Wield Your Sword!

The story of David and Goliath shows how good triumphs over evil no matter how big the problem. David was prepared to confront Goliath because he had already experienced victories as a shepherd. David’s father trusted him to watch over his flocks. That meant David cared for their needs and protected them.

David loved the sheep, so when a lion and a bear came after them, David killed them. This was a huge accomplishment for David, but God was with him. God had plans for David.

Have you ever had debilitating fear? When the devil can’t break you with one weapon, he will try everything he can to tear you down. Six years ago he tried fear and anxiety with me. He starting painting pictures in my mind that convinced me of death. When I overcame one attack, he would send another. He never let up. He came after my peace and confidence.

I had to learn to stand and resist my attacker like David did. David wasn’t going to let a lion or a bear destroy the flocks. The fear I felt, and the sickness that came were like the lion and bear. David used his past victories to know God would provide another victory. He saw Goliath as just another beast to conquer. “Not on my watch,” David declared. He knew God would deliver him again. The devil’s attackers are sent to destroy us. I’ve had to learn to say “No! Never! You are done!” 

The devil will harass and use any weapon to make us so tired that we give up. His purpose it to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give us an abundant life. This is the very reason we must hide the Word in our hearts. 

We all will have trouble in this world. The Word is God’s weapon to fight the devil’s lies and schemes. Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me.”

We all have lies of the enemy that come against us. No weapon formed against us shall prosper, nor will the accusations and condemnations of the devil tear us down. We have a better weapon. He is the living God, and His Word, Jesus Christ, lives in us. We can shut down the devil’s lies and tricks. Authority is ours in Christ Jesus. 

The cross is good overcoming evil, no matter how big our problem. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, was entrusted to care and protect His Father’s flock. He knew the attackers would come to destroy His sheep. But Jesus took care of the sheep’s every need and protected them by giving His life for them. He sealed their deliverance.

What lie is the enemy using against you? God has a sword for you to silence and defeat him. It is His Word for your need. Do you know what that Word is? If you do, how real is its authority to you? Do you stand on it, wielding it, knowing God is your Deliverer? Jesus has taken care of your enemy. He has overcome. Now it’s your time to use the authority He has given you.

A Sacrifice of Praise

 

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
—Hebrews 13:15


Yes, the devil attacks us. But some people go through trials just eating the fruit of their own mouth. If I can’t control my mouth in difficulty and give God an offering of my praise in the midst of what I don’t understand and can’t control, then what I speak doesn’t manifest life. It speaks death to my circumstance, my health, and whatever my need. If the words that come from my mouth don't express praise to God, they won’t bring forth good fruit, but bad. If I can’t give God thanksgiving right there in my difficulty, then my praise for that which is good in my life has little meaning. But when I praise God during difficult times, it reveals that I trust His absolute goodness and faithfulness in the middle of that which makes no sense in my life; the words I speak come out of His abundance in my heart. I know that He is in me and I am in Him.

The words that come from your mouth are powerful. What you speak brings forth either death or life. Will you speak life, hope, peace, health, provision, and faith? It’s the sacrifice from your lips the Lord wants. And when you offer Him praise in your difficulty, it will be with the assurance that you know all is well in Him. The words of your mouth bring forth His goodness into that which makes no sense to your natural mind. He inhabits your praise. You are conscience of Him. Jesus in you overcomes. You have the mind of Christ, and you yield to Christ in you, the hope of glory. You speak life into what makes no sense in this world. 

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Lord Jesus, I’m so thankful that I have the assurance that all is well in You. I praise You for your Word. Your Word is Your life I want to speak into my circumstances and need. You are the only One I want to agree with. I give you my sacrifice of praise. I choose to continually profess my hope in You for You are faithful to Your promise. You are the Vine and I am the branch through which You have chosen to express Your truth. If I abide In You and Your Word abides in Me, then what I ask will be done. You are glorified, not me. Lord, You spoke Your Word into existence. I will speak Your Word into my need. I won’t speak anything that doesn’t align with Your Word. I choose to never doubt you, but to believe You. Out of Your abundance in my heart, I bring forth Your good things. I stand resting in Your finished work. I fight the good fight of faith for Your promise. I believe and receive it as mine. I walk in Your goodness in this life. Praise You, Jesus, for opening my eyes!  I see. I understand. I know. I won’t let anyone speak death to my faith. I give you my sacrifice of praise. In You is my life. My praise is to You alone. I am fully convinced that what you have promised, you are able to perform. 

