
however, you can’t keep your ideas to yourself. You must
clearly conceive and express them.
I’ll never forget the time I was grappling with the possibility of
writing books. I told God that I didn’t want to write because so
many others were writing, and I didn’t want to do it just
because everybody else was doing it. I wanted my teaching to
be real and genuine. However, when I was preparing my notes
one night for a teaching, I felt as if the Lord was saying to me,
“If you do not write, what you know will die with you. If you
write down the ideas that I have given you, however, your
words will live on after you are gone.”
Prayer: Father, thank You for the ideas You have placed
within me. Please guide me as I write down my vision
and fulfill it, so that future generations may
benefit from it, for Your glory.
Thought: A vision is an idea that is so powerful
it can live beyond the grave.
Reading: Isaiah 41–42; 1 Thessalonians 1
October 14
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision Your success

or failure is determined by how you see. Jesus
continually dealt with the sight of the disciples
because their sight got them into trouble so
often. He wanted them to move from sight to
vision, and that is why He taught them about faith
through life illustrations such as the fig tree, the
feeding of the five thousand, and the raising of
Lazarus. (See, for example, Matthew 21:19–22;
Mark 6:34–44; John 11:1–44.) The faith of
vision is crucial because the way you see things
determines how you think and act and, therefore,
whether or not your vision will become reality.
Remember that Proverbs 23:7 says, “As [a
person] thinks in his heart, so is he” (NKJV). Do
you have sight or vision?
What is your answer to the above question? Are you thinking
and speaking in positive or negative terms in relation to your
vision? This week, choose one aspect of your vision and
practice speaking words of faith regarding it.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, we join with the
psalmist David
in prayer that the words of our mouths and the meditation
of our hearts would be pleasing in Your sight, Lord.
We know that only words of faith are pleasing to You.
If we are tempted to speak negative words
concerning our lives or visions, please convict us.
Remind us that words of faith reveal that we are
in agreement with You. We know that words of faith
are vital to the fulfillment of our visions.
Help us to function as You do, Lord,
speaking creative words and then
watching them come to pass.
Thought: The way you see things determines
how you think and act.
October 15
Principles of the Faith of Vision Today, reflect

on the following principles regarding the faith of
vision: 1.Sight is a function of the eyes, while
vision is a function of the heart.
2. Sightis the ability to see things as they are, while vision is
the ability to see things as they could (or should) be.
3. Wemust never let what our eyes see determine what our
hearts believe.
4. Faith is vision in the heart.
5. Sight without vision is dangerous because it has no hope.
6. The vision in your heart is greater than your environment.
7. God gave us vision so we would not have to live by what we
see.
8. Wewere created to live according to the way God functions.
God functions through faith and His Word.
9. While thoughts are the most important things on earth, words
are the most powerful. Thoughts design a future, but words
create that future.
10. Whether words are spoken or written, they are full of
creative power.
11. Faith sees problems as opportunities.
12. Great thinking precedes great achievement.
13. You don’t need to be big to think great thoughts. You need
to think great thoughts to become big. That is the faith of
vision.
14. A vision is an idea that is so powerful it can live beyond the
grave.
15. In
order for your vision to outlive you, you can’t keep your
ideas to yourself. You must clearly conceive and express them.
16. The
faith of vision is crucial because the way you see things
determines how you think and act and, therefore, whether or
not your vision will become reality.
October 16
The Sixth Principle:
Understand the Process of Vision The sixth
principle in our Twelve Principles of Vision is
that we must understand the process of vision.
God has a plan for each of our lives, yet He
brings those plans to pass in a gradual way. I’m
learning that God tells us where we are going
with our visions, but He rarely tells us exactly
how He will take us there. He gives us purpose
but doesn’t explain the full process.
Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but
the LORD determines his steps.” Notice the word “steps.” God
didn’t say He would direct our leaps, but rather our steps.
There is no hurried way to get to God’s vision. He leads us
step-by-step, day-by-day, through trials and character-building
opportunities as He moves us toward our dreams. Why does
God lead us in this way? Because He doesn’t want us only to
win; He wants us to win with style. God’s desire is to fashion
people with character and battle scars who can say, “God
didn’t just hand me this vision. I have qualified for it.”
At the time when we receive our visions, we are not yet ready
for them. We don’t have the experience or the character for
them. God could accomplish quickly what He desires to do
through us, yet He wants to prepare us to receive and work in
our visions. This is the way in which the Lord worked in the
lives of the great Bible leaders, and it is the way He still works
today.
Prayer: Father, I have seen in my life that there is
no hurried way to get to Your vision.
You have a step-by-step plan to lead me where I need to be.
Help me to have the patience and faith
to trust You each step of the way.
Thought: We must understand that vision is a process.
October 17
God Chooses the Route We must learn to train

for what God has already told us is coming. We
ask God, “Why do I need to go this way? I don’t
like this route.” He answers that the route is
going to do two things for us: (1) develop our
character, and (2) produce responsibility in us.
We weren’t born with those things; we have to
learn them. Moreover, if God were to show us the
full route to where we are going, we might say,
“I’ll stay right where I am.”
Let’s look at the life of Joseph as an example. When he was
seventeen years old, he had a dream from God in which his
father, mother, and brothers were kneeling down before him.
(See Genesis 37:9–10.) Joseph thought to himself, “Yes! I like
this dream.” God had given him a vision, yet He didn’t tell him
how he was going to get there. Suppose God had said,
“Joseph, you’re going to become a great ruler, and here is what
I have planned to get you there: your brothers are going to tear
your favorite clothes right off your back, throw you into a pit,
and sell you as a slave. Then your master’s wife is going to lie
about you, accusing you of rape, and your master is going to
have you put in jail, where you will be forgotten for a long time.
But eventually you will get there.” If God had said that, Joseph
probably would have replied, “I’ll just stay a shepherd. I’m
very happy where I am right now.”
God protects us and our visions by leading us according to
His route and His timing.
Prayer: Father, You are committed to me
and to completing the work You have begun in me.
Thank You for developing character and responsibility in my
life.
Thought: You must learn to train for what God has
already told you is coming.
October 18
In the Midst of the Process
Are you in the midst of the vision process? Are you

wondering, “Where is the vision God promised me?” Perhaps
you are beginning to wonder if there is a God in heaven.
Joseph likely felt the same way during his ordeals. He found
himself sitting in a pit when, just a few days earlier, he had seen
himself on a throne. He was probably thinking, “Where is the
God who showed me that dream?” If so, I believe God’s reply
to Joseph was something like this: “I’m with you in the pit, and
I’m working on your character because you can’t rule well
without it.”
Suppose Joseph hadn’t learned self-control through all his
hardships? When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, he might
have given in to the temptation. Instead, because he had
learned discipline and reliance on God, he could be trusted in
such a situation.
What if God had told Moses, while he was still one of the
most powerful men in Egypt, that in order to fulfill God’s vision
to free the Israelites, he would lose his position, go through
numerous hardships, and eventually not even enter the
Promised Land himself? I think Moses would have said, “Lord,
You can keep both the people and Pharaoh. I’ll pass on this
vision.” Yet, through a long process, Moses deepened his
relationship with God, developed character, and fulfilled his
purpose.
Do you really believe that God sees and knows everything? If
you do, then you have to trust that your hardships are part of
His perfect plan for you.
Prayer: Father, I believe that You see and know everything
about me and about the plan You have for my life. Please help
me trust You and to face trials joyfully and confidently,
knowing that You are perfecting me.
Thought: You have to trust that your hardships are part of
God’s perfect plan for you.
October 19
Preparing for the Purpose Just because we’re

going through difficult times doesn’t mean God
has stopped working to fulfill our purposes. God
is working on us, preparing us for our purposes
through the process. However, we often sit back
and say, “Why is it taking so long? Why do I have
to go through all this?” That attitude of complaint
and lack of faith is exactly what God is trying to
work out of you. He doesn’t want you to go into
your promised land dragging bad attitudes behind
you. He is working for your good.
Let’s talk about the life of Paul again. God told him,
essentially, “You will be an apostle to the Gentiles for Me. You
will preach to kings.” (See Acts 9:15.) Paul might have thought,
“That sounds pretty good.” However, if God had told him
about the fastings, the whippings, the stonings, the hunger,
and the prisons, Paul might have said, “I think I’ll stay in
Jerusalem rather than going on that road to Damascus.” As it
was, after his conversion, God did warn Paul through Ananias,
“I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (v. 16).
God’s plan to get you where you are meant to be is
unpredictable. He doesn’t tell you about it because you might
be tempted to quit. You might say, for example, “Isn’t there
another way to start a business?” God will answer, “No. This is
the way I am taking you. You want to have a store? Good. I
want you to start by working in one. This is your route. I’m
working on your character and your training.”
No one can have the vision without being qualified for it.
Prayer: Father, as You conduct my training and
prepare me for my vision, I pray that I may live
and work in a way that honors You.
Thought: God is working on us, preparing us for our
purposes through the process.
October 20
Your Vision Awaits an Appointed Time The

prophet Habakkuk asked God, “How long, O
LORD, must I call for help, but you do not
listen?” (Habakkuk 1:2). He was referring to all
the problems and difficulties that were taking
place in his nation. There was disorder,
corruption, and murder. The Lord’s answer to him
was this: Write down the revelation and make it
plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it
speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though
it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and
will not delay....But the righteous will live by his
faith.(Habakkuk 2:2–4) The vision that you have
received awaits an appointed time. This is where
walking by faith and not by sight comes in. You
must believe in what God has told you because it
won’t happen overnight. Again, it will occur
through a process of character development,
which will come as you live by faith and inner
vision—not by what you see.
You may not face a life-or-death situation, as some of God’s
people have, but you will have challenges and difficulties in
one degree or another as you move toward the fulfillment of
your vision. That is why I want you to be aware of the process
of vision and be prepared for it. I don’t want you to give up on
your vision prematurely. God will continually fulfill a little more
of your dream until it comes to pass. It will culminate in His
timing. Lamentations 3:26 says, “It is good to wait quietly for
the salvation of the LORD.”
Prayer: Father, it is sometimes so hard to wait,
especially in these days when the world seems to move so fast
around me. May Your Word continue to encourage me
to wait on You with faith and joyful expectation.
Thought: Don’t give up on your dream prematurely.
October 21
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision
While you are waiting for the fulfillment of your vision, you
must realize that regardless of what job you are in right now,
purpose gives your job meaning. Being in a pit and in prison
didn’t stop Joseph because he saw himself as a ruler, and he
knew that one day his vision would be fulfilled. God’s purpose
in your heart is what enables you to keep moving forward.
God places us in jobs that will prepare us for our life’s work.
Remember that a job is a pre-occupation on the way to true
occupation. I’m very glad for each of the jobs I have had,
because they all prepared me for what I’m doing right now.
What I am doing now is so fulfilling that I could do it for the
rest of my life. So get all the knowledge you can from your job,
because you’re going to move on in a little while.
In the meantime, ask yourself these questions:
•How has God used experiences in my life to build character in
me?
•What character qualities has God shown me I need to work
on?
•In what specific ways is my job preparing me for my life’s
work, such as skills, knowledge, and experience?
Let’s pray together:
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we are so encouraged by
Your care for us. You have promised in Your Word
to complete the work You have begun in us and to bring us
to maturity. We know that we can trust You in the process
of preparing us for the visions You have given us.
We have seen how You prepared Abraham, Jacob, Joseph,
Moses, Paul, and so many others for their roles
in Your plan for the world.
Prepare us, Lord, so that we will be equipped to do
all that You desire us to do for Your glory.
Thought: Purpose gives your present job meaning.
Reading: Isaiah 62–64; 1 Timothy 1
October 22
Principles of the
Process of Vision Today, reflect on these
principles concerning the process of vision:
1.God has a plan for each of our lives, yet He
brings those plans to pass in a gradual way.
2. Godwill tell you where you are going with your vision, but
He will rarely tell you exactly how He will take you there.
3. There is no hurried way to get to God’s vision.
4. Atthe time that we receive our visions, we are not yet ready
for them.
5. The
process of vision develops our character and produces
responsibility in us.
6. God places us in jobs that will prepare us for our life’s work.
7. Thevision God has given you will come to pass. Until then,
you are to live by faith.
Reading: Isaiah 65–66; 1 Timothy 2
October 23
The Seventh Principle:
Set the Priorities of Vision P rinciple number
seven in our Twelve Principles of Vision is that
you must set priorities for yourself in relation to
your vision. Understanding priority will help you
accomplish your dream because priority is the
key to effective decision-making. Both
successful and unsuccessful people make
decisions every day that influence their chances
of achieving their visions. Whether they realize it
or not, it is the nature and quality of the choices
they make that determine their success or failure.
Life is filled with alternatives; we are constantly bombarded
with choices, and our preferences reveal who we are and what
we value in life. Remember, your life is the sum total of the
decisions you make every day. You have become what you
have decided for the last fifteen, twenty, or thirty years of your
life. Even more significantly, you can tell the kind of life you’re
going to have in the future by the decisions you are making
today. In this sense, the future really is now. Sometimes we
believe that we can make bad choices today and make up for
them later on. That thinking is in error. Whatever we are doing
now is our tomorrow.
This is why yes and no are the most powerful words you will
ever say. God wants you to be able to say them with precision
because they will determine your destiny. You will be blessed
by saying yes to what is in accordance with your vision and no
to anything else.
Prayer: Father, I make many decisions each day.
Please enable me to make decisions that
will benefit the vision You have given me.
My desire is to make godly, good decisions today.
Thought: Priority is the key to effective decision-making.
Reading: Jeremiah 1–2; 1 Timothy 3
October 24
Not Everything Is Beneficial If you want to

