Doubt, The Ungrateful Heart, And Prosperity In All Things
Beloved, I know you struggle in some things and not in others. Often the things you struggle with are connected to or related to your past experiences…connected to areas where you did not find success…areas where you were not loved or approved of and so on. It is in these areas you do not have the wisdom, confidence or sense of hope that you need. It is in these areas where the manifest outworking of who I am in You is not present because what you believe is based on what you have experienced or seen and not on the truth found in My Word.
In spite of all the prayers you have prayed and all the doings you have done, you still struggle to overcome. In spite of all My promises about prosperity in every area of your life, including the financial, you still wonder at times where I will get the resources to meet your emotional and physical needs.
Though you have seen My hand in one area, you still doubt Me in another. Do you not know a little bit of doubt leads to complete unbelief if not evicted by taking your thoughts captive and choosing to glorify My name through thanksgiving and praise? A little bit of doubt is like leaven. All it takes is a drop…a small bit in comparison to the whole to spoil the entirety of what I have done and am willing to do.
I have made you beautiful and prosperous…a crown of glory and honor in My hand…made you exceedingly beautiful in My hand (Isaiah 62:3). Therefore, put all things, including your negative thoughts, into My hand and watch them be transformed into jewels befitting to adorn any crown. My thoughts of love and affection are resting upon you, and I am bestowing My grace, so receive.
It Is Finished
Beloved, all it takes to enable trains of doubt and unbelief to leave the station is to let little foxes have entrance for they, if left unattended, open the door to the enemy little by little until it is wide open. I died for your victory in every area from the miniscule to the catastrophic. Take some time to practice on the miniscule and you will have the faith for the bigger than life. It takes no more effort or power on My behalf to intervene in the impossible than it does to intervene in what according to your perception and perspective seems to be more possible.
Though you find yourself successful in so many ways, often you tend to focus not on what I have done but what I haven’t done. I have already done everything or I wouldn’t have said, “It is finished!”
I know it is the tendency of human nature to focus on the negative and not the positive…to forget the good things I have accomplished in and for you. When you forget it is most important to remember that I have accomplished all things necessary and now sit at the right hand of the Father to ever intercede on your behalf (Romans 8:34). I am your great intercessor and even now as you read this I am interceding on your behalf. Selah.
Beloved, always have a grateful heart for you are beautiful to Me as I hold you in My hand…as I ponder with great delight the engraving of your name in the palm of My hand (Isaiah 49:16; Isaiah 62:3). Do not forget Me in your trouble or your prosperity for I am indeed the God who prospers you in all things and in every way.
Focus on the positive and let faith build and build and build until the deserts of your life give way to a parting of the sea. Shut the door to any doubt or unbelief. Come into the place I have prepared for you…a place of ever-present communion and all will be well.
Leaving Egypt With A Forever Thankful And Faithful Heart
Beloved, I warned My children as they transitioned from a life of bondage in Egypt, after their journey through the wilderness, not to forget Me when they entered the land of milk and honey and yet in time they did. What is the lesson to be learned in all I have been saying?
Remember the good things I have done and use them as fuel to ignite your heart…to ignite your faith in difficult times or overcome those little foxes before they make mountains out of molehills. Thanksgiving and praise are a must in order to remember what I have done so the leaven of doubt cannot spoil the promise. The only way to store old manna is through a thankful heart which makes way for increased faith…this is the proper way to value daily manna…daily provision…to remember and be thankful.
I gave My children manna in the desert. When the dew fell in the night manna fell with it. It fell ready for the eating…ready to build faith in their hearts on a daily basis. Seasoned with the honey of Heaven and having the appearance of precious stones, it came as the bread I desired for them to eat (Exodus 16:15; Exodus 16:31; Numbers 11:7 AMP).
I gave them instruction, manna and water to drink. I took care of every need until there was no more need once they entered the Promised Land. Manna ceased on the day they ate of the fruit of the land. I desired for My past provision to so build faith that they could conquer any giant and never give way to a mindset of bondage ever again. Yet, they wondered so many times about My faithfulness even though the ground shone with provision…shone with new mercies each and every morning.