Praise You, Jesus! I believe You.

 

Awake

There is a framed print over our bed that says, “Wake and pray for a blessed day.” When I hung it many years ago, I was a person who prayed for a blessed day without the assurance in my heart of always having one. I was someone constantly reaching for God’s approval and blessings. Through a time of utter darkness, I began to seek the Lord. The Holy Spirit pulled back the curtain of darkness to reveal the truth of Jesus’ unconditional love and grace. He revealed a lack of knowledge and faith. Why was I always striving to receive blessings that Jesus had already purchased for me? For many years, fear had proven greater than my faith, but with the revelation of His love, I saw in the spiritual realm what Christ had purchased for me to receive in the natural. My faith grew to become the evidence of things not seen. No matter what happened in the day that was coming, I began to expect His blessings. 

What are you expecting today? Do you anticipate a day of ceaseless challenges and hardship? A day of merely surviving? Paul urges us in Romans 12:2  to be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we might know the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). 

Just what is God’s will for your life and for this day?

“Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people” (Psalm 3:8)

If you are born again, God’s blessings are upon you. However, a lack of knowledge or faith may be preventing you from receiving these blessings. But be assured that they are there waiting for you to believe and receive them.

“And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 28:2).

Under the Old Covenant, God’s people were blessed. Paul in Ephesians 1:3 expresses how much more we are blessed under the New Covenant: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2).

Do you anticipate experiencing God’s blessings—His kindness, protection, supply, and health every day? You ought to. Your expectations shape the course of your life.

“Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation” (Psalm 68:19)!

Expect His blessings today. Confess them, and believe your circumstances will align with His purpose to bless you.

“For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12).

You have God’s favor available to you. One minute of favor is far better than years of hard striving. Give Him thanks for His favor today. God is for you. He loves you and wants to bless you. Start thanking Him and expect His blessings in your life.

“Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you” (Hebrews 6:14).

We are justified with God because of our faith in Jesus. We are blessed over and over again beyond any human measure.

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13).

Never lose heart! “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Ephesians 5:14). Believe you shall see His goodness!

Each day is full of God’s blessings. Wake up to the Holy Spirit’s revelation of His grace for you. Jesus gave His life so you could have His light to dispel your darkness. Out of the revelation of His unconditional love in your heart, you cannot hold back your praise. It erupts from within. You know His blessings will multiply and flow in your life.

“Wake and praise God for a blessed day.”



 

Lead Me, Holy Spirit

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.
—Isaiah 30:21


Holy Spirit, I’m so incredibly thankful the Father has sent You to me. There are no words to truly describe the joy Your presence brings. You’re as real as my next breath. You walk with me to help me overcome any obstacle in life. You’re my most reliable ally. You empower me and lead me at every turn. If I’ll listen and follow You, I’ll agree with the Father and walk in His peace. 

Thank you for helping me navigate this life through every difficulty and every decision.You’re the One who knows what is best. Reveal the Father’s heart and will to me in each moment, each need, and each encounter. I surrender my flesh, my feelings, and my thoughts to Your revelation. May I always hear Your voice revealing the Father’s will. May the Word bear fruit in me. 

You wait every moment to help me and guide me! How can I possibly not recognize Your voice? You’re the Person the Father has sent to me. How can I ignore You who lives within me and comes alongside me? Why wouldn’t I want to come alongside You and learn from You? 

Help me to keep myself out of the way. I want to hear You leading me in the way I should go. I open my heart, mind, and soul to Your ministry, and I’ll do my utmost to discern Your voice, Your leading, and Your guidance. With my whole heart, I’ll pursue Your divine help to navigate this life.

Praise you, Jesus, for making everything possible that is in the Father's will. Your redeeming love gives me access to Him! Praise you, Father, for sending Holy Spirit to care for me in every way until I arrive home to be with You. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for leading me to the Father.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, my all-in-all. You are my life.

 

 

Fulfill Your Purpose In Me

He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
—I Thessalonians 5:24

You call me into the deepest fellowship with You, Jesus. It’s your divine calling that reveals Your love and purpose for me. You constantly remind me in times of doubt that You are faithful to fulfill Your promises in me. Remembering You are faithful encourages me to trust You no matter what happens. But it’s not just that You call me. You also equip and enable me to fulfill my purpose.