fulfill your dream, you must fix your eyes on it
and not get caught up in anything that won’t take
you there. Please understand that prioritizing
creates useful limits on your choices.
In the first part of 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul wrote, “‘Everything
is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial.” Even
though we have permission to do everything we want to, “not
everything is beneficial” for us. You have to determine what is
beneficial based on the needs of your vision. The second part
of that verse is a very powerful statement: “‘Everything is
permissible for me’—but I will not be mastered by anything”
(emphasis added). Even though you can do anything in life,
the only things that should master you are the things that will
take you to your goal. Of course, that goal should be what
pleases and glorifies God.
Remember, even if something is good, that does not
necessarily mean it is beneficial to fulfilling your God-given
vision. For example, when you are traveling along a highway,
there are dozens of exits you might take. Is there such a thing
as a “bad” exit? No, they’re all good, legitimate routes. Many
of them lead to helpful services, such as hotels, restaurants, or
gas stations. Therefore, is there anything that makes an exit
“bad” for you? Yes—if it doesn’t lead to your desired
destination. Ask yourself, “Which activities are aligned with
God’s purposes for me? What will move me toward my goal?”
Prayer: Father, please lead me by Your Holy Spirit.
Give me the wisdom to choose the things that are
truly beneficial to me and not to become involved
in things that will pull me away from my goal.
Thought: “Everything is permissible for me,
but not everything is beneficial.”
October 25
The Beneficial Things What is beneficial for

you? Obviously, the first thing that you should
consider as beneficial is your relationship with
God through Jesus Christ. If you want to know
where you’re supposed to go in life, you have to
establish a connection with the Person who gave
you the assignment, the Person who created you.
It’s no wonder the Bible says the greatest
commandment is to love God first with all your
heart, mind, soul (will), and strength. (See Mark
12:30.) When you do that, He reveals to you the
assignment that you were born to fulfill. Once
you are certain of where you are meant to go in
life and have truly committed to it, then a lot of
the extraneous things will fall away on their own.
After you capture your vision, you need to prioritize your life
in keeping with that vision. You have to decide how many of
the things that you are currently involved in are beneficial to
your dream. Again, there might not necessarily be anything
wrong with them. They just may not be right for you to be
involved in based on what you need to accomplish.
The key is that the vision itself decides what is good for you.
You don’t just do good things. You do things that are good for
your vision. Most of us know the difference between right and
wrong. Therefore, your greatest challenge is not in choosing
between good and bad but between good and best. A vision
protects you from being misguided by good alternatives. It
allows you to say no to lesser opportunities, even if there are
certain benefits to them.
Prayer: Father, help me to choose between
good and best. Sometimes they are so similar;
please give me discernment by Your Holy Spirit
to know the difference.
Thought: The vision itself decides what is best and most
beneficial for your vision.
October 26
Good versus Best We can see a clear

illustration of the principle of priorities in Jesus’
reaction to the choices of Martha and Mary of
Bethany.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a
village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.
She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet
listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the
preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked,
“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work
by myself? Tell her to help me!”(Luke 10:38–40) Martha had
made a very honorable request: “What I’m doing is important; I
need help.” Yet note the Lord’s answer: “Martha,
Martha,...you are worried and upset about many things” (v.
41). Jesus didn’t say “bad” things, just “many things.” He
continued, “But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen
what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (v. 42).
Jesus was saying, in effect, “You’re doing what is good,
Martha, but Mary has shifted into an area of life that I wish
everyone would go to. Don’t just do good things. Concentrate
on what is best.” In the story of Martha and Mary, nowhere
does it say that Jesus was hungry. God doesn’t want us to
start anything, including doing good works for Him, until we
consult Him. This is because He doesn’t want us to work for
Him, but with Him in partnership. We are “God’s fellow
workers” (2 Corinthians 6:1).
Prayer: Father, I want to focus on what is best.
As I meet with You each day in prayer, reveal to me
the good things I can do that day to serve You.
Thought: Concentrate on what is best.
October 27
Keep Your Eyes on the Mark When I was in

Israel, I visited a farm that used modern tractors
and combines. Nearby, I saw a little field in a
valley where a man was tilling the ground using
just an ox hooked up to a plow. I was intrigued by
the sight, and I said to one of the men from the
farm, “He’s using an animal and an old, outdated
plow, but his field is just as perfect as yours, and
you use modern machinery!” The man told me,
“That guy’s system is better than mine! He keeps
his furrows completely straight. At the end of the
field, he sets up little sticks and ties red or white
flags on them. He sets his eyes on the little piece
of cloth at the far end of the field as he controls
the movements of the ox. If he didn’t use the
sticks, his furrows would be crooked.”
Then he said something that put the whole thing into
perspective for me: “That little stick is called ‘the mark.’” That
term took me back two thousand years to that same area of
Palestine where Jesus had lived. I understood what Jesus
meant in Luke 9:62: “No one who puts his hand to the plow
and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
When you set your hand to the plow, you must put your eyes
on the mark and not look to the left, right, or behind you. Then
you will hit God’s mark for your life.
Prayer: Father, I want to hit the mark for my life!
Please help me to keep my eyes and my heart
focused on the vision You have given me,
without being tempted by what lies to the right,
to the left, or behind. Thank You, Lord.
Thought: When you put your hand to the plow,
you must put your eyes on the mark.
October 28
My Yoke Is Easy When someone sets his eyes

on a goal and never takes them off it, he will
reach that goal. The apostle Paul talked about
focusing on his goal: Brothers, I do not consider
myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing
I do: forgetting what is behind and straining
toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal
to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus.(Philippians 3:13–14)
Do you remember when you were learning to ride
a bicycle? You were told to look straight ahead
because wherever you looked, that’s where you
were going. If you looked down, you would fall
down. Many of us have set markers in our lives—
our visions—claiming we are headed in that
direction, but then we keep looking everywhere
except at our visions. It doesn’t take too long
before we’re off course.
In Matthew 11:30, Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and my
burden is light.” A yoke is a single piece of wood that joins
two oxen together. It keeps them at the same pace and in the
same position. Jesus also said, “Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
upon you and learn from me” (vv. 28–29). We are to join with
God’s plan for our lives and let His yoke guide us. This means
that if He turns, we turn; if He stops, we stop. This is the way
we hit the mark.
Prayer: Father, I desire to take Christ’s yoke upon myself
so that I may learn from Him and rest in Him.
I willingly join with Your plan for my life.
Thank You for guiding me.
Thought: We are to join with God’s plan for our lives
and let His yoke guide us.
October 29
Vision Protects You Vision protects us from

trying to do everything. The apostle Paul had a
deep love and concern for the Jews. They were
his people; he was born from among them, and he
was one of them. Yet his purpose was to preach to
the Gentiles: “For this purpose I was appointed
a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth,
I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith
to the Gentiles” (1 Timothy 2:7). He knew what
he was appointed for, and he stayed in his vision.
Paul’s vision was his motivating force: “I am so
eager to preach the gospel also to you who are
at Rome” (Romans 1:15).
Perhaps we become involved in too many things because
we’re trying to impress God and other people by showing them
how much we are capable of doing. Yet we must remember that
our gifts are the key to fulfilling our personal visions. If we
spend time on things that we’re not as gifted in, we will wear
ourselves down to the point that when we come back to our
gifts, we are too tired to use them effectively.
Jesus Himself was born to do one main thing. At one point,
one of Jesus’ closest friends tried to talk Him out of His vision.
Peter said, in essence, “Master, You’re talking about how
You’re going to die. ‘This shall never happen to you!’”
(Matthew 16:22). What Peter said wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t
right based on Jesus’ vision. We must keep our eyes on God’s
true purpose for our lives.
Prayer: Father, I have been guilty of being involved
in too many things. Please help me to say yes only
to the things that You have given me to do
based on Your true purpose for my life.
Thought: Vision protects us from trying to do everything.
October 30
Vision Disciplines Your Choices Vision is the

key to an effective life because when you see
your destination, it helps you to discipline your
life in ways that train and prepare you, providing
for your vision.
Proverbs 29:18 is often quoted but not fully understood:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (KJV). The word
in the Hebrew for “perish” means “to throw off constraints.” If
you don’t have vision, there are no real restraints in your life.
Yet, when you have vision, you are able to say no with dignity.
The New International Version reads, “Where there is no
revelation, the people cast off restraint.” The use of the words
“revelation” and “restraint” is very significant because the
verse may be interpreted as meaning, “Where there is no
vision, the people throw off self-control.” You will never be
disciplined in your life until you have real vision.
Discipline may be defined as self-imposed standards and
restrictions motivated by a desire or vision that is greater than
any alternatives. According to Merriam-Webster’s 11th
Collegiate Dictionary, the words discipline and disciple come
from the same root word that means “pupil.” A disciple is a
student who is dedicated to learning to think like his or her
teacher. The followers of Jesus, the ultimate Teacher, were
called His disciples because they were committed to changing
their thinking so that they thought like He did. As You follow
the Lord in Your vision, you will become more and more
disciplined in the choices you make in life.
Prayer: Father, many choices are available to me.
The most important one is to choose to love and serve You.
Please teach me to be more disciplined so that I might make
choices for the rest of my life that truly honor You.
Thought: Seeing your destination helps you to discipline your
life in ways that train and prepare you, providing for your
vision.
October 31
Discipline Is a Teacher How disciplined is your

life in relation to your dream? Ask yourself
questions such as these: What am I using my
energies on? What am I putting my heart and soul
into? Is it worth it, based on my purpose? Where
am I investing my money? Your vision dictates
where you put your resources. Are you buying
things that you don’t need? Are you so much in
debt that you can’t channel your money toward
fulfilling the vision in your heart?
What movies and television programs am I watching? Are
they helping or hindering me? What books am I reading? If
you’re only reading romance novels, you are living in a fantasy
world and not living out your true dream. What am I taking into
my body? There are talented, gifted people who are dying
prematurely because they consistently eat food that isn’t good
for them. If you’re going to make it to the end of your vision,
you must take care of your health.
What is my attitude toward life? If you know where you’re
going, you can keep your attitude positive. When things go
wrong, you can say, “That’s okay. This is only temporary. I
know where my true destination is.” Paul said we should
discipline our thoughts to think about what will build us up:
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such
things” (Philippians 4:8).
Choose to live well! Associate with people and be involved in
things that are conducive to your dream.
Prayer: Father, all that I have and all that I do
should be dedicated to You and should lead me to my dream.
I submit my energy, my money, my entertainment, my
books, my body, and my heart attitude to You.
Thought: Associate with people and be involved in things
that are conducive to your dream.
Reading: Jeremiah 22–23; Titus 1
November
November 1
Make Your Life Count
Nehemiah made a statement that I believe everyone with

vision should learn to make. It’s one of the greatest statements
of priority that I have ever read anywhere.
Nehemiah was at a place where he had started to rebuild the
wall of Jerusalem. He had motivated the people by giving them
a renewed purpose, he was able to communicate to them the
necessity of doing this great project, and they were working
hard at it. Yet, in Nehemiah 6:1, he was confronted by three men
who wanted to prevent his vision from being fulfilled.
Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were professional distracters. In
Nehemiah 6:2, Nehemiah said, “Sanballat and Geshem sent me
this message: ‘Come, let us meet together in one of the
villages on the plain of Ono.’ But they were scheming to harm
me.” In verse three, Nehemiah said, “So I sent messengers to
them with this reply: ‘I am carrying on a great project and
cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it
and go down to you?’” He refused to come down from the
wall, and his enemies were thwarted. That’s what I call a man
who had his priorities set.
Your destination is so perfect for you that God doesn’t want
you to end up anywhere else. He wants you to find your vision
and stay focused on it. If you have gotten off track in life, it
doesn’t matter how young or old you are: refocus on your
vision and make decisions that will lead you there.
Prayer: Father, I know I haven’t always made the best
use of my time, gifts, and resources in the past, but with
Your help I’m going to make the rest of my life
count by staying focused on my vision.
Thought: Your destination is so perfect for you that God
doesn’t want you to end up anywhere else.
November 2
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision If you are afraid

to take decisive action to move toward your
vision, consider this: It is better to make a
decision that will prove to be wrong, but which
you can learn from, than not to make any decision
at all and never learn anything. Someone has said,
“I’d rather try and fail than never try and never
know I could succeed.” People succeed because
they try. People who don’t try have no chance of
success.
As you pursue your vision, review some of the questions
from the last few days. Write out your answers to the discipline
questions. Then, set priorities in each area of your life in
relation to your vision and write them down. What things do
you need to eliminate from your life in order to focus on your
dream? Bring all these areas before the Lord in prayer and
listen closely as He speaks to your heart.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, as disciples of
Your Son Jesus,
we are learning to walk as mature believers in this world.
You placed a vision in each of our hearts so that Your purposes
on earth would be achieved and so that we would have
an important part in fulfilling those purposes.
You know the importance of discipline in reaching our goals.
Thank you for encouraging us to be self-controlled
and for showing us how to discipline our choices so that
our lives will count for now and for eternity.
Thought: People succeed because they try.
People who don’t try have no chance of success.
November 3
Principles of the Priority of Vision Today,