Though My children ate manna in the desert they still died….though they ate manna seasoned with Heaven’s honey…thought they received instruction and did not thirst, they still died. Now there is a more excellent way. I have given My Son as eternal manna for you and all your generations. He gave Himself to be partaken of as the Fresh Bread of Heaven on a moment by moment basis.
Beloved, no longer is it necessary to wait for the dew to fall in order to have fresh manna. You now have ever-present living manna, Holy Spirit instruction and Living Water on a moment by moment basis. The choice is yours…to eat from the manna of negative thinking which leads to death or the manna of communion with Me which overcomes the little foxes and cast mountains into the sea.
The Oil Of Joy And The Power That Works Within Us
Beloved, I have given a future and a hope to all My children…and that includes you. Don’t tune Me out because you have heard me say this so many times before. The days and times you are living in dictate the necessity to remind those I love of so many things they may have forgotten or somehow think do not apply to them because somehow they have arrived. You will never in the truest sense arrive until you cross over.
Just let one moment of trouble erupt on the scene and most find out how full their lamps are. I am here to fill your lamps with old truths now flowing in streams of new oil. You must have enough to light the way. Therefore, be radiant with joy
The key to future prosperity in every arena is recognizing and being grateful for what I have already done which builds faith to know I will do more abundantly above all you could ask or think. In fact, I have already done so. Expressing a grateful heart in one area can water and fertilize the soil of another need.
Therefore, today is as good a day as any to repent for doubting Me in any area of your life even if it might seem small and insignificant. Yes, today is a good day to start giving thanks for what I have done in all parts of your life both big and small.
Beloved, if you find yourself being so negative you can’t think of a thing in the natural to be thankful for, just start by thanking Me for being in your life and caring enough to tell you this…for caring enough to want and desire to see you walk in the victory I died to give you.
Yes, I love you with an everlasting love and the little things of your life you struggle with are just as important to Me as any other struggle you have or ever will have. Greater am I in you than he who is in the world. Come and give Me praise and see the fountains of the deep ( the power that works within you) open up to fill your lamps with eternal oil capable of lighting even the most obscure path (Ephesians 3:20). There are many who need to see the way…there are many who mourn in Zion and need consolation that they might not languish…there are many who need you.
Fine Tuning And Shoring Up The Foundations Of Your Faith
Yes Beloved, You must come and give Me praise for the great things I have done…things I have done for you and for those your love…things I have done for those around you. There is always something to rejoice for if you are willing to do so.
I know how sometimes hard things come in what seems like wave upon wave and thoughts of Job enter your conscience thinking. When this happens the tendency is to focus on the negative and not on the end result of Job’s suffering which was the manifestation of multiplied blessing…a blessing of more than enough.
Interestingly enough, it is just as easy to become dull and ill prepared when blessings come in waves. The greatest danger is apathy and self-reliance if one does not cultivate a thankful heart in both the good and bad. These days are days of fine-tuning and shoring up the foundations in preparation for the coming rains.
It is important to remember I am your God of provision and multiplication. Everything I touch multiplies into a profusion of blessing and provision. Even evil is turned for good in My hand. How much more could anyone ask for?
It is often easy to limit Me by looking at the limited resources of the world and those in it…to look at a person you struggle with and limit Me according to the issues at hand. In doing this, you give more power to the situation or person than Me who put the universe in place(good)…to Me who hung the starry hosts.
The limited resources that you or those you love experience are not daunting to Me. What is a troubled economy to one who holds the worlds in His hand? Selah.
Prayer Of Supplication And Declaration
Lord, help me to recognize the little leaven in my life that leads to doubt and unbelief. Forgive me for allowing the little foxes to come in and open the doors of negativity in my thought life. I will take every thought and vain imagination into captivity according to Your word. I choose to glorify Your name with praise and thanksgiving for all You do. I choose to focus on the good things in life and all the wonderful things You have done for me. Give me wisdom in the areas where I struggle to understand. By faith, I acknowledge my freedom in the area of negative thinking. I replace all ungodly thoughts with the truth of Your Word and I praise You for helping me to grow in knowledge and faith.
Increase my confidence in You and strengthen my sense of hope in Your faithfulness. We are living in a time when men’s hearts will fail them for fear. I will trust in You Lord, for I know You are always true. I will not allow doubt and unbelief to rob me from my faith in You. I will focus on You Lord, for truly as I keep thoughts on You, You will keep my heart and mind in perfect peace. I set my affections on things above as I keep my focus on You, Lord. I release all areas of struggle and negative thinking into Your hands and receive the adoring affections of Your heart for me. I receive grace abundant.
