Lessons in the New Year: the 21 Day Plan from the You version, and Brian Houston

Have started the 21 Day Plan: 21 Days of Powerful Breakthroughs, while also following a plan 'A Right Spirit' from Brian Houston of Hillsong.

31st December, the cusp of the new year

Hebrews 13:6 The lord is my helper. I SHALL NOT BE AFRAID.
I CAN trust God.

James 1:12: God will reward me when I don't give up under trials

1 Chronicles 4:10 The prayer of Jabez
‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.

John 14:27, Psalm 23:1
Jesus gives PEACE AND CARES FOR MY NEEDS

January 1st
Philippians 4:6 - 7
Don't worry - PRAY
Be thankful -PRAY
GET PEACE - FEEL PEACEFUL

Isaiah 26:3
The Lord givdes PEACE when I have frim FAITH
He will guard our hearts against all harm and danger - giving me PEACE

There are three stages in life (21 Day plan Day 3)
WAITING
RECEIVING
MOVING ON
So don't wait ANXIOUSLY
stand on FAITH
LET GO, LET GOD

Watch my faith move the mountains in my life.
MOUNTAINS OF
- doubt
- fear
- insecurity
- indecision

January 2nd

Philippians 4:11 - 12 BEING CONTENT AND SATISFIED

Proverbs 3:25 - 26
DON'T BE AFRAID of sudden disasters or storms
GOD will protect me from HARM
The harm that may come when my faith is shaken and I doubt. (And yet, that makes faith stronger too.)
Daniel 3:27 saved from fire
Psalm 37:24 The Lord will hold my hand: if I stumble, I WON'T FALL.
Psalm 37:4 Do what God wants - He WILL give me my heart's desire

Brian Houston: Guard your spirit

Proverbs 4:23  Everything you do flows from your heart
Proverbs 25:28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls

"Never develop a wounded spirit"
Don't dwell in wounds which can lead to POOR CHOICES, LACK OF WISDOM, EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY, PRIDE, BITTERNESS, UNFORGIVENESS...

Instead, have a RIGHT SPIRIT: Psalm 51:10 - 12
Create in me a clean heart...
Develop a GENEROUS spirit
"Spend myself - not counting the cost, if it is for Jesus."

Is my spirit free, or full of offense or hurts of the past?

"Human nature tends to want to justify mediocrity."
"If your spirit is not right, it is revealed in what you do because we 'leak' our spirit."

January 3rd: A right spirit and OBEDIENCE

1 Samuel 15:22  "To obey is better than sacrifice."
Am I TEACHABLE?
or arrogant, a know-it-all, proud, DEFENSIVE - not teachable.

Lord, may I have a TEACHABLE spirit.
Bring the RIGHT PEOPLE into my life who can speak to me with GODLY WISDOM and discernment.

Romans 6:16 Be a slave to God.
Hebrews 5:8 - learn obedience through suffering, as Jesus did.

Bible gateway verse of the day: Titus 2:11 - 12 The grace of God teaches us to say 'no' to ungodliness and worldly passions.

YOU version Day 5 WAIT, Yield to His word.
Psalm 27L14 Trust the Lord
Lamentations 3:25 - 26 It is good to wait patiently.

January 4th

Brian Houston: "Trusting God means we'll keep the kind of spirit where we can believe that God will open doors for us."

Be humble: "Promotion doesn’t come from other people or from what is going on around us, it comes from God. Trusting God means we’ll keep the kind of spirit where we can belie
ve that God will open doors for us.  Trying to find our esteem from what we do builds all the wrong things into our spirit."  (Brian Houston, Day 4 of A Right Spirit)

"there are people (I am) called to do life with and whose destinies are connected (with mine)...
Do you attend your church because you like the pastor, the worship or the children’s ministry? The best reason to go to church is because you believe God has connected you as a partner. Membership is not about signing a form but about having a spirit that understands the power of partnership and equal contribution." (Brian Houston, Day 5)

"There is no reason to be concerned or worried, because God is in control. " (21 day plan Day 6) Philippians 4:4 'Rejoice in the Lord always and again I saw rejoice'
Psalm 56:3 "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you."

Psalm 46:10 "Be STILL and know that I am God."

This came to mind: "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts." Psalm 139:23
My first port of call should be God first: to tell him about what is bothering me, before I share with other people.