reflect on these principles of the priority of
vision: 1.If you want to be successful, you must
set priorities for yourself in relation to your
vision.
2. Understanding priority will help you accomplish your dream
because priority is the key to effective decision-making.
3. You
can tell the kind of life you’re going to have in the future
by the decisions you make today.
4. Yes andno are the most powerful words you will ever say. God
wants you to be able to say them with conviction because they
will determine your destiny.
5. When people don’t succeed in their visions, it is often
because they don’t understand that prioritizing creates useful
limits on their choices.
6. Youhave to determine what is beneficial, defining what is
beneficial based on the needs of your vision.
7. Theonly things that should master you are the things that will
take you to your goal.
8. Once you are certain of where you are meant to go in life and
have truly committed to it, then many extraneous things in your
life will fall away on their own.
9. The
vision itself decides what is good for you. You don’t just
do good things. You do things that are good for your vision.
10. Your greatest
challenge is not in choosing between good or
bad but between good and best.
11. To end up where you want to be, keep your eyes on the
mark.
12. Vision protects you from trying to do everything.
13. When you see your destination, it helps you to discipline
your life in ways that train and prepare you, providing for your
vision.
14. You will never be disciplined in your life until you have real
vision.
Reading: Jeremiah 30–31; Philemon
November 4
The Eighth Principle:
Recognize the Influence of Others P rinciple
number eight in our Twelve Principles of Vision
is that we must recognize the influence of others
on our visions. We need other people if we are
going to be successful in life because, as I
emphasized earlier, we were not created to fulfill
our visions alone. As a matter of fact, God
specifically said about His first human creation,
“It is not good for the man to be alone”
(Genesis 2:18). We need people to make it in
life. For any vision that you have, God has people
prepared to work with you, and they will be a
blessing to you.
There will always be a need for positive people in your life.
When I went to college, I had a dream to get my degree, and
there were people who already had been set apart to help me
graduate. Some of them helped me academically, others
financially, and others with encouragement in my spiritual walk.
When you have a dream, that’s the way it works. People will
always be there, waiting to help you. Therefore, if you have no
dream, or if you do not begin to act on it, the people who are
supposed to help you won’t know where to find you.
The principle of influence has a twofold application, however,
because people can have a negative effect on us as well as a
positive one. When you begin to act on your vision, it will stir
up both those who want to help you and those who want to
hinder you. This is why you must learn to recognize the
influence of those around you.
Prayer: Father, thank You for bringing people across
my path to be a positive influence on my life and vision.
Help me to recognize them so I may benefit from their help.
Thought: There will always be a need for positive
people in our lives.
Reading: Jeremiah 32–33; Hebrews 1
November 5
Choosing Your Friends How do you choose your

friends? You should generally choose friends
who are going in the same direction you are and
who want to obtain the same things you do. In the
book of Proverbs, Solomon said, “He who walks
with the wise grows wise, but a companion of
fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). The New
King James Version reads, “The companion of
fools will be destroyed.” My version of this
maxim is, “If you want to be a success, don’t keep
company with those who aren’t going anywhere in
life.”
In light of these truths, I want you to ask yourself three
questions. First, “With whom am I spending time?” Who are
your closest friends; who are the people you are confiding in?
Second, “What are these people doing to me?” In other
words, what do they have you listening to, reading, thinking,
and doing? Where do they have you going? What do they
have you saying? How do they have you feeling? What do
they have you settling for? That last one is an important one,
because your friends can make you comfortable in your misery.
Most important, what is being around these people causing
you to become?
Third, ask yourself, “Is what other people are doing to me a
good thing in relation to my vision?” When you start telling
people where you’re going to go and what you’re going to do,
they may (even unconsciously) begin to say things to try to
hinder your dream. Therefore, you need to ask and answer
these three questions about your friendships truthfully—and
regularly—as you progress toward your vision.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the godly friends that
You have brought into my life. It is good when we can walk
in the same direction, following Your Word and our visions.
Please help me to continue to build godly relationships.
Thought: “He who walks with the wise grows wise.”
November 6
The Law of Association The law of association

states that you become like those with whom you
spend time. This law corresponds to Solomon’s
words, “He who walks with the wise grows wise,
but a companion of fools suffers harm”
(Proverbs 13:20).
We often underestimate others’ influence in our lives. The two
words that most accurately describe influence are powerful and
subtle. The influence of others can be powerful because we all
desire to have people like us; therefore, we may start acting
more like others to gain their approval. Their influence is also
subtle because we may think it has no effect on us. Often, we
don’t know we’re being influenced until it is too late. Whether
we realize it or not, however, the influence of those with whom
we spend time has a powerful effect on how we will end up in
life, on whether we will succeed or fail.
What we call peer pressure is simply this: people with whom
we associate exercising their influence on us, trying to direct
our lives in the way they want them to go. Adults, as well as
young people, experience peer pressure. They find it hard to
disregard other people’s opinions. There are people who are
forty, sixty, and eighty years old who give in to peer pressure.
Almost everyone is affected by it.
People have the potential to create your environment. Your
environment then determines your mind-set, your mind-set
determines your vision, and your vision determines your
future. You must choose your friends wisely, selecting those
who are truly with you and not against you. Show me your
friends, and I’ll show you your future.
Prayer: Father, make me sensitive to the influences of those
around me. I do not want peer pressure to control my life. I
want my influence to come from You, Your Word, and my
vision.
Thought: There are two words that most accurately
describe influence: powerful and subtle.
November 7
Vision Wakes Up the Opposition Nehemiah 4:1

says, “When Sanballat heard that we were
rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was
greatly incensed.” People of vision have found
that the minute they decide to fulfill their
dreams, all their enemies seem to wake up.
Again, as long as you’re not doing anything about
your vision, no one will bother you. If you start to
move toward your vision, however, opposition
arises.
Suppose you have been a secretary for twenty years, and
everybody thinks you’re content in your job. One day you
decide, “I’m going back to school.” When your friends ask you
why, you say, “I’m going to get a master’s degree in computer
science because I want to head a computer company
someday.” Suddenly, your friends seem to become your
enemies. They ask, “Do you know how old you are?” or “Who
do you think will become your clients?” By the time they finish,
you feel like staying a secretary.
Sad to say, sometimes those who are the most detrimental to
the fulfillment of our visions are members of our own families.
Some family members may be extremely supportive, but others
may not be. The potential for negative influences from family
members in regard to vision is probably the reason why the
Lord told Abraham, “Leave your country, your people and
your father’s household and go to the land I will show you”
(Genesis 12:1).
Your passion for your vision must be more powerful than the
opposition of those around you. You must be clear about what
you’re going to do and persevere in doing it.
Prayer: Father, please help me to persevere in my vision,
even if I encounter opposition from family members
and friends. Help me to continue to show
Your love to them as I pursue my purpose.
Thought: As long as you’re not doing anything about your
vision, no one will bother you.
November 8
The Tobiah Syndrome P eople who change the

world have declared independence from other
people’s expectations. That’s what makes them
successful. Even if people tell lies or start
rumors about you, keep your eyes on the mark,
continue working, and keep on building.
Nehemiah faced this very situation. In Nehemiah 4:2, we read,
And in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria,
[Sanballat] said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they
restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in
a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps
of rubble?”
When people are angry, they ask questions to discourage
you. Look at the questions Sanballat was asking the Jews.
Consider the words he used. He jeered at their abilities and
scoffed at their timetable. In essence, he declared their vision a
dead project.
Nehemiah 4:3 says, “Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his
side, said, ‘What they are building—if even a fox climbed up
on it, he would break down their wall of stones!’” In other
words, “Don’t worry about them. This isn’t going to work. It
will soon come to nothing.” Have you ever heard that before?
“Oh, don’t worry about that new business. It will last only a
couple of months before it folds.” That attitude is what I call
the “Tobiah Syndrome.” When someone says something like
that to you, encourage yourself in the Lord and receive
strength from His Word. Find brothers and sisters in Christ
who will support you. Keep moving forward with your vision!
Prayer: Father, by Your Holy Spirit,
I will move forward in my vision every day.
Thought: People who change the world have declared
independence from other people’s expectations.
November 9
The Protection of Disassociation P ursuing your

vision means that you will have to disassociate
yourself from certain people and places if you’re
going to make it to your dream. Some people say
it doesn’t really matter with whom they associate;
they wouldn’t want to hurt anybody by
disassociating from them. Yet Jesus said, “If the
blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch”
(Matthew 15:14 NKJV). He was telling us not to be
foolish by following those who are spiritually
blind. You have to disassociate yourself from
people who aren’t going anywhere and don’t want
to go anywhere in life. The sad thing is that some
people literally sacrifice their dreams and their
lives because they are afraid of having conflict
and disagreement with others.
If you need to remove yourself from some people and
activities that have been hindering you, stand firm when you
tell your former companions, in love, “I don’t do that any
longer. I can’t go out with you tonight. We aren’t going in the
same direction anymore.” Choose friends who have a heart for
God and His purposes. Associate with people who want you to
move toward your vision. Let them be your encouragement.
Disassociation does not need to be confrontational. Sometimes
you can ease out of people’s lives very quietly and very subtly,
just as you eased into them.
If you listen to the critics, you won’t do what you were born
to do. Remember what Nehemiah said when his critics tried to
distract him from his vision: “I am carrying on a great project
and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave
it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 6:3).
Prayer: Father, help me to stop associating with those who
are a hindrance to my faith or Your purpose for my life.
Help me to speak the truth in love to them.
Thought: If you listen to the critics, you won’t do
what you were born to do.
November 10
The Protection of Limited Association In

considering how people influence my life, I have
also learned to protect my vision by limited
association. You may not want to completely
disassociate yourself from some of the people in
your life. It is important, however, that you
thoughtfully and prayerfully determine how much
time you will spend with them.
For those of you who are dating, please take this to heart:
When you have a goal for your life, make sure that the person
you are interested in is also interested in your goals. Many
people get married and then tell their spouses their goals. Often
their spouses say, “I really don’t want that.” The Bible asks us,
“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3
NKJV). Jesus reinforced this theme when He said, “A house
divided against itself will fall” (Luke 11:17). You don’t want to
be in a house that is divided. You want to be in a house with
one vision.
It’s all right to have casual friends as long as you give them
casual time. You don’t want to spend quality time with casual
friends. It’s all right to spend two hours with some people, but
not two days. It’s all right to spend two minutes with some
people, but not two hours. It depends on the person and his or
her influence on you.
You must protect your mental environment. Here’s how to do
so: Spend major time with positive influences and minor time
with negative influences. Stay away from bad situations. Paul
stated the adage, “Bad company corrupts good character” (1
Corinthians 15:33). He was telling us, “Choose your company
well.”
Prayer: Father, you have given me the ability to choose my
company well. Help me to continue to choose close friends
who love You and are seeking You with all their hearts.
Thought: Spend major time with positive influences and
minor time with negative influences.
November 11
Expand Your Association The third step in

choosing who will influence your life is the most
positive of the three: expand your association. If
you’re going to be successful, you have to spend
more time with the right people—people who
have the same philosophy and discipline that you
do, people who exhibit the kind of character that
you want to have. Those are the people with
whom you want to expand your relationships.
Spend time with people of vision. When the angel Gabriel
announced to Mary that she would become pregnant with
Jesus, Mary asked, “How can I have a baby?” God’s answer
through Gabriel was that this would occur through the power
of the Holy Spirit. Yet notice what else the angel said. He
mentioned that Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist
after she had been both barren and past the age of
childbearing. It was as if God was saying, “Mary, to help you
stay strong during this time, you need the faith-inspiring
testimony of Elizabeth. She has her own miracle baby, and
she’s six months ahead of you.” The Bible says that Mary went
straight to Elizabeth’s house and stayed with her for three
months. (See Luke 1:26–56.) God doesn’t want you to spend
time listening to critics because they will talk you out of your
“baby.” He wants you to be encouraged by someone who has
already been through the morning sickness, so to speak,
because there will be times when you’ll feel like giving up.
During those hard times, that person can tell you, “You’re
going to get through it. Don’t give up on your dream.”
Prayer: Father, please enable me to surround myself with
encouragers, believers who have faith for the vision.
Thought: Spend time with people of vision.
Reading: Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 8
November 12
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision We all need

other people to guide, help, and encourage us
along the path to fulfilling our visions. Because
we need the influence of others, however, we are
also in danger of the negative effects they may
have on us if we—or they—are not careful.
Therefore, it is crucial for us to guard our hearts,
thoughts, attitudes, and ideas from being
sabotaged by those around us. We must increase
the positive influences in our lives and decrease
the negative ones as we pursue our individual
goals in tandem with others.
To help you progress in your vision, answer the three
questions posed in the last few days: With whom am I
spending time? Who are my closest friends; who are the
people I am confiding in? What are these people doing to me?
What do they have me listening to, reading, thinking, doing?
Where do they have me going? What do they have me saying?
How do they have me feeling? What do they have me settling
for? Is what these people are doing to me a good thing in light
of my vision? Then, ask yourself: Who can help me toward my
goal? What person can I get close to and learn from?
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, it is crucial for us
to guard our hearts. Your Word says that the heart is the
wellspring of life. We need the positive influence of others to
carry out Your purposes for us. Lord, You created human
beings to work together and to live together in harmony. Please
help us to discern the positive influences from the negative
ones. We want to share Your good news of salvation with
those who are negative, but we don’t want to absorb their
negative influence into our lives. Enable us to honestly answer
the
questions concerning people’s influence on our lives and
to make any changes we need to in obedience to You.
In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.
Thought: Guard your heart, thoughts, attitudes, and
ideas from being sabotaged by others.