Lord, I choose today to once again trust in Your faithfulness…choose to trust in the goodness of Your heart regardless of what I face in these days and times. Time is indeed subject to You for You are way bigger than life. So many times I tend to put You within the confines of time, situations and circumstance, but You are above them all…in fact You are outside of time itself. Teach me to walk with Your faith…Your hope…Your love and I will indeed overcome. I never want to gauge an outcome based on my own judgment of what is possible or impossible. Instead, I surrender to the Truth and not a lie based on doubt and unbelief…based on past mistakes or struggles.
May I never forget the wonderful works You have done in my life as I stand before the Red Seas of my own walk out of bondage…out of the wilderness…out of the past into the prosperous land of milk and honey You have for me. May I never presume how all Your plans for me will unfold. May I forever trust only what You share with my heart. Should I doubt or presume, I might miss the very best. Therefore, I thank you for interceding on my behalf and for the marvelous victories which are and will be flowing as You hold me in the palm of Your hand.
Today, I declare all negative thoughts which lead to doubt and unbelief to lose their hold on my heart and mind. I embrace comfort in knowing You are ever-interceding for me and the purposes of my life. I confess I am prosperous in every way according to who you made me to be. All is truly “finished.”
Lord, thank you for making a way out of bondage…for making a way out of Egypt and placing me in the land of milk and honey…for taking me out of the kingdom of darkness and placing me in the Kingdom of Light. May I always remember the constant demonstration of your faithfulness I have experienced throughout my life. I offer you a thankful and contrite heart. I offer you a grateful heart full of praise and adoration for all the manna You have given me from the smallest bite to the greatest feast.
Father, Your children ate of manna in the desert; yet, when they entered into the Promised Land forgot about Your faithfulness and provision. They forgot about Your new mercies and how they fell with the honey sweetened dew of Heaven. I pray I never forget…that I never forsake a thankful heart and remain ever grateful for all You have done.
It is my heart’s desire to eat from Your hand…to drink from Your living water and to walk according to Your instruction with a grateful and obedient heart. Therefore, I choose to ignite my faith by rehearsing the good things You have done…to speak them with faith-building courage. All giants in the land of my life are being conquered as my mind is steadfastly set on You. My life is shining with new mercies like the jewel like manna glistened on the desert ground. When I feast on the manna of communion with You, as I do, the little foxes are vanquished….as I do my mountains are cast into the sea.
Lord, thank you for making a way out of bondage…for making a way out of Egypt and placing me in the land of milk and honey…for taking me out of the kingdom of darkness and placing me in the Kingdom of Light. May I always remember the constant demonstration of your faithfulness I have experienced throughout my life. I offer you a thankful and contrite heart. I offer you a grateful heart full of praise and adoration for all the manna You have given me form the smallest bite to the greatest feast.
Father, Your children ate of manna in the desert; yet, when they entered into the Promised Land forgot about Your faithfulness and provision. They forgot about Your new mercies and how they fell with the honey sweetened dew of Heaven. I pray I never forget…that I never forsake a thankful heart and remain ever grateful for all You have done.
It is my heart’s desire to eat from Your hand…to drink from Your living water and to walk according to Your instruction with a grateful and obedient heart. Therefore, I choose to ignite my faith by rehearsing the good things You have done…to speak them with faith-building courage. All giants in the land of my life are being conquered as my mind is steadfastly set on You. My life is shining with new mercies like the jewel like manna glistened on the desert ground. When I feast on the manna of communion with You, as I do, the little foxes are vanquished….as I do my mountains are cast into the sea.
Lord, You are my Beloved. You are the one I truly love. There is no one I would rather praise…no one with whom I would rather be. Many times I have failed to acknowledge the goodness of Your heart and have found myself in a complaining or murmuring state of mind and attitude. I have often felt overwhelmed at the waves of life when they began crashing in on the shores of my heart. I have even been sidetracked by series of little things and let my frustrations get the best of me. For this, I repent and let go of all frustration and anxiousness. I embrace a heart of praise and allow peace to rule and reign in my heart.