January 6th. School starts. Deuteronomy 33:12 "Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,
for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders."
Secure.
I long to feel secure in God. Secure, so that, when I make mistakes, as Brian Houston today talks about a Right Spirit and Failure, I can take full responsibility for them without blaming anything or anyone else.
Proverbs 9:10 "Respect and obey the Lord! This is the beginning of wisdom.
To have understanding, you must know the Holy God."
Ephesians 5:15 "Act like people with good sense and not like fools. Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people). Watch your step, use your head."
Romans 14:10-12 (Message)

Day 8 of the You version 21 Day plan really spoke to me: KEEP PRAYING!
"Keep praying no matter what

Luke 18:1 says no matter what, you have to keep praying. I can recall a time when I was deeply worried about a person lying about me to others. I prayed and finally decided I had enough, so I simply stopped praying about it.

Keep praying

One morning, God began to deal with me. He made it quite clear to continue to pray about the person. Not understanding, because of course, I had dealt with it for so long, I began to believe it was simply going to be this way for the rest of my life. Be careful not to believe the lies of the devil! But, out of obedience, I decided to pray about the situation once more. Do you know, shortly afterwards, God revealed this person's lies and evil intentions to everyone? He not only brought the situation to an end, but He led me to Exodus 14:13 and promised me I would see this person no more.

It will turn around

I am here to tell you things will and can turn around. The scripture says, "For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:19 KJV). (In the Message: "Through your faithful prayers and the generous response of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, everything he wants to do IN AND THROUGH me will be done."

It does not matter how it looks today or even how it feels. God promises in His Word through prayer, things will certainly turn around. We know this is true because in Isaiah 55:11 KJV it states, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

If there is ever a time to really pray and believe, it is when you have been counted out, a relationship looks dead, an opportunity seems too far to obtain or something seems hopeless! Make a commitment to keep praying!

Reflection: Have you been dealing with a situation for a period time? I challenge you to continue to pray about the situation and no matter how hard it looks, God will turn it around in His time."

January 7th
Reading about success today - to prepare for it, like the five wise virgins who took extra oil at, presumably, extra cost to themselves. They were then prepared to meet the bridegroom.
And Brian Houston talks about how, in success, we are to keep a right spirit:

To keep a right spirit in success:
Always give God the glory. The moment we start thinking our success is deserved, we have a poor spirit in that success.
Don’t become arrogant.
Be authentic. Continue to be who God called you to be and don’t forget from whence you came.

The You version talks about being prepared for success:

Many times when we set out on our journeys with hopes, aspirations and dreams we may all start at the same place, but only a selected few obtain victory because of simply preparing in advance.

So, what are you expecting from God today? Is it success on your job, a long and healthy life, a marriage, financial success or simply peace? You have to begin to not only believe, but also start preparing yourself today.

The devotional suggests I list 5 things I am expecting and then 5 things I can do to prepare myself to receive them.

I can think only of one: to prepare myself by keeping my heart humble before God.
By recognizing that everything comes from him - it is not by my own efforts.

January 8th
Romans 4 (21 Day plan, Day 10)
In the context of Jesus putting us right with God, through faith in him and that he has done so:

“Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.”

4-5 If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.

 ,,,it was by embracing what God did for him that Abraham was declared fit before God...

...That famous promise God gave Abraham—that he and his children would possess the earth—was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God’s decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed. If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract! That’s not a holy promise; that’s a business deal. A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect. But if there is no contract in the first place, simply a promise—and God’s promise at that—you can’t break it.Verse 16: This is why the fulfillment of God’s promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. ...

Abraham... became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, “You’re going to have a big family, Abraham!”

Abraham didn’t focus on his own impotence and say, “It’s hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child.” Nor did he survey Sarah’s decades of infertility and give up. He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That’s why it is said, “Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right.” But it’s not just Abraham; it’s also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God.

Brian Houston talks about not letting our spirits be sabotaged by negativity
"Father God, give me wisdom when it comes to dealing with the issues of life. Bring to mind wrong thoughts and perspective that might be clinging to me and clouding my vision. Teach me to live with a positive outlook that is refreshing to everyone that I encounter, causing people to see Christ in me.

Pro

verbs 4:23 (NIV) Above all else guard your heart, because everything you do flows from it.
Deuteronomy 4:9The Message Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don’t forget anything of what you’ve seen. Don’t let your heart wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live. Teach what you’ve seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.