November 13
Principles of
Influence on Vision
Today, reflect on these principles of influence on vision:

1.When you begin to act on your vision, it will stir up both
those who want to help you and those who want to hinder
you.
2.The law of association states that you become like those with
whom you spend time.
3.There are two words that most accurately describe influence:
powerful and subtle.
4. People have the potential to create your environment. Your
environment then determines your mind-set, and your mind-set
determines your vision and your future.
5.People of vision have found that the minute they decide to
fulfill their dreams, all their enemies seem to wake up.
6.Sometimes the people who are the most detrimental to the
fulfillment of your vision are members of your own family.
7.People who change the world have declared independence
from other people’s expectations.
8.Three things that will protect your vision are disassociation,
limited association, and expanded association.
9.We must increase the positive influences in our lives and
decrease the negative ones as we pursue our individual goals
in tandem with others.
Reading: Lamentations 1–2; Hebrews 10:1–18
November 14
The Ninth Principle:
Employ the Provision of Vision P rinciple
number nine in our Twelve Principles of Vision is
that we must understand the power of provision.
People often stop dreaming about what they
really want to do in life because of their limited
resources. They believe they have to pay for their
visions with their present incomes when they can
barely make ends meet. Similarly, when young
people tell their parents what they dream of
becoming, the parents often become nervous
because they feel their children’s dreams are too
expensive for them to finance.
If we believe that we have to use our own resources to
accomplish God-given visions, then we are small dreamers. I
want to encourage you that the Bible is clear concerning the
dreams in our hearts and how they will be provided for.
Proverbs 16:1 says, “To man belong the plans of the heart, but
from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.” This statement
has to do with provision. When a person receives a dream from
God, it usually seems impossible. Yet God knows that our
provisions are never equal to our visions at the moment we
receive them. He realizes that we cannot explain to others—or
even to ourselves—how we are going to accomplish our
visions without the necessary money, people, facilities, or
equipment. He knows that often our dreams are big and our
bank accounts are small. What is His solution for us? He says
that He will give the answer or “reply of the tongue.”
Therefore, if people ask you how you are going to accomplish
your dream, you don’t have to try to give them a full answer.
Tell them you are trusting God for provision each step of the
way.
Prayer: Father, You have placed Your vision within me.
Thank You for promising the provision to match the vision.
Thought: Our provisions are never equal to our visions at the
moment we receive them.
Reading: Lamentations 3–5; Hebrews 10:19–39
November 15
Everything You Need P erhaps your dreams are

so big they almost frighten you. You don’t see
how they could ever come to pass. Let me assure
you that your initial apprehension is normal. God
often gives us dreams that confound us at first.
He wants to make sure we don’t attempt to fulfill
them apart from Him. If we try to do so, we won’t
succeed, because the resources won’t be
available.
Rest assured that God will never give you a vision without
provision. The ability and resources are available for whatever
you were born to do. Your provision, however, is usually
hidden until you act on your vision. Whatever you were born
to do attracts what you need to do it. Therefore, you first have
to establish what you want to do and begin to do it before the
need can be met. Most of us work in reverse. We like to see the
provisions before we start, but faith doesn’t work that way.
When we take action, then God manifests the provision.
God has prepared everything you need to complete your
purpose because He chose you for your vision. God tells us we
don’t have to worry about our provision because He has
already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places. (See Ephesians 1:3.) Worry is the greatest sign of doubt
in God. If He can put Pharaoh’s money into the pockets of the
Israelites and take His people into the wilderness loaded down
with the gold of the enemy, don’t you think He can provide for
your needs?
Prayer: Father, I trust You to provide everything I need.
You have promised over and over in Your Word
that You will meet the needs of Your children.
Thank You for already blessing me in the heavenly places.
Thought: Rest assured that God will never give you
a vision without provision.
Reading: Ezekiel 1–2; Hebrews 11:1–19
November 16
Does Prosperity Mean Excess?
Many people, Christians included, have misconceptions

about money. We think prosperity means excess, and that is
why we worry when we don’t have enough money in the bank
to fund our visions. Further, our concept of prosperity is more
like hoarding. In the Bible, hoarding is referred to as gluttony.
A person can be gluttonous even when he has no money or
food. Gluttony is a state of mind in which a person never feels
he has enough to satisfy him.
Whatever we hoard will begin to destroy us. When we eat
more than we need, it creates a problem of excess weight. That
weight causes pressure on the heart. Our arteries begin to clog
up, putting us in danger of a heart attack or stroke, all because
we loaded up on excess food.
The Bible says that people who have excess money have
many burdens, worries, and headaches trying to figure out
what to do with their riches and how to protect them. (See, for
example, Luke 12:16–21; James 5:1–5.) Too much wealth can
cause oppression and even depression. Some people own so
many gems and other material goods that they put bars on their
windows to protect themselves against theft. They worry that
someone might break in and take their twenty-thousand-dollar
watch, which they rarely wear anyway. To me, this approach to
wealth is foolishness because the riches are a burden rather
than a blessing.
It is not money itself, but the love of money (its excess) that is
the root of all evil. (See 1 Timothy 6:10 KJV.) We should
cultivate a love for God rather than for money. We can trust
Him to provide whatever we need for our lives and our visions.
Prayer: Father, help me to trust Your provision and
not worry about having an excess of money.
Thought: Gluttony is a state of mind in which a person
never feels he has enough to satisfy him.
Reading: Ezekiel 3–4; Hebrews 11:20–40
November 17
Does Prosperity Mean Future Needs
Are Met Today?
Some people have the idea that prosperity means all our
needs should be provided for well ahead of time. Jesus
addressed this misconception when He told His disciples,
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will
eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life
more important than food, and the body more important than
clothes?...So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or
“What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the
pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father
knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
(Matthew 6:25, 31–33) Do people worry about something they
already have? No. Worry isn’t related to our present supply. It
is related to a perceived or potential lack in the future.
Jesus concluded His statements on provision by saying,
“Tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its own” (v. 34). Prosperity doesn’t mean that
tomorrow’s need is met today; it means that today’s need is
met today. We find the same concept in the Lord’s Prayer:
“Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Jesus tells us
not to worry about tomorrow because it has its own supply
(see verse 34), and tomorrow we may need even more than we
do today. When we get to tomorrow, the supply will be there.
We must understand what prosperity really is in order to grasp
the foundational principle of how God provides for our visions.
Prayer: Father, Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount
bring me such freedom from worry. As I seek Your
kingdom and Your vision for my life, may I trust
You more each day for provision in every way.
Thought: Prosperity means that today’s need is met today.
Reading: Ezekiel 5–7; Hebrews 12

November 18
The Nature of Real Prosperity For the last two

days we’ve been discussing misconceptions about
prosperity. What, then, is the nature of real
prosperity? One of the Hebrew words that is
translated “prosperity” in the Bible is shalev
(see, for example, Psalm 30:6; Psalm 73:3),
which means “tranquil,” “being at ease,”
“peaceable,” and “quietness.” Another Hebrew
word for prosperity is shalom (see Psalm 35:27;
Jeremiah 33:9), which means “peace,” “safe,”
“well,” “happy,” and “health.” The Bible is saying
that prosperity is peace. Prosperity is also
harmony. When things are in balance, we say they
are peaceful. True prosperity frees us from worry
and fear; it reflects a state of contentedness that
everything necessary is being taken care of.
Jesus used an analogy from nature to help explain prosperity:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store
away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are
you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by
worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Matthew 6:26–27)
How does God feed the birds? He provides for them, but He
doesn’t personally hand-deliver food to their nests! The birds
don’t just sit around waiting for God to stop by with their
meals. When Jesus said His heavenly Father feeds the birds,
He meant that everything they need has been made available
for them, but they have to go and get it. The bird has to keep
working until it finishes building its nest. It has to keep
working until it gets the worm. God’s prosperity for us is
similar: it is peaceful provision as we keep working toward His
purposes.
Prayer: Father, the prosperous soul is free from
worry and strife, and that is how I want to be.
Help me to continuously rest in You
as I trust in Your provision.
Thought: True prosperity frees us from worry and fear.
Reading: Ezekiel 8–10; Hebrews 13
November 19
Prosperity for the Purpose A fundamental

aspect of provision is that God has designed
every purpose with its own prosperity. Your
purpose has built-in provision for it. God never
requires from you what He does not already have
in reserve for you.
Here is the key: Your prosperity is directly related to your
purpose in life. The nature and degree of your prosperity is
determined by what your assignment is. You were not born to
have too much or too little. You were born to fulfill God’s
purpose. When you capture your vision—the part you’re
supposed to contribute to your generation and succeeding
generations, the role you’re supposed to play in history—
when you capture that and are doing it, you will see that all
your provisions are automatically built into it.
In this way, you don’t ultimately work for money or food,
because you’re too busy living. You were not created by God
just to pay a mortgage. In your heart, you know that’s true. If
this is what you’re doing, you are probably frustrated with
your situation. By the time you turn sixty, you will look back at
your life and say, “Did I enjoy any of this?”
Sometimes God doesn’t give us all the resources we need to
fulfill our visions because He has called other people to
provide them for us. God may have provisions all over the
world waiting for you. He may move you a thousand miles to
get you where you were meant to be, to do things you were
born to do, to fulfill the purpose in your own heart while, at the
same time, fulfilling the purpose in His heart.
Prayer: Father, You have helped me to realize that You have a
purpose and a plan for everything. I will trust You
to bring all of Your plans to completion.
Thought: God has designed every purpose
with its own prosperity.
Reading: Ezekiel 11–13; James 1
November 20
Provision Is Right for the Vision God is a God

of provision. He is Jehovah-Jireh, “The Lord Will
Provide.” He provides everything, but only after
you begin the work of the vision. This means that
obedience to vision is not a private issue. It
affects everyone who is supposed to work with
you and be impacted by your life.
Prosperity means having everything that is needed. It doesn’t
necessarily mean having a large bank account, several cars,
and a large house, although you might need those things to
fulfill your vision. For example, because of our purpose, my
wife and I need a long dining room table that can seat a large
number of people, as we often have guests of the ministry to
dinner. That’s part of our assignment. It might also be yours,
depending on what you are called to do. However, perhaps you
need a four-chair table rather than a twelve-chair table because
you usually just have your family at dinner. Instead of using
the money on a large table, you use it for other things related
to your personal or church vision. Similarly, I may not need
something that you must have to fulfill your purpose. If I had
it, it would be excess.
God provides for all the needs of our visions, no matter what
they are, large or small. We are as rich as our purposes, and our
visions aren’t yet completed. We still have provision coming to
us that no one can hold back.
Prayer: Father, may I always remember that my obedience
to my vision is not a private issue; it affects everyone who
is supposed to work with me and be impacted by my life.
Help me to walk in obedience.
Thought: God provides for all the needs of
our visions, large or small.
November 21
“Spare Parts” for Your Vision In 1998, while

visiting a friend in Detroit, I toured the Ford
Motor Company. We went through what looked
like one massive building, but there were smaller
storehouses within it. Every section had a
different name, and there were millions of parts
stored in each section. I pointed to one section
and asked the guide, “What is this?” and he said,
“These are the cars we’re preparing for 2005.” I
said, “Wait a minute; it’s only 1998.” He said,
“Yeah, but we are at least five years ahead. This
one is for 2002, this is for 2003, this is for
2004, and this one is for 2005.” When I asked if I
could see the cars, he said, “No, the cars
themselves are not yet made. We make the parts
first. However, these are not the parts we will use
on the new cars. These are the replacement parts
in case any repairs would be needed.” The
company makes the spare parts before they build
the new cars. That’s why, when anything needs to
be replaced on your car, the part is already
available.
As I listened to our guide explain this, I felt as if the Holy
Spirit was speaking to me right in that warehouse. He said,
“That’s exactly the meaning of Ephesians 1:3: ‘Praise be to the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us
in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.’
Everything you’re going to need for your vision is already
provided for. I have it all reserved in big storehouses in
heaven. Even before you came on the scene, I had it all
prepared.”
Prayer: Father, thank You for preparing all the “parts”
that I will need before I need them. Nothing ever happens
without Your knowledge or Your purpose.
Thought: God says, “Even before you came on
the scene, I had it all prepared.”
November 22
Warehouses in Heaven My good friend Jesse

Duplantis once told me about a spiritual vision he
had in which Jesus took him on a tour of heaven.
At one point, Jesus led him to a large area of
heaven where there were massive warehouses.
There were names on the warehouses, and he saw
one with his name on it. Inside, piled up to the
ceiling, was what looked like billions of dollars’
worth of things. In the corner was a small, empty
space. He asked, “Lord, the whole place is filled
with all these magnificent things, but what’s that
empty spot right there by the door?” Jesus said,
“That’s all you’ve asked for so far.”
After he told me that story, I said to myself, “I’m going to
clean out my warehouse before I leave planet earth.” When we
go to heaven, most of us are going to be shocked at what was
ours for use on earth that we never asked for. Daily, we should
ask God, “Deliver to me what I need today.” Everything you
need is waiting for you, available when you ask for it with
confidence. God is not short of anything you need.
I’m concerned that you may be asking for some things that
aren’t yours. Let me explain. If you pursue the wrong
assignment, you’re going to need things you can’t get,
because the provision isn’t there unless the vision is yours.
It’s someone else’s assignment, and he has his own
warehouse. Again, knowing God’s will for your life is the key to
your prosperity.
Prayer: Father, help me to go beyond my limited
understanding so I can pray for the things that are available to
me and that I need to fulfill my vision. I want my heavenly
warehouse
to be empty because I have used it to build Your kingdom.
Thought: God is not short of anything you need.
November 23
The Inherent Wealth of Land I believe there are

five specific ways that the Scriptures teach us
God provides the resources—financial and
otherwise—that we need to fulfill the visions He
gives us. We will look at these five ways over the
next few days.
The first way God provides for our visions is through our
ability to obtain and use land and the resources inherent in it.
Land is God’s concept of wealth. Note that the first thing God
placed man in was the garden of Eden, or real estate. Genesis
2:8–12 says, Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the
east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the
LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees
that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.…A river
watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was
separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the
Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there
is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx
are also there.) This passage describes the wealth of the land
surrounding Eden. There was gold, resin, and onyx. Resin is a
fragrant gum, similar to myrrh. Onyx is a type of gem. God was
saying, “Adam, there’s richness in the land.” Not only do we
as human beings have use of what is on the surface of the
earth, but we also have use of what is under the ground. There
is special prosperity in owning land and using the rich
resources of the earth.
Prayer: Father, please show me how land and its
inherent wealth may be involved in the fulfillment
of the vision You have given me.
Thought: Land is God’s concept of wealth.
November 24
God’s Promise of Land Let’s look at another