Lord, I will not fear the arrow that flies by day or the pestilence that comes at noonday, for I belong to the One who formed the world with a Word and holds them together in the palm of His hand.
I bless you Lord with an upright and steadfast heart as I stand on the Rock of my salvation. You are not limited and because I am in You, I am not limited either. If I am in any way limited it is through doubt and unbelief which I forsake. Let doubt and unbelief be far from me according to the words of my mouth. Let the good things of Your heart be multiplied and may blessings flow to and from me regardless of what it looks like in the natural. Yes Lord, I am forever at peace in You, for what the enemy means for evil You use for good. What more could I ask for than to be be found in You. Amen.
Reflect and Journal
A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough (Galatians 5:9 NASB)
But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed] (1 Corinthians 2: 9 Amplified)
You shall also be [so beautiful and prosperous as to be thought of as] a crown of glory and honor in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem [exceedingly beautiful] in the hand of your God (Isaiah 62:3 Amplified)
- What areas do you struggle with which are connected to past experiences where you were not successful?
- Is there an area in your life where your struggle with something related to a relationship where you were not loved or approved? Start overcoming any negative impact by forgiving them…by placing them and their actions into My hand. Remember, I am the God of the impossible…it is my specialty.
- Contemplate on how thanking the Lord with a grateful heart on an ongoing basis for the things you have overcome can give you faith in areas of struggle.
- Are you willing to shut the door to any doubt and unbelief when thoughts come that have the power to exalt themselves above the knowledge of the word of God concerning you or those you love? Write down what shutting the door means to you personally…write some practical steps you can take to facilitate a breakthrough in your own life by letting go.
- Pick one miniscule thing with which you seem to always struggle. Find some Scriptures which state God’s perspective on the matter. Confess, repent and embrace His truth each time the thought or struggle raises its negative head. Ask the Lord to live this truth through you. So many times we simply try and imitate something on the outside without understanding He wants to live it through us. I pray the Lord gives you revelation on how being in communion with Him enables you to live out the truths of His Word by allowing Him who dwells in you to live through you.
- Make a list of things you are grateful for…things you have overcome as He has lived His life out through you. Mediate on the things you are grateful for by giving the Lord adoration and praise. No matter what you struggle with or how you are suffering there are things to be thankful for…things to build faith within your own heart. Self-pity (which is so easy to give way to if we are not careful) is a choice and opens the door to extreme measures of doubt, unbelief and a victim mentality…which in turn leads to self-justification. Nothing good comes from such a cycle. Therefore, embrace thanksgiving and praise…embrace forgiveness and see what the Lord can and will do.
- What lessons have you or can your learn from the children of God and the manna they received in the desert on a daily basis?
- In what ways do you have a tendency to forget the good manna He has given you in your lifetime?
- How has your perspective of the things God has done for you changed by reading this devotion? How on a practical level can you value the things He has done in a more faith-building way?
- Have you ever thought of the blessings and goodness you have received as ingredients for future success?
- Once again, write a list of things you are grateful for that the Lord has done for you personally. You can never have too much practice and the time has come to build a habit of gratefulness.
- What area in your life do you need to repent for doubting the Lords faithfulness?
- God cares about the big and the small areas of your life. Therefore, in the areas that you struggle with, are you willing to let God intervene? Reflect on His goodness and faithfulness and how they have been manifested in so many areas of your life. Praise Him and invite Him to take care of the other areas you struggle with, casting your cares on Him for He cares for you.
- What does the “power that works within you” “having your lamp full of oil” mean on a personal basis and how does it apply to your everyday life?
- What have you found yourself complaining or murmuring about or how have you neglected time with the Lord in the face of blessing? Either can have ramifications which hurt your relationship with the Lord. Selah.
- Do you have a person on whose behalf you long to see the Lord move? Have you looked at this person with an “it’s impossible” feeling or attitude…have you limited the move of God because of the way the person acts, and deemed it impossible even though, for the most part you wouldn’t want to admit it?
- What part of your foundational relationship with the Lord needs shoring up…needs some one on one time with Him?
- Contemplate how it is impossible for One who hung the stars being in anyway limited when it comes to your situation or the desires and dreams of your heart.