You tell me that I’m not inadequate, that you have created me for your best, and that it’s Your power working in me that fulfills Your purpose in my life. It’s not my work, Jesus. It’s Your work that I must allow. You don’t call me to where you don’t abundantly supply. Yet, I sometimes treat You as if you do. My own strength often suffices instead of trusting You, and I often doom to failure what You call to flourish. I need Your vision. I need Your inspiration and constant reminder that in my weakness, You are strong.

You call me out of my comfort zone. You call me to let go of all I have relied on, everything I have trusted, and entirely rely on You. I was never meant to empower Your purpose. I am meant to reveal You in it. When I risk everything for You, and step out in faith, You are alive in me and strengthening me. You shelter me safely from the enemy’s attempts to destroy Your life being manifested in me. When I surrender myself to You, You take care of what only You can. You enable me to live your plan for my life.

I lay before You what You have called me to do. You gave it to me, but I don’t own it. You own my calling because You own me. I lay down myself. I lay down all I have determined before You. My life is a gift to You just as Yours was a gift to me. My understanding of You and Your purpose evolves as I seek You with all my heart. Only You satisfy me, Jesus. I must go with Your revelation of unconditional love and grace. I cannot remain stagnant in You, stuck on my failures and not daring to live the dreams You have given me. If I remain settled where I am, I’ll miss the promise of You revealing Your heart to me, working in me, and using me. I’ll miss out on experiencing Your faithfulness. I’ll miss out on You doing in me and through me what You have designed for me. I don’t want to miss Your best. I choose You.

Make me pliable , Jesus. None other has permission. Not myself. Not the opinions of men. Not tradition. Only You mold me. Only You, Jesus. This is exactly where I want to be.  You have called me, and You are faithful. The part of me that has kept me from receiving the fullness of Your Spirit has died. You have prepared me. I can go no further without You. Now fill me and fire me. Fulfill Your purpose in me.

My Price to Experience Him

 

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 
—Philippians 1:21

You show me again and again I’m to die to myself. That it’s gain. That I win by losing. Help me to let go all I believe I am to believe all You say I am. If You are to live in me, I can only live by the faith You have given me. 

Lord, You always surpass my expectations and limitations. Yours are greater than mine. I want to be a tool in Your Hands. Help me to continually receive the truth that I own nothing in this life; everything is Yours. My plans and my dreams are Yours. I am Your possession. Jesus, it costs me everything for You to live in Me. This is the price I must pay. I can’t withhold anything. Help me to make this choice in every moment. To welcome You, my Beloved, who gave everything for me, into each feeling, thought, and decision. Help me to trust You with all of my heart and not surrender to my own understanding. I choose this, today, tomorrow, and everyday until dying gains me heaven. 

Lord, even when it hurts, more than anything I want to be obedient to the faith You have placed in me. There have been times that the things You have led me to say or do have broken my heart or the fear of man has ensnared me. And when I’ve hesitated or refused, I’ve frustrated Your anointing in my life. I repent, praying never to hinder You again.

Strengthen me to pay the price of loneliness. There are places You take me that are for me alone. Others cannot understand because they don’t discern what You have revealed. Help me to pay the price of being misunderstood. Only You explain Your heart, Jesus. I can’t. I’ve nothing to explain.

Help me to always pay the price of brokenness. It’s in the brokenness I receive your healing. It’s in the wholeness, You pour and use me. I humble myself again and again to receive more and more grace. It’s not a one time thing. It’s in every day and every moment. You laid down Your will for me so I could know Your suffering and the power of Your resurrection. Help me to lay down mine so that I may experience all of You.

Lord Jesus, help me to pay the price of discipline. I want to guard my time, my words, and my feelings. I choose You to be my Center. You are my intention, my purpose, and my heart. I never want to be passive about You. There is too much at stake to be passive about You. I desire You to work in me, doing exceedingly more than I think or ask.

It’s Your Glory, Lord. Help me to die to self and pay the price. You paid the price for me. I lay down all my rights. I give up the right to prove or promote myself in anyway. I’m willing, Lord. It costs all of me to receive all of You. I choose you. If You use me, Father, may it be You who is seen and You alone.