example from Genesis that shows us wealth is
inherent in land. What was God’s first promise to
Abraham?
“Go to the land I will show you.”…Abram traveled through the
land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At
that time the Canaanites were in the land. The LORD appeared to
Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.”
(Genesis 12:1, 6–7) God made the same promise of inheritance
of land to Abraham’s son Isaac (see Genesis 26:2–4) and
grandson Jacob (see Genesis 28:10–15). He also reaffirmed this
promise of land to the Israelites through Moses. (See Exodus
3:7–10, 15–17.) In Genesis 13:15, God said the land would
forever belong to Abraham’s descendants. Even today, in the
state of Israel, land is leased, rather than sold, to the citizens. A
person can build and own a house, but he doesn’t own the
property upon which it stands. The government owns the land.
It is considered God’s property and therefore is secured for
Him.
According to the biblical record, land seems to be God’s first
order of prosperity. I think it is desirable for most people to
own land. Young people, if your parents left you land, don’t
exchange your perpetual inheritance for a “pot of soup.” (See
Genesis 25:29–34.) Live very simply, if you have to, but keep
the land because there’s wealth in it. Christians tend to think in
terms of heaven because that is where their focus is. Yet God
didn’t create humanity for heaven alone—He created us to
fulfill His purposes on earth.
Prayer: Father, You have given us this beautiful earth to be
nurtured and cultivated. Help us to see how special it is and
to treat it accordingly as we fulfill our visions.
Thought: Land seems to be God’s first order of prosperity.
Reading: Ezekiel 22–23; 1 Peter 1
November 25
The Ability to Work The second way God

provides for our visions is through our ability to
work. When you decide to move forward with
your dream, it will often take a great amount of
work. I define work as the passion that is
generated by a purpose.
Many people misunderstand the nature of work. They don’t
realize that work was given to mankind before the fall: “The
LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to
work it and take care of it [“cultivate it” NASB]” (Genesis 2:15).
Cultivation involves both creativity and effort. Work is not a
curse, but a great blessing. Genesis 1:28 says that God blessed
the male and female and gave them dominion over the earth. He
blessed them in all their dominion assignments—including
work.
God Himself worked when He created the world, and He still
works to carry out His purposes. Because you are made in
God’s image and likeness, you are designed to work. Remember
that work is meant to include creativity and cultivation, not
drudgery.
Moreover, work needs to be kept in its proper place. The Bible
says that God worked hard and completed His work, but that
He also stopped His work and rested. (See Genesis 2:2–3.) He
didn’t work seven days a week just for the sake of working. He
stopped when it was appropriate, and He has instructed us to
do the same. (See Exodus 20:9–10.) Prayer: Father, Your Word
gives us such a balanced
picture of work. You worked, so we should work.
You were creative, so we can be creative.
You rested, so we should rest as well.
May we work, create, and rest in a way that honors You.
Thought: Because you are made in God’s image and likeness,
you are designed to work.
November 26
Motivation for Work It is through worship and

communion with God that mankind receives
vision, vocation, and work. Jesus, the Second
Adam, seemed to have two favorite words that
reflected God’s purposes for mankind. One of
those words was Father. He was always talking
about His Father in heaven and seeking His
presence in prayer. The other was work.
Jesus was intent on doing His Father’s work to completion.
We are to aspire to fulfill God’s purposes while developing and
using the gifts and talents He has given us. We aren’t to be
lazy; instead, we are to have visions for our lives and to be
willing to work so that they can be fulfilled. Our motivation for
work is to complete the purposes for which we were created.
Jesus said, I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not
because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the
loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but
for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will
give you. (John 6:26–27) In other words, there’s a higher
reason to work than simply providing for physical needs.
Again, don’t work just to pay bills. Don’t work only to buy
food. Understand the true nature of work. In the garden of
Eden, there was no supervisor, no one to hand out paychecks.
Work was given to Adam because it was a natural part of his
being. Through work, he fulfilled part of his purpose as a
human being created in God’s image.
Prayer: Father, You have revealed an exciting truth:
Work is a natural part of who we are.
As I work on this earth, I pray that Your favor would be
upon me and that You would establish the work of my hands.
Thought: Our motivation for work is to complete the purposes
for which we were created.
November 27
The Ability to Cultivate The third means of

providing for our visions is our God-given ability
to cultivate things. “The LORD God took the man
and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it
and take care of [cultivate] it” (Genesis 2:15).
God prefers cultivation to barrenness and
wilderness, and He has given us the ability to
cultivate as one way of reflecting His image.
Recall that in Genesis 1:2, God created or
cultivated the earth out of a “formless and
empty” state.
Let me tell you the story of Hog Island in the Bahamas. Years
ago, people used to dump garbage on the island, and wild hogs
used to scavenge through all the mess. Then, one day, a man
came to the Bahamas, flew over Hog Island, and saw
something there that no one else could see. He bought Hog
Island for practically nothing because the seller figured, “Oh,
it’s just hogs. You can have it.” This man, however, didn’t see
only hogs. He saw a resort. He cultivated Hog Island and made
it productive. Today, the island is a destination for vacationers.
It has a new name. It’s called Paradise. What a change! All it
took was someone to manage it.
You can cultivate what is around you and make it a resource
for your vision. That’s what we are doing at Bahamas Faith
Ministries. We bought a piece of barren land in the center of
the island at a very good price, and we are turning it into an
international leadership center. God wants people who can
dream and then act. Cultivate what you own to further your
vision.
Prayer: Father, open my eyes to the possibilities around me.
Show me what I can cultivate as a resource for my vision.
Thought: The gift of cultivation involves the ability to see
potential in what others view as wasteland.
November 28
The Ability to Reserve for the Future The fourth

way God provides for your vision is by giving you
wisdom to preserve and reserve for the future.
For example, Joseph was sent to Egypt ahead of
his brothers and his father Jacob because God
knew a famine was coming, and they would need
to be preserved. When poverty struck the land,
Joseph’s family would need a place to go to
survive and then prosper when times got better.
There are people whom God calls to be planters, and He will
send them ahead of you to prepare the way for you. In
addition, while we live on the daily bread God gives us, He also
wants us to plan for things in faith. Planning destroys worry.
God will teach you how to put things on reserve for the future.
He gave Joseph a reservation plan during the famine. Joseph
was able to harvest the grain during the seven years of
abundance and store it for the years of famine so that Egypt
and the surrounding lands would have food when the drought
hit.
A fifth way God provides for vision is by enabling us to help
future generations with their dreams. God not only wants you
to enjoy the wealth, but He also wants your children and
grandchildren to enjoy it, too. “A good man leaves an
inheritance for his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22). What
about your great-grandchildren? What is your vision of
inheritance for your descendants? God wants us to think
generationally. When He speaks to you, He is also talking of
your descendants and the generations that will follow you.
Prayer: Father, give me the wisdom to handle all
my resources well, so I may plan for the future.
Enable me also to leave an inheritance of spiritual
and material wealth for the needs of future generations.
Thought: God wants us to think generationally.
November 29
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision A principle we

talked about earlier needs to be reviewed here:
whatever God calls for, He provides for. God
provides what we need, but we are often involved
in the process. If you are a college student, your
parents may provide your tuition to go to school,
but they cannot make you learn. The provision is
made, but the work is up to you. Your parents
cook food and put it on the table for you, but you
have to eat it; you have to get the energy from it
yourself. It’s the same way with God. He
provides, but He doesn’t do the work for us. We
have to go after what He has provided as our
supply.
Now ask yourself the following questions: Has your definition
of prosperity changed as a result of the last two weeks of
readings? Why or why not? What resources do you need to
fulfill your vision? List them, and then trust God to provide for
all the needs of your vision as He has promised to do.
Prayerfully use the knowledge you have gained to receive
provision for your vision.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are truly
Jehovah-Jireh, our Provider. You show us that provision
and prosperity are so much more than an excess of money.
Godly prosperity includes personal peace and well-being.
It is a daily provision that reminds us not to worry about
tomorrow.
Your provision involves resources that will meet
the requirements of the visions You have given us.
The provision of spiritual blessings is available for us as well.
Father, we cannot thank You enough that
Your provision not only meets our needs, but also
goes exceedingly beyond what we can ask or imagine.
In the mighty power of Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought: God provides what we need, but we are
often involved in the process.
November 30
Principles of Provision for Vision Today, review

the following principles of provision for vision:
1.God often gives us dreams that initially
confound us because He wants to make sure we
don’t attempt to fulfill them apart from Him.
2. God will never give you a vision without the provision for it.
3. The
ability and resources are available for what you were born
to do, yet your provision is usually hidden until you act on
your vision.
4. God
has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places.
5. Prosperity
doesn’t mean that tomorrow’s need is met today; it
means that today’s need is met today.
6. True
prosperity means being free of worry and fear. It reflects
a state of contentedness that everything necessary is being
taken care of.
7. God has designed every purpose with its own prosperity.
8. Sometimes God doesn’t give us all the resources we need to
fulfill our visions because He has called other people to
provide them for us.
9. Your obedience to your vision affects not only your life, but
also the lives of those who will work with you.
10. When we go to heaven, most of us are going to be shocked
at what was ours for use on earth that we never asked for.
11. Specificways that God provides the resources to fulfill our
visions are: •Land and its inherent wealth •The ability to work
•The ability to cultivate •The ability to preserve and reserve for
the future •The ability to leave wealth for future generations
December
December 1
The Tenth Principle:
Use Persistence The tenth principle in our
Twelve Principles of Vision is that we must be
persistent if we are going to achieve the visions
God has given us. As I wrote earlier, you must
realize that obstacles are going to come against
you and your vision. Even though God gave the
vision, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to
obtain. Please don’t think that you are exempt
from this reality. When you decide to be
somebody, everything is going to try to get in the
way of your vision. You must be prepared for the
challenges, for they are coming.
God demonstrates persistence in His very nature. One word
that describes the essence of His nature is faithfulness. Psalm
89 declares, “You established your faithfulness in heaven
itself.…O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty,
O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you” (vv. 2, 8). God is
faithful because He is true to what He has decided to
accomplish, and nothing can stop Him. We need to manifest
this characteristic in our own lives.
Another word that helps us understand God’s nature in
relation to persistence in purpose is the word steadfast. Psalm
111:7–8 says, “The works of [God’s] hands are faithful and
just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are steadfast for
ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.” To be
steadfast means to stand fast or stand steady in the face of
resistance. If you are steadfast, when opposition comes, you
don’t turn and go back where you were. You push forward.
Opposition should strengthen your resolve and revive your
stamina.
Prayer: Father, You are faithful and steadfast in accomplishing
Your will in my life. Please give me the strength to stand fast
against resistance to my vision with godly persistence.
Thought: You must be persistent if you are going to achieve
the vision God has given you.
December 2
The Courage to Stand Courage is another key

word in regard to persistence. It is the ability to
stand up in the face of fear. In fact, it is
impossible to have courage without fear. In a
sense, if we don’t have any fear, we’re not living
in faith. That may sound like a strange statement,
but faith always demands that we do something
we know we can’t do on our own. This challenge
often causes us to be fearful at first.
Many times in the Bible, God’s people are encouraged to be
courageous. God told Joshua, Be strong and courageous,
because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore
to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very
courageous.…Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the
LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.(Joshua 1:6–7,
9) Why did God speak about courage several times to Joshua?
Clearly, Joshua must have been scared! Fear, however, is a
positive thing when it gives birth to courage. Moses also told
Joshua and the Israelite people, “Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid or terrified because of them [their enemies],
for the LORD your God goes with you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
If you’re afraid to step out in your vision because it’s so big,
then let your courage come to life as you trust God. Courage
says, “I’m afraid, but I’m still moving.” Jesus loves for us to do
the impossible because the impossible is always possible with
God. (See Matthew 19:26.) Prayer: Father, You have not given
us a spirit of fear.
Thank you that my courage can come to life
as I trust in You and Your power.
Thought: Courage is the ability to stand up in the face of fear.
Reading: Ezekiel 42–44; 1 John 1
December 3
Overcoming Challenges in Life During His time

on earth, Jesus showed us how to bring a vision to
pass in the midst of life’s challenges and
pressures. He faced problems and obstacles
similar to what you and I face today, yet His
vision came to pass. Jesus is our greatest Teacher
when it comes to learning how to overcome
challenges. No matter what your background is,
your relationship with your heavenly Father will
help you rise above your difficult circumstances
and fulfill your purpose.
Do you feel pressured by your family’s expectations to pursue
a certain career or lifestyle when you know that isn’t God’s
plan for you? You don’t always have to wait until you’re older
or “have it all together” before you know God’s will for your
life. Perhaps your parents have told you, “You are going to do
this,” but you feel called to do something else. Jesus faced a
similar challenge. When He was twelve, He knew what He was
born to do. Yet Jesus’ earthly parents didn’t understand His
vision, even when He said, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my
Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49; see verse 50). Then, when Jesus
grew older, His mother tried to push Him into fulfilling His
vision prematurely, and He had to tell her, “My time has not yet
come” (John 2:4). Even though Jesus respected and honored
His parents (see Luke 2:51–52), He had to follow God’s purpose
for His life. You must follow the vision God has given you. At
the same time, you should always show your family love and
respect.
Prayer: Father, please give me the strength to stand
strong for what I believe You have called me to do.
Yet always help me to speak the truth to others with Your love.
Thought: Jesus is our greatest Teacher when it comes
to learning how to overcome challenges.
December 4
Is Your Vision Larger Than Your Opposition?
Jesus experienced many forms of opposition. There were

people who continually schemed to make Him fail. There were
those who liked to set Him up for a fall by asking Him trick
questions. A crowd once tried to push Him off a cliff. The
religious leaders plotted to kill Him. Do you think people call
you names? They called Jesus names, too. They called Him
demon-possessed, illegitimate, a glutton, and a drunkard.
How did Jesus overcome? How did He succeed in His vision?
How did He finish the work the Father had sent Him to do
when He faced all that opposition? Jesus was able to remain
composed through all those trials because what He had in His
heart was bigger than all their threats, accusations, and insults.
He knew how to persevere with a dream. Likewise, the vision in
your heart needs to be larger than any opposition that comes
against you so you can persist in your life’s purpose.
When a person knows his purpose, if trouble comes, he can
smile and say, “This won’t last. With God, I’m tougher than
this.” When you draw on God’s strength, you are tougher than
your trials because you see them in a different light. You realize
that every point of resistance to your vision gives you the
opportunity to become wiser, not weaker. Let every opposing
force strengthen you rather than stop you. Peter said that trials
refine our faith and make us better. (See 1 Peter 1:7.) That is
why we can say, “Bring on the challenges!”
Prayer: Father, help me to persevere in my dream.
Establish the vision in my heart so that it is bigger than
any opposition that comes against me.
Thought: Let every opposition strengthen you
rather than stop you.
December 5
Destiny Demands Diligence Destiny demands

diligence. I recommend that you write that
statement down on a piece of paper and put it
where you can see it every day. If you are going
to quit after a couple of challenges, you will
never win. Persistence is withstanding all
opposition.
Nehemiah could have stopped his work on the wall of
Jerusalem because of all the problems, slander, and jeers, but
he was persistent. He was determined to complete his vision.
You will never be successful unless you have the spirit of
persistence. Persistence means that you insist on having what
you are going after; you stand up against resistance until you
wear it down; you make people who are against you so tired of
fighting that they either become your friends or leave you
alone; and you stop only after you’ve finished.
Again, how badly do you want your vision? Jesus told a
parable in Luke 18 about a persistent woman. She tirelessly
appealed to the judge with her request for justice until he said,
in essence, “Give it to her!” (See Luke 18:2–8.) God wants you
to do the same. He wants you to say, “Life, this belongs to
me.” If Life refuses, go back and say the same thing every day
until it eventually says, “Here, take it!” Many people lose
because they quit when Life says no the first time, but
persistent people win. They never take no for an answer when
it comes to their visions.
Prayer: Father, I have been tempted to give up
when I have experienced resistance to my vision.
Please help me to develop persistence and determination
to see my vision through to fulfillment.
Thought: Persistence is withstanding
all opposition.
Reading: Daniel 1–2; 1 John 4
December 6
Jesus Encourages Persistence The parable of the

woman and the judge that I mentioned yesterday
illustrates the power that persistence can have in
accomplishing what we truly desire. At another
time, Jesus told a similar parable that teaches us
that success comes to those who persist—not
only in the natural realm, but also in the spiritual
realm.
Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at
midnight and says, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I
have nothing to set before him.” Then the one inside answers,
“Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children
are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.” I tell
you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because
he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get
up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you: Ask and
it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the
door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives;
he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be
opened.(Luke 11:5–10) As you develop a spirit of persistence,
remember these truths about the nature of your Creator and His
own persistence in carrying out His purposes for you: •God is
faithful.
•God does not lie.
•God has established His Word.
•Your purpose is already completed in Him.
•God delights in you and considers you His child.
Prayer: Father, You are persistent in carrying out

Your good purposes in my life. Please help me to be persistent
in following after You and Your Word as I pursue my dream.
Thought: Jesus’ parables encourage us that success comes
to those who persist.
Reading: Daniel 3–4; 1 John 5
December 7
Fight Through to Victory Once, when I was

watching a boxing title match on television, one
of the boxers was getting beaten badly. At the end
of the sixth round, he stumbled back into his
corner and sagged on the stool as if he were a
sack of potatoes. In seconds, several men went to
work on him. One grabbed a bucket of water and
doused him with it. The next grabbed a soaking-
wet sponge and squeezed water all over his face.
Another applied ointment to soothe his wounds.
Even though he was getting trounced, they were
telling him, “You can do this. You can get back
out there. You’re better than he is!” One of the
men said, “Keep your left hook, okay? You can
get him with that left.” After about two minutes,
the boxer jumped up, saying, “Yeah! Oh, yeah!”
He ran back out there, and everything changed in
the seventh round. Guess who won? The one who
had been about to quit in the sixth round won the
fight and received the prize.
You may get beaten up pretty badly in life, but stay in the
fight. Fight until you feel the joy of victory. When you think
you’re going to lose and you stumble back into the corner of
life, the Lord will come and pour the cool water of His Word on
your head. He will take the ointment of the Holy Spirit and
bring healing to your wounds. He will rub life back into your
spirit so you can get back out there and start throwing blows.
Keep your left up. That’s persistence.
Prayer: Father, You encourage us in Your Word
to persist in fighting the good fight of faith.
Please strengthen me to stay in the fight so I may
experience the joy of victory in You.
Thought: Fight until you feel the joy of victory!
Reading: Daniel 5–7; 2 John
December 8
We Are Warriors We know that God wants us to

be fighters because the Bible calls us soldiers.
(See 2 Timothy 2:3–4.) We are spiritual warriors.
We are people of battle. The Bible also refers to
us as those who “wrestle” (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV).
This is because we don’t just receive medals
from God. We earn them. If God didn’t want you
to fight, He would have given you the medal
without the conflict.
The Bible says, “They overcame [Satan] by the blood of the
Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11).
Some people don’t have a testimony of overcoming. Their
testimony is, “I went through the fire, and I got burned. I went
under the water and almost drowned.” Other people are so
spiritually “clean-cut” that you know they have never had a
skirmish with the devil. Those who have a true testimony
usually don’t even have to talk about it because it is evident in
their lives.
The fight can be tough, but God says He will stay with you
and work out the steps of your vision.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or
hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or
sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us [and called us and gave us our
visions]. (Romans 8:35, 37) God has put so much in you that if
you are willing to capture it, nothing can stop you. There is not
enough darkness in the world to extinguish the light God has
put within you.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the light of
Your Holy Spirit within me.
Thank You for Your love, which gives me
the strength to fight the battles of life.
I know that I will be victorious in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thought: God has put so much in you that if you
are willing to capture it, nothing can stop you.
Reading: Daniel 8–10; 3 John
December 9
Character under Pressure P erseverance actually

means “to bear up under pressure.” I like this
quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, which actually
applies to all people: “A woman is like a tea bag.
You never know how strong she is until she gets
into hot water.” Successful people persevere
under pressure and use it for their own benefit.
People who have vision are stronger than the
pressure life brings.
I have discovered that sometimes you don’t get the scent
from the rose until you crush it. In order to draw the fragrance
of His glory from your life, God will allow you to be subject to
stress. We forget too easily that character is formed by
pressure. The purpose of pressure is to get rid of what is not of
God and to leave what is pure gold.
When God showed Abraham the land his descendants would
inherit, He told him that everything as far as he could see
would be his. However, the land was full of Moabites, Hittites,
Canaanites, and Amorites—the Israelites’ future enemies!
Likewise, whenever God shows us a vision, it is full of
“enemies” or opposition that we can’t see at first. Initially, the
vision looks great. But the enemies are still there. God doesn’t
show you the “ites” right away because He doesn’t want to
frighten you. He’s building up your faith to prepare you for the
time when you are ready to face the opposition and overcome
it. Therefore, don’t run—stay in the fight! There is no stopping
a person who understands that pressure is good for him
because pressure is one of the keys to perseverance.
Prayer: Father, help me to understand that character
is formed by pressure and is vital for victory.
Enable me to persevere under pressure and
to use it for the benefit of my vision.
Thought: Successful people persevere under pressure and
use it for their own benefit.
Reading: Daniel 11–12; Jude
December 10
Test Your Vision for Authenticity Let me

confess something to you: I wish I didn’t have to
be doing what I’m doing. I didn’t say that I don’t
want to. I said I wish I didn’t have to. That is not a
negative statement, just a realistic one, because I
know what the cost of my vision is going to be. In
the next twenty or thirty years of my life, I know
the cost is going to be high. That’s why I thank
God that, earlier in my life, I had the privilege of
observing firsthand the cost to another visionary,
who told me, “Myles, my son, get ready for the
price.” Because of that experience, I have been
prepared to accept the cost.
At times, you will find it difficult to remain in your vision. I
understand. At times, it’s tough for me to stay in mine. The
demands that God makes on my ministry are high because the
call requires it. Vision always demands a cost. Someone has to
pay the price. Are you willing to do it? We need to be like Paul,
who was obedient to the vision God had given him, even at
great sacrifice.
Every true vision will be tested for authenticity. If your vision
is authentic, life is going to try it, just to make sure. Don’t be
afraid when you make a declaration of what you’re going to do
in life and difficulty follows; that opposition comes to test your
resolve. If a vision is stopped by trials or tests, then perhaps it
was not really a vision from God. Be careful not to become
involved in superficial enterprises. Put the vision to the test.
Prayer: Father, testing my vision will make
certain that I am following Your purpose in my life.
I surrender to those tests with a heart of trust.
Thought: Every true vision will be tested for authenticity.
Reading: Hosea 1–4; Revelation 1
December 11
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision P ersistence is

vital for your vision to be successful. All of us
will encounter opposition and crises in life, but
these challenges don’t have to be setbacks. They
can be turning points at which our understanding
of and commitment to the vision is tested and
matured. A crisis can lead us to greater challenge
and victory. If you are encountering resistance to
your vision, be encouraged that your faith is
being strengthened. God is not only enabling you
to stand strong in the face of opposition to your
vision, but also to overcome it—to His glory and
praise.
Therefore, ask yourself the following questions: In what areas
of my life and vision am I in need of perseverance? What have
I given up on that I need to pick up again and continue with?
Ask God to develop faithfulness, steadfastness, and courage
in you.
Write down the saying “Destiny demands diligence,” and put
it where you can be reminded of it every day.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have shown
us
that destiny and vision demand diligence in our lives.
You graciously provide the vision and You generously
give us the resources. Yet You have still called us
to persevere for the good things in our lives.
You urge us not become weary in doing good
with Your promise that at the proper time
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Please strengthen us to be persistent.
Remind us daily that You have provided the Holy Spirit
to teach us, guide us, and give us the power to persevere.
Thought: Challenges to your vision don’t have to be
setbacks—they can be turning points.
December 12
Principles of Persistence in Vision
Today, reflect on these principles of persistence in vision:

1.Obstacles will come against you and your vision. You must
be persistent if you are going to achieve the vision God has
given you.
2.Faithfulness means being true to what you have decided to
accomplish and letting nothing stop you.
3.Steadfastness means to stand fast or stand steady in the face
of resistance.
4.Courage is the ability to stand up in the face of fear.
5.Fear is a positive thing when it gives birth to courage.
6.Even though there will be times of stress, disappointment,
and pressure, your vision will come to pass.
7.Every point of resistance to your vision comes to make you
wiser, not weaker. All opposition comes to strengthen you, not
to stop you.
8.Destiny demands diligence.
9.Many people lose because they quit when life says no the
first time, but persistent people win. They never take no for an
answer when it comes to their visions.
10.There is not enough darkness in the world to extinguish the
light God has put within you.
11.Perseverance means “to bear up under pressure.”
12.Character is formed by pressure. The purpose of pressure is
to get rid of what is not of God and to leave what is pure gold.
13.There is no stopping a person who understands that
pressure is good for him because pressure is one of the keys to
perseverance.
14.Vision always demands a cost.
15.Every true vision will be tested for authenticity.
December 13
The Eleventh Principle:
Be Patient P rinciple number eleven in our
Twelve Principles of Vision is that we must be
patient in seeing the fulfillment of our visions.
Again, it may take a while for your vision to
come to fruition, but if you are willing to wait for
it (which many people are not), it will come to
pass. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “Do not
throw away your confidence; it will be richly
rewarded. You need to persevere [“have need of
patience” KJV] so that when you have done the
will of God, you will receive what he has
promised” (Hebrews 10:35–36). People who
have steadfast patience will always win.
When some people make plans to carry out their visions, they
try to force those plans into their own timetable or their own
way of bringing them to pass. However, you cannot rush a
vision. It is given by God, and He will carry it out in His own
time. You may ask, “Then what is the reason for developing a
plan in the first place?” Remember that the reason you make
plans is to give you a direction to move in. You can modify the
plans, as necessary and appropriate, along the way—while still
keeping to the overall vision. We are not all-knowing, as God
is. We need to patiently rely on His guidance every step of the
way.
As I wrote earlier, when we first receive our visions, we are yet
not ready for them. We must learn to follow the subtle leading
of the Holy Spirit in our lives in which we “hear a voice behind
[us], saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21).
Prayer: Father, patience is one of the fruit
of the Spirit at work in our lives.
Please help me to wait patiently for
my vision’s fulfillment as You guide me daily.
Thought: People who have steadfast patience will always win.
December 14
The Fullness of Time While it is important to

establish deadlines for your goals, you must also
be willing to rearrange those deadlines. Be
assured that the vision is coming at just the right
time. God sent Jesus to be our Savior about four
thousand years after the fall of man. Humanly
speaking, that was a long time to wait. But He
came just as predicted and at just the right time.
The Bible says, But when the time had fully
come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born
under law, to redeem those under law, that we
might receive the full rights of sons. (Galatians
4:4–5, emphasis added) As long as you can
dream, there’s hope. As long as there’s hope,
there’s life. It’s crucial that you and I maintain our
dreams by patiently waiting for their fulfillment
in the fullness of time. James 1:4 says, “But let
patience have its perfect work, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (NKJV).
Others who have gone before us have had their
faith tested, and it has produced patience in them
(see verse 3) so that they were able to win the
race. Let us do the same. The writer of Hebrews
expressed it this way: Wherefore seeing we also
are compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the
sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run
with patience the race that is set before us.
(Hebrews 12:1 KJV) Prayer: Father, it is my desire
to let patience
do a perfect work in me, to make me mature in
You
and ready for my vision. Please work in my heart
and help me to develop a patient spirit.
Thought: As long as you can dream, there’s hope.
As long as there is hope, there’s life.
Reading: Joel; Revelation 5
December 15
Patience to Overcome When you are patient in