My Home

 

This isn’t a picture from the first time I saw 318 Main Street in Oxford and fell in love with it. This picture is from the Blizzard of 1993 after we had raised our two kids and they had left the nest. I love the snow-burdened magnolia bent to the ground and the glistening white welcoming you to the front door. It reminds me of all those years we welcomed many into our home. It was a big house and often filled with friends and family. After school or church, it often became a respite for teenagers. This old house welcomed me from the first moment I saw it through the thirteen years we made it our own.

In 1997, my husband and I sold this old home on Main and moved to a smaller one. Several years ago, we received pictures of the house from our son. It had been condemned, and he had asked to walk through it. The house was in horrible condition, the result of people who had abused it. The home on Main Street that had become ours in 1984—the home where we had raised our children and welcomed many into its embrace was finally torn down. And with it, a piece of my life on this earth seemed to vanish.

Even if the house is no longer on Main Street, the memories are alive in my heart just as much as the home that once was a part of them. Life was life. It wasn’t perfect. There was pain, heartbreak, and joy within those walls. We were a family with two adults trying to help our teenagers discover a life of integrity and faith and often making incredible mistakes in the process. We were a family with two kids striving to learn who they were, and, who like any other teenager, tested their boundaries. But despite all the times that challenged us, we were a family forged by love, respect, and grace. We didn’t labor in vain to build a loving home. We had one. We've been blessed throughout this life with a love for each other that has withstood many challenges.

Recently, I had a dream. In the dream, I knew I was in heaven. I could see something hazy in the distance. I was drawn to it. As it came into focus, it looked like our old home on Main Street. But not only did it look like it. I slowly came to realize it was our home that had been torn down! And now it was incredibly beautiful and perfect! It welcomed me. I instinctively knew this was my home prepared for me in heaven, and it was just waiting for my return. What had been destroyed on earth had come to life in heaven. What I had lost was found. Just as Jesus had given me new life, my home lived again.

Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Is there really meant to be a difference between here and there? Eternal life isn’t something to be attained but something I have already received by faith. The house I believed dead, lives. The dream I believed dead, lives again. This life that is meant for abundance here on earth is an unending overflow in heaven. The things I believe are gone forever aren’t. His gifts and calling are forever. His Kingdom lives in me. I live in His realm. There is so much I cannot grasp now, but I know that one day I shall clearly see. 

Whatever you have lost, still lives. Whatever you believed dead, still lives in Him. Never despair. Never fear. There is no loss there. Your dream was here, but it also lives there. It’s eternal. It’s forever. You have nothing to lose in Him. The loss you have endured on this earth is no loss at all. It’s found and waiting for you.


 

Where Is Your Faith?

In 2021, my husband, Pat, became increasingly aware that the discomfort he had endured for several years in his leg and foot was intensifying. He had taken care of me while I had gone through an eight month period of sickness. After I was healed early in 2021, he didn’t bother to tell me how bad his pain was becoming. By the fall of that year, he had had enough. An MRI revealed a calcium buildup in his first five vertebrae, pressing on nerves and causing his pain. His orthopedist said there was nothing he could do. If Pat wanted, he would refer him to a neurosurgeon to see if there was anything that could be done.

The neurosurgeon told Pat that he couldn’t guarantee he could help him. But Pat didn’t care. He wanted the surgery, trusting it would take care of his pain. The Lord had healed me months earlier when I put my faith in 1 Peter 2:24. Now Pat was determined to place his faith in this neurosurgeon. So I put my faith with his.

The surgery was supposed to begin early in the morning but didn’t begin until two o’clock. Early evening, the neurosurgeon came and spoke with me. He indicated the five vertebrae were a real mess, and he was so sorry, he didn’t believe anything he’d done was going to make a difference in Pat’s pain. I dreaded telling Pat what the doctor had told me. But when I first saw him after surgery, the first thing he said was that he felt so much better. During the days that followed, he said the surgery had taken care of his pain. When Pat returned to the neurosurgeon two weeks later, he was amazed Pat’s pain was gone. 

The Holy Spirit knows you intimately. He will reveal to you where you can believe and put your faith in God. Where you have faith in Him is where He is able to provide. Trust God to supply your need. Don’t waver. Remain steadfast. He is your healer, your provider, and faith is the way you receive. 

You can trust what the Holy Spirit reveals in the Word about your need. Pat and I both found faith to believe and trust in something our doctors couldn’t see. We experienced the love of God setting us free.