the fulfillment of your vision, you are able to be
calm in the midst of uncertainty. For example,
you can be at peace when everyone else is
worrying about being laid off. You can endure the
cross when you have seen the joy of the end of
your vision. (See Hebrews 12:2.) When you don’t
have vision, you complain about the cross. You
become frustrated about your position. You get
angry about your salary. You worry about holding
on to your job.
However, when you understand vision, you remember that
vision takes time and patience and often involves change. As I
wrote earlier, vision may constantly keep you unsettled, but it
will also keep you fluid and mobile, ready to take the next step.
When you keep company with God, you have to keep moving,
but you have the assurance that He is always with you along
the path toward your vision’s fulfillment.
Patience is also the key to power over adversity and turmoil. If
you threaten a man and he just waits, your threat is going to
wear off. The Bible says that a patient man is stronger than a
mighty warrior: “Better a patient man than a warrior, a man
who controls his temper than one who takes a city” (Proverbs
16:32). When I first read that verse, I found it hard to believe
that patience is more powerful than might. Then I came to
understand the power of patience. A patient person makes
others unsettled because they want that person to react to
them, to become angry—but he never does.
Do you see the fruit of patience working actively in your life?
Prayer: Father, help me to be patient in spirit
so that I can be calm in the midst of uncertainty,
and overcome the opposition of the proud in my life.
Thought: Patience is the key to power over
adversity and turmoil.
Reading: Amos 1–3; Revelation 6
December 16
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision Have you been

trying to force the timetable of the fulfillment of
your vision? If so, what have you learned about
patience in these last few days that will enable
you to trust God to fulfill the vision in His
timing? Encourage your spirit as you wait for
your vision to come to pass by committing these
verses to memory this week: But let patience
have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking nothing.(James 1:4 NKJV) We
do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate
those who through faith and patience inherit what
has been promised.
(Hebrews 6:12) You need to persevere so that
when you have done the will of God, you will
receive what he has promised.(Hebrews 10:36)
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, as
we consider patience,
we realize how often we are impatient with
the pace of our lives. When we pray and You
reveal
our visions, we want to see them done now.
Help us to understand how Your timetable is best
for us, no matter how impatient we may feel.
Many times, the psalmist David wrote about
waiting
for You, Lord, and he encourages us to do the
same.
We will learn to wait patiently for You, Lord,
and to trust that Your timing and
Your will are always perfect for our lives.
Thought: “Let patience have its perfect work.”
December 17
Principles of Patience for Vision Today, reflect

on these principles of patience for vision: 1.We
must be patient in seeing the fulfillment of our
visions.
2. “Donot throw away your confidence; it will be richly
rewarded. You need to persevere [“have need of patience” KJV]
so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive
what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35–36).
3. People
who have steadfast patience will always win. Patience
ensures the eventual success of your vision’s plan.
4. Wecannot try to force our visions into our own timetables.
Vision is given by God, and He will carry it out in His own time.
5. Yourvision will come to pass if you are willing to progress at
the vision’s pace.
6. When you are patient in the fulfillment of your vision, you are
able to be calm in the midst of uncertainty.
7. Vision takes time and patience and often involves change.
8. Patience is the key to power over adversity and turmoil.
9. Thetesting of our faith produces patience, and patience
perfects our spiritual character and leads to the fulfillment of
our visions. (See James 1:4.) 10. “Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”
(Hebrews 12:1 KJV).
December 18
The Twelfth Principle:
Have a Dynamic, Daily Prayer Life P rinciple
number twelve in our Twelve Principles for
Fulfilling Personal Vision is that, if you are going
to be successful in your vision, you must have a
daily, dynamic, personal prayer life with God.
Why? Because you need continual communion
and fellowship with the Source of vision.
Remember that you were born to consult God to find out His
purpose for your life so that you can discover your vision. Yet,
as the “Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End”
(Revelation 1:8 NKJV), God is not only the Author of your
vision, but He is also your continuing Support as you progress
toward its fulfillment. You will never achieve your vision
without prayer because prayer is what keeps you connected to
the Vision-Giver. Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you
are the branches....Apart from me you can do nothing.” If you
stay in touch with God, you will always be nourished in both
life and vision.
Prayer is the place where you can take all your burdens to
God and say, “God, I have to make it,” and He will say, “I’m
with you. What are you afraid of?” “The LORD is my light and
my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of
my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). God will
bring you through your difficulties and give you the victory
through prayer based on His Word.
Prayer means getting away from the noise and confusion of
life, but if you will let God encourage and refresh you, by the
time you have finished praying, you will be saying, “I’m ready
to go again!”
Prayer: Father, those whom we love, we want to see daily.
I want to fellowship with You each day and to have communion
with you in prayer. I know that You are my lifeline.
Thought: You must have a daily, dynamic, personal
prayer life with God.
Reading: Obadiah; Revelation 9
December 19
Encouragement for the Fight Through our

prayers, God encourages us to get back out into
the fight of faith. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who
hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They
will soar on wings like eagles; they will run
and not grow weary, they will walk and not be
faint.” Yes, you will become tired, and
sometimes you will want to quit. However, if you
are willing to bear up in prayer and stand before
God and say, “God, I’m hoping in You,” He will
give you strength.
A real fighter doesn’t wear his medals on his chest. He wears
them on his back. They are his scars. Only a few people will
know what it took for you to achieve your vision. Yet you must
be willing to take the scars if you want to wear the crown.
Believe me, a champion does not win every round, but if he
perseveres, he wins the match. Since prayer is where you
receive the ability to continue the fight, it is crucial for you to
find times during the day when you can go to God and say
things like, “God, I’m scared,” so that He can reassure you that
He is with you. He says, “Surely I am with you always”
(Matthew 28:20). When you hear that, it is enough. You are
able to say, “Let’s go back, Lord, and fight one more day.” You
can be victorious if you are willing to take what you are afraid
of to God in prayer.
Prayer: Father, like the apostle Paul, help me to
fight the good fight of faith. It is a fight that I believe
I can win because You are always there
to provide the power for victory.
Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Thought: Every champion does not win every round,
but if he perseveres, he wins the match.
Reading: Jonah; Revelation 10
December 20
Prayer Is the Essential Resource Without

prayer, you cannot get where you want to go.
There will be times when all you’ll have is prayer.
You won’t have any money, people, or resources
—just prayer. Yet that is all you need. God will
see you through.
When all the trouble and opposition came to Nehemiah, he
said to God, “Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God,
because of what they have done; remember also the
prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have
been trying to intimidate me” (Nehemiah 6:14). Nehemiah took
all his troubles and enemies to God in prayer. He didn’t write a
letter of complaint to the editor of the newspaper. He didn’t try
to justify himself. He prayed, and God answered his prayer to
deliver him. (See verses 15–16.) Likewise, when people attack
your dream, go to God. Don’t try to explain and give an answer
for everything because you can’t explain anything to critics.
Their motives are already contaminated, and they’ll use your
words against you. Instead, stay connected to your Source for
the renewal of your purpose, faith, and strength, and you will
be able to persevere to victory.
There are many days (and nights) when I stumble into my
prayer room and say, “God, if You won’t help me in this, I want
You to take me home to You.” Visions can be very demanding.
Sometimes you will wonder, “Am I ever going to make it?”
That’s a good time to run to God. “If the LORD delights in a
man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will
not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand” (Psalm 37:23–
24).
Prayer: Father, thank You that when things are difficult
and people attack my dream, I know I can run to You
for purpose, faith, strength, and protection.
Thought: When people attack your dream, go to God.
Reading: Micah 1–3; Revelation 11
December 21
Attached to the Power Supply In the Bahamas

where I live, we are located in an area called the
“hurricane zone.” During a monster storm in
2004, the electricity went out, and my wife and I
were left sitting in darkness. I reached for the
flashlight and surveyed the room. Then I took a
walk through the darkened house and checked
everything to make sure the shutters were
holding. As I examined the rooms with the
flashlight, I noticed the many items we had
accumulated that had become so important to us,
but that now were completely useless: the large-
screen television, VCR, CD players, air
conditioners, computers, printers, and other high-
tech “toys” we had purchased.
I stood there in the dark for a moment and thought about all
the power, potential, benefits, pleasure, and untapped
functions trapped in each of these items that were completely
useless to me at that moment. These things existed, but they
could not contribute to my present situation and life. The items
were filled to capacity with possibility, but they could not
deliver. Why? Because they were cut off from their source,
their power supply.
I then saw a true picture of mankind: a powerful creature full
of divine potential, talents, gifts, abilities, untapped capacity,
creativity, ingenuity, and productivity. But unless man is
connected to God, his true abilities lie dormant inside him. Man
can fulfill his true potential and maximize his full capacity only
by remaining connected to his Creator. Prayer and communion
with God give us the power we need to fulfill our purposes in
Him. Stay connected to your power supply.
Prayer: Father, thank You for creating me
with the potential to accomplish great things.
Please help me to recognize You as my only true power supply.
Thought: Stay connected to your power supply.
December 22
Action Steps to Fulfilling Vision There is

nothing more important in life than establishing a
daily prayer time or communion with God
through Christ. God should be the Source of all
that we do and are in life. Jesus reminded us that
without Him we can do nothing. (See John 15:5.)
Committing everything in our lives to God and
maintaining our relationship with Him through
prayer is the only way we can have true meaning
in our lives and fulfill the purposes for which we
were created.
Have you established a daily prayer time with God? In what
ways are you relying on God for your life and vision? In what
ways aren’t you relying on Him? Commit to prayer the areas in
which you aren’t currently relying on Him. Be honest with Him
about how you are feeling and allow Him to strengthen,
sustain, and encourage you through His presence and His
Word.
Let’s pray together: Prayer: Heavenly Father, we want to meet
with You
in prayer every day. Help us to know in our hearts
that throughout the day, we can bring our prayers
before You and know that You hear us.
May we never forget that You are always ready
to listen to our hearts’ cries.
Help us to remember to bring our needs to You first,
before we complain to others, or before we
allow our fears to discourage our hearts.
You are the One who gives our visions meaning and purpose.
May we long for communion
with You more and more each day.
Thought: God should be the Source of all
that we do and are in life.
December 23
Principles of Prayer for Vision
Today, reflect on these principles of prayer for your vision:

1.To be successful in your vision, you must have a daily,
dynamic prayer life with God.
2.God is not only the Author of your vision, but also your
continuing Support as you progress toward its fulfillment.
3.You will never achieve your vision without prayer because
prayer is what keeps you connected to the Vision-Giver.
4.If you stay in touch with God, you will always be nourished
in both life and vision.
5.Prayer sustains us in the demands of vision. God will bring
you through your difficulties and give you the victory through
prayer based on His Word.
6.Prayer encourages us to get back in the fight of faith.
7.Since prayer is where we receive the ability to continue the
fight, it is crucial for us to find times during the day when we
can go before God.
8.Prayer is the essential resource of vision. When people attack
your dream, go to God. Remain connected to your Source for
the renewal of your purpose, faith, and strength, and you will
be able to persevere to victory.
9.Prayer and communion with God give us the power we need
to fulfill our purposes in Him.
Reading: Nahum; Revelation 14
December 24
Seasons under Heaven
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything, and a

season for every activity under heaven.” Like the calendar
year, our lives have four seasons, and each of those seasons
must come to pass.
The first season is birth and dependency. All of us go
through this season in which we must rely totally on outside
help, particularly our families, for survival. We need to be
taught and trained in what is right and wrong and what is
important in life.
The second season is one of independence, in which we
capture what we were born to do. We no longer depend on
other people to give us a vision for life or to help us survive.
We focus in on our own goals.
The third season is interdependence. In this stage, we have
become so free in our visions that we can give our dreams to
other people. We can now pass on our visions to the next
generation.
The final season is death, where our lives become the
nourishment for other people’s dreams in succeeding
generations. If people can’t receive life from the legacy you
leave when you die, then you really didn’t live effectively.
People should be able to flourish on the fruit of the vision you
leave behind on earth.
Vision gives us assignments that will impact the earth. We
must be able to say we have changed the world in some way
while we were here and that we have left a mark for those who
will come after us. Let’s discover and pursue the visions God
has placed in our hearts.
Prayer: Father, there is a time for everything,
and our times are in Your hands.
You are Lord over all the seasons of our lives.
May each one of them bring glory to You.
Thought: Like the calendar year, our lives have four seasons,
and those seasons must come to pass.
Reading: Habakkuk; Revelation 15
December 25
Realizing Your Vision The ability to dream is the

greatest power on earth. The ability to see your
hope is the greatest motivator of humanity.
Without hope, life has no positive future, and
disillusionment becomes a way of life. The
ability to dream is the greatest power on earth
because it is the essence of true faith.
If you have a dream, or if you want to discover your vision,
remember this: God loves dreamers. He gives visions, and He is
attracted to people who love to dream big. In Genesis 37, God
introduces us to one of the biggest dreamers in the Bible.
Joseph had a dream from God that he was destined to be a ruler
or leader among men. Joseph may not always have handled his
vision correctly, but he trusted God, moved toward the dream,
and saw it come to pass. God loves a dreamer who is
surrendered to Him.
What is the difference between the dreamer who realizes his
dream and the dreamer whose dream becomes a nightmare of
unfulfilled hopes? The dreamer who succeeds is someone who
has a clear vision and acts on it. As long as a person can hold
on to his vision, then there is always a chance for him to move
out of his present circumstances and toward the fulfillment of
his purpose.
Be encouraged—God wants to see your dreams fulfilled in
Him!
Prayer: Father, the life of Joseph has always been
an excellent example of Your faithfulness.
It is also an example of a vision that comes alive in a
person’s life and is fulfilled through faith and perseverance.
I trust You that my vision will come alive
in my life and will be fulfilled as well.
Thought: The ability to dream is one of
the greatest powers on earth.
Reading: Zephaniah; Revelation 16
December 26
Draw Solid Blueprints for Your Life Commit to

the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will
succeed” (Proverbs 16:3). Most of us are trying
to construct our lives without any real thought or
planning. We are like a contractor who is trying
to construct a building without a blueprint. As a
result, our lives are out of balance and unreliable.
Discovering and implementing your personal vision is a
process of learning about yourself, growing in your
relationship with and knowledge of the Lord, and continually
fine-tuning your understanding of the vision God has given
you. It would be a good idea to review your personal vision on
a regular basis. At least every six months to a year, set aside a
block of time to pray and reevaluate where you are in relation
to your vision. You will add to or take away from certain
elements of your plan as God refines your understanding of
His purpose. Eventually, you will begin to see, “This is the real
thing!” However, if you never write out a life blueprint, then
God will have nothing to direct you in.
My prayer is that you will stop the construction of your life
right where it is and go back and draw solid blueprints that will
lead you where you want to go in life through the vision God
has put in your heart. Over the next several days, we will look
at guidelines for discovering and developing your personal
vision plan. I encourage you to use these last few days of this
year to write a plan for your life.
Prayer: Father, guide me as I write down
the vision for my life. I commit my plans to You.
Please help me to continue to fine-tune them
as I seek Your direction in prayer.
Thought: When you write your vision,
realize that it won’t be a finished product, but it will
be refined as God makes your purpose clearer.
Reading: Haggai; Revelation 17
December 27
How to Write Your Personal Vision Plan It is

time to write down your personal vision plan,
perhaps for the very first time. Even if you are
revising your plan, complete the following steps.
God has a wonderful blueprint to reveal to you.
Step One: Eliminate Distractions. Sit down somewhere by
yourself, away from any distractions and responsibilities, and
allow yourself some uninterrupted time to think and pray. Do
this as often as you need to as you develop your plan.
Step Two: Find Your True Self. Until you know who you are,
why God created you, and why you’re here, life will simply be a
confusing experiment. Answering the following questions will
help give you clarity and confidence in regard to your personal
identity. Write down your answers to these questions, taking
the time to answer them with much thought. You may also want
to review the previous devotionals on finding out who you are
in God.
•Who am I?
•Who am I in relation to God?
•Where do I come from as a person?
•How have I been created like my Source? (See Genesis
1:26–28.) •Why am I here?
Write out your personal purpose statement. Ask yourself,
“What is my reason for existence as a human being and as an
individual?” (You may be able to answer this question only
after you have completed the other steps. However, you may
also want to write an answer now and then compare it with
what you think after you have gone through the rest of the
questions.) Prayer: Father, I am trusting You for Your clear
guidance in developing my vision plan. Reveal my true self to
me as You have designed me. Thank You for leading me in the
way I should go.
In the precious name of Jesus, amen.
Thought: God has a wonderful blueprint to reveal to you.
Reading: Zechariah 1–4; Revelation 18
December 28
Finding Your True Vision Let us continue with

the steps in writing your personal vision plan.
Step Three: Find Your True Vision. Prayerfully answer the
following questions, and you’ll be amazed at the way God will
begin to open your mind to His purpose and vision for you.
You’ll begin to see things that you’ve never seen before. Write
them down, read them over, think about them, pray about them,
and begin to formulate ideas of what you want out of life. Ask
yourself the following: •What do I want to do with my life?
•What am I inspired to do?
•What would I want to do more than anything else, even if I
was never paid for it?
•What do I love to do so much that I forget to eat or sleep?
Allow yourself to think freely. Don’t put any limitations of
time or money on your vision. Because many of us are
influenced by others’ opinions of us and by our own false
expectations for ourselves, it may take you a little time to
discover what you really want. Persevere through the process
and dig down deep to find your true desires.
Step Four: Discover Your True Motivation. A vision from God
is never selfish. It will always help or uplift others in some way.
It is designed to make the lives of mankind better and to
improve society. It inspires and builds up others. Ask yourself
the following and write down your answers: •How does my
vision help others?
•What is the motivation for my vision?
•Why do I want to do what I want to do?
•Can I accomplish my vision and still have integrity?
Prayer: Father, open my heart and my mind to Your purpose

and vision for my life. Give me a heart to uplift others in all that
I do.
Thought: A vision from God is never selfish.
December 29
Principles for Life Today, we will look at steps

five and six to writing down your personal vision
plan.
Step Five: Identify Your Principles. Your principles are your
philosophy of life. In other words, they are how you intend to
conduct yourself during your life. You must clarify what you
will and won’t do. These principles are your guides for living,
doing business, relating to other people, and relating to life.
You must settle them in your heart and mind so that you will
have standards to live by.
The Ten Commandments are great principles and a good
starting point for developing your own principles. For example,
you could write, “On my way to my vision, I will not steal, lie,
or bear false witness; I won’t worship any god but God
Almighty; I will not commit adultery; I will not covet,” and so
on. Write out your life principles.
Step Six: Choose Your Goals and Objectives. Goals are the
steps necessary to fulfill your vision. What practical things do
you need to do to accomplish your dream? Goals are clear
markers that indicate where you need to go. Write out your
goals.
Objectives are the detailed steps of your goals. They
determine when you want things to happen. You must clearly
delineate what you need to do and when you need to do it in
order to get to where you want to go. For example, if you want
to open a mechanics shop, and one of your goals is to go to
school to learn mechanics, some of your objectives will be to
choose a school, fill out an application, and start classes.
Objectives should include specific timetables. Write out your
objectives.
Prayer: Father, put Your laws in my mind and write them
in my heart as my standard of conduct and living.
Thought: Goals are clear markers that indicate
where you need to go, the steps necessary
to fulfill your vision.
December 30
Identifying Resources Here is the seventh step

to take when writing down your personal vision
plan.
Step Seven: Identify Your Resources. You now need to
identify all the resources you will need to accomplish your
vision.
Identify your human needs. What help do you need from
others to fulfill your vision? What kind of personal
associations do you need to have—and not have?
Identify your resource needs. What kinds of resources do
you need to fulfill your vision? Don’t worry about how large
they may seem. Write them down.
Write down your strengths. What are your gifts? What do
you know you are good at? Write down your answers, and
then make plans to refine your strengths. For example, if your
vision requires that you must speak before large groups of
people, you have to start stepping out and doing it. You don’t
know what you can do until you have to do it. Some amazing
gifts come out of people when they are under pressure.
Write down your weaknesses. What does your vision need
that you aren’t good at? Don’t be ashamed of your
weaknesses, because everyone has something he is not good
at. However, you must identify them because God will supply
other people to do what you cannot do toward your vision.
Remember, you need other people in your life because your
vision cannot be fulfilled by you alone.
Prayer: Father, show me my strengths and weaknesses,
and where I need others to help fulfill
the vision You have given me.
Thank You for supplying all of my needs, including people,
even before I knew I had need of them.
Thought: Some amazing gifts surface and develop
only when people are under pressure.
December 31
Commit to Your Vision On this last day of the

year, we come to the concluding step in writing
out your vision plan.
Step Eight: Commit to Your Vision. You will never fulfill your
vision if you are not committed to it. You will need to make a
specific decision that you are going to follow through,
acknowledging that God may refine your plans as He leads you
through the process. Also, commit your vision to God on a
regular basis. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the LORD
whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
• Commit to your vision.
• Commit your vision to God.
• Remember, God will bring your vision to fulfillment!
I have shared my vision openly in these devotional pages.

My purpose is to inspire and encourage leadership and vision
in the lives of people all over the world, and I am especially
committed to doing so with the people of Third-World
developing nations.
Life was designed to be lived intentionally and on purpose,
but most of the people of the world exist under circumstances
beyond their control. They live by duress rather than destiny.
For most, history has robbed them of the capacity to dream and
to live with hope for a better future. “Where there is no vision,
the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18) could describe many of the
developing Third-World nations, where a lack of national pride,
a poor work ethic, a culture of corruption, and the citizenry’s
loss of hope are pervasive. We need the emergence of
leadership that can see beyond their personal gain and capture
a God-inspired vision of their nations that incorporates the
aspirations of the people and their right to pursue their
personal dreams and visions. I believe the key is visionary
leadership. May the principles in this book be a source of
igniting the passion of purpose in the hearts of this very
special and unique group of people.
Reading: Malachi; Revelation 22
My Prayer for You Heavenly Father,
In Your abundant grace, inspire these readers to discover,
pursue, and fulfill the visions in their hearts and maximize the
potential trapped within them, potential that was buried in the
historical grave of low self-esteem and self-doubt. May they
dream dreams that inspire their children to dream and have
visions of a better world. May their visions become reality and
impact those who are not yet born. May the Third World live
up to its destiny and set an example for all the world to see.
May each and every one see farther than their eyes can look.
In the powerful, matchless name of Jesus, amen.
About the Author
Dr. Myles Munroe is an international motivational speaker,

best-selling author, educator, leadership mentor, and consultant
for government and business. Traveling extensively
throughout the world, Dr. Munroe addresses critical issues
affecting the full range of human, social, and spiritual
development. The central theme of his message is the
maximization of individual potential, including the
transformation of followers into leaders and leaders into agents
of change.
Dr. Munroe is founder and president of Bahamas Faith
Ministries International (BFMI), a multidimensional
organization headquartered in Nassau, Bahamas. He is chief
executive officer and chairman of the board of the International
Third World Leaders Association and president of the
International Leadership Training Institute.
Dr. Munroe is also the founder and executive producer of a
number of radio and television programs aired worldwide. In
addition, he is a frequent guest on other television and radio
programs and international networks and is a contributing
writer for various Bible editions, journals, magazines, and
newsletters, such as The Believer’s Topical Bible, The African
Cultural Heritage Topical Bible, Charisma Life Christian
Magazine, and Ministries Today. A popular author of over
forty books, his works include The Purpose and Power of
Authority, The Principles and Benefits of Change, Becoming a
Leader, The Spirit of Leadership, The Principles and Power of
Vision, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer,
Understanding the Purpose and Power of Woman, and
Understanding the Purpose and Power of Men.
Dr. Munroe has changed the lives of multitudes around the
world with a powerful message that inspires, motivates,
challenges, and empowers people to discover personal
purpose, develop true potential, and manifest their unique
leadership abilities. For over thirty years, he has trained tens of
thousands of leaders in business, industry, education,
government, and religion. He personally addresses over
500,000 people each year on personal and professional
development. His appeal and message transcend age, race,
culture, creed, and economic background.
Dr. Munroe has earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from Oral
Roberts University and the University of Tulsa, and he has
been awarded a number of honorary doctoral degrees. He has
also served as an adjunct professor of the Graduate School of
Theology at Oral Roberts University.
Dr. Munroe and his wife Ruth travel as a team and are
involved in teaching seminars together. Both are leaders who
minister with sensitive hearts and international vision. They are
the proud parents of two college graduates, Charisa and Chairo
(Myles, Jr.).

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Table of Contents

In a world of instability, uncertainty, unpredictability, fear,

The Greatest Common Denominator P rayer is

Consider this scenario: the day after he made a personal

God Is Faithful to Answer God is faithful to

What is the purpose of prayer? Doesn’t God do whatever He

Let Us Make Man in Our Image God said, “Let

We Were Created for Dominion God created

Man’s Dominion on the Earth God has entrusted

We Are God’s Offspring When God created

Tragedy came to mankind when Adam and Eve turned their

Who prayed the first prayer? I would say Adam, since he

Prayer Is Essential for God’s Will Our need to

God’s Purpose for Your Life P raying does not

Prayer Is Exercising Our Authority When we

Broken Relationship, Broken Effectiveness God

Putting Prayer into Practice In the coming

Principles of Purpose for Prayer Today, reflect

The Right to Pray We know that God instituted

God’s Purposes Reflect His Character God’s

God’s Redemption through Jesus From the

Thought: The Father has accomplished His eternal purpose

Reading: Exodus 4–6; Matthew 14:22–36

Jesus Is the Second Adam As the Second Adam,

Jesus Reigns with Authority Just as Adam and

Jesus Transferred Authority The position and

Accept Your Authority in Christ Many believers

Delivered from Darkness Satan became the god

Jesus Is Our Model of Authority Jesus reclaimed

In a previous devotional, I asked, “What gives you the right

Putting Prayer into Practice For several days, we

Today, reflect on these principles of authority in prayer:

To pray, we must enter into God’s presence with the right

Enter with a Pure Heart To seek God, we need

Holiness and Integrity Holiness means “one”—

A Kingdom of Priests When God told Moses,

A Faithful Priest Forever Yesterday, we saw that

A New Nation of Priests When God told

Entering His Presence as Priests Aaron, the first

Receiving Forgiveness To receive forgiveness,

Aaron’s priestly preparation for entering the presence of God

Putting on Truth and Honesty Let us look again

Before Aaron put on the sacred garments of the priesthood,

The Power of Jesus’ Blood Romans 3:25 says,

Give God the Glory Aaron “shall also burn the

Putting Prayer into Practice Today, let’s take

A Lifestyle of Prayer Of all the things Jesus’

The great Reformation leader Martin Luther said something

Prayer Saves Time P rayer saves you time. Many

My Father Is Always at Work One day, Jesus

Manifesting God’s Thoughts Words are an

Jesus Was Naturally Supernatural When God

Thought: God will speak to Your spirit; just turn your

Reading: Numbers 15–16; Mark 6:1–29

Common-Union with the Father Jesus wants us

Prayer Does Not Come Automatically For the

In Luke 11:2, Jesus began to teach His disciples to pray. This

Our Model for Prayer Jesus taught His disciples

Our Father in Heaven Our Father in heaven”

It’s Your Kingdom, Lord Your kingdom come.

The Lord’s Provision Is Daily Give us day by

And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is

Jesus made it clear that we can’t bring an unforgiving heart to

Thought: We can’t do business at a holy altar