What hope do you believe and profess? Where do you place the faith God has given you? Keep your eyes on Jesus, my friend. He’s the author and finisher of faith. Don’t waver or let go of your confession of hope because when Jesus makes a promise, He keeps it. He’s faithful (Hebrews 12:2, 10:23).
 

Your Dream Isn't Over

 

Has there ever been a time when it felt like no hope was left? Were you at a point in your life where it seemed like your dream had ended?

At some point in our lives, each of us comes to a place where we don’t know what to do next, how to respond, or even how to pray. The dream around which our life has revolved suddenly seems over. If you have ever found yourself in a situation where you were convinced your dream was over, you know how hard it is.

When we reach the point where we discover that we can’t resolve the issues we face, we stop trying to live out of our own strength and learn to trust in the wisdom and power of God.

The Apostle Paul came to understand this. In 2 Corinthians 1:9, Paul found himself in such a place: “Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves,” Paul wrote, “that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:9).

Paul was undoubtedly in one of those places where there appeared to be no hope! The situation before him was so perilous that he referred to it as “the sentence of death!” 

In a trial, a “sentence” is issued after all the evidence has been examined by the judge or jurors. By using this word, Paul indicated that, by all appearances, there seemed to be no way he and his friends would survive what they faced. As far as they were concerned, the court’s final verdict was in, and their sentence was death.

No matter that Paul’s life and ministry appeared over, he survived and fulfilled God’s calling. Instead of death, it was the start of a new supernatural release of God’s power in his life. Paul had been under such extreme stress that he was certain death was inevitable. Then, in the midst of what seemed like sure death, God spoke life. His supernatural power was released, and Paul and his companions were saved. Paul certainly learned not to trust in himself but in God, who “raises the dead.”

When you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom and all hope is gone, remember that you haven’t and it isn’t. If you surrender to God, “who raises the dead,” His resurrection power begins to work in and through you. When you have the Lord, there is, in fact, no such thing as having no hope. He is the God of hope. As long as you know you have a loving Abba Father to whom you can call for help, there is still hope for you and your situation right now. If you learn to trust God and rely on Him, your dream can find new life. Whatever you face can become a new beginning filled with God’s overflowing abundance. 

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13). 

Deep within, strong and unshakeable, you can know that the God of hope will raise your dream from the dead. 

Today, January 2, 2026

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when desire comes, it is a tree of life. 
—Proverbs 13:12


Hope that never comes, Lord, makes my heart sick. Never let me settle with where I am. Let me see the desire You inspire. If I seek You with my whole heart, I shall find You and experience Your desire fulfilled in me. Never let me fail in faith. I see many with problems and sickness, and instead of seeking You, they have just settled. They have given up. But I have chosen You, Jesus, and I pray never to become passive about You. You are never passive about me. You see me as You perfectly created me. I’ll fight the good fight of faith and not settle for where I am in this battle. I'll not settle for the enemy's lies that come to steal my faith. I don’t want to live by empty wishes that produce no faith.

I’ll always pursue what I desire—whether it be of Your Spirit or of my flesh. I’ll always make time for what inspires me. The desire You give me creates a real passion in me and focuses me on Your goodness. It encourages me to study and drives me to doggedly pursue the promises You have made me. I want to be addicted to knowing You Jesus. I want to continually pursue You, my Redeemer, my Healer, my Restorer, and my Conqueror. Instead of being consumed by circumstances, sickness, or lack, I choose You. 

Lord, You give desires and visions that simply weren’t there before. Too often, things that could have been never happen because I had no vision. The vision to create a better life is often lost because I haven’t communed in deepest fellowship with You. When I truly surrender, seeking You instead of what I have always experienced, You begin to reveal Yourself to me. You birth Your desire in me. When I envision that desire, when I see myself living that desire fulfilled, it begins to come to life. And as I continually come into agreement with Your Word, that vision is realized. Your Promise is manifested in me. Oh, Lord, Jesus, I want to experience You in every part of me. I want to be a living testament to Your wonderful goodness in my life.

I love this promise, Jesus. If I abide in You, and Your Words abide in me, I can ask what I desire, and it shall be done for me. 

What will I allow You to put in my heart, Jesus? Am I ready for a new vision? Can I see myself focused, dedicated, steadfast, and full of faith? Your desires will be life to me. You will give me the desires of my heart and fulfill Your purpose in me.