January 9th 
21 Day plan, Day 11
begin to praise God for prayers you expect to come to pass! And suddenly, you will see God do a big thing in your life.
Paul and Silas praised God in prison and the walls were shaken, their chains fell off and they were FREE.  (Acts 16:25 - 26)

I want to be free of doubt and fear about our future.

AND THEN: You Version verse of the day "

We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.
Ephesians 6:12 CEV

AND THE IDENTICAL VERSE IN BRIAN HOUSTON'S DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY, A SECOND AFTER, ON 'A RIGHT SPIRIT AND OPPOSITION'

Amazing.

Brian Houston says: "Who is ruling your spirit and taking far too much of your focus in a negative way? No mature Christian who is seasoned in the Word has any reasonable excuse to live their life offended.

Jesus told us that offenses would come. In John 16:33 Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation” but He also said, “I have overcome the world.” So if Jesus has given us the spirit of an overcomer, we have no real excuse to live our lives offended or as the victim of someone else’s opposition or pain; we are told to rule our own spirit well.

PRAYER: Jesus, teach me to live without offense. Give me an overcoming spirit that is confident in you and in your ability to overcome darkness with light."

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Proverbs 15:24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent
to keep them from going down to the realm of the dead.
1 Peter 1:6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

January 10th. A day when problems seem somewhat overwhelming...
You Version - 21 Day plan: Day 12 - Problems are temporary

Remain quiet during your storms

Many times when we go through trials, we tend to immediately pick up the phone, speak with a friend or update our status bar to determine what to do. Before long, everybody knows you are going through it. You are no longer walking around with zeal, but wearing a ton of problems on your face. You seek the help of others before seeking the help of God.

Keep your hope in the Lord

So often, we want to move at our own pace but fail to move at God’s. God makes it clear that whatever you desire of Him, if you keep your hope in Him, He will renew your strength. Sometimes waiting on God can be challenging. We are saying, “God when? God why? God, what are you doing with me? God, I don't quite understand it.”
It is not for us to know when, why or even to understand His plans for our lives. It is more relevant to understand He loves us so much He will not leave or forsake us, read Hebrews 13:5. He even loves us so much that He will not hurt us and He only desires the best for us. He will not withhold anything good from us, read Psalm 84:11. Isn't this great to know? God is like a virus protector. He will make certain it does not come your way!

There is hope
If you find yourself waiting on God today, stand
Whether it is a bad relationship, a loved one has been called home, or financial distress, there are certain to be moments in life where you ask God, "why?"

Being used for God
God could be using us to help someone else. There are many disappointments in my life that have actually turned out to be blessings for others and also for myself. Because of these experiences, I am now in a position to help others who may be experiencing similar issues and I am able to see them to victory, with God's help. Read 2 Corinthians 12:9. He reminds us, His grace alone is sufficient. So, no matter what you are going through, God promises to see you through - gracefully.

Only for a moment
I want to let you know you can rejoice, because problems are only temporary. The Word says affliction is just for a moment (refer to 2 Corinthians 4:17). Another scripture reads - joy cometh in the morning (refer to Psalm 30:5)! No matter what you are going through, you have to remain steadfast, trusting and believing God's Word is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (refer to Hebrews 13:8). In His Word, He promises He will never leave you or forsake you (refer to Hebrews 13:5).

(I have just read this in a book by ALS sufferer Ed Dobson: "

"Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote,
God is there, ready to help;
I’m fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?" Hebrews 13:5 - 6 The Message

Trust His strategy not your own
We all have our own plans. We all know where we want to be this time next year and know, if it is God's will, you will certainly be there, however if it is not, He will lead you another way - a better way. Sometimes we do not understand it, but lean not to your own understanding, but to His (refer to Proverbs 3:5). You must understand, life is like a long road, and your eyes can only see so far ahead. Isn't it good to know God can see all the way down the road?

So, when life takes you for an unexpected turn or things do not quite work out the way you envisioned, stand still and know God still cares for you. Lift up your hands and continue to pray because one day you will be able to say, God, I thank you for seeing me through this.

Reflection: Close your eyes and imagine your victory. Begin to praise God as if it has already happened! It will manifest.

2 Corinthians 12:9 " “My gift of undeserved grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So if Christ keeps giving me his power, I will gladly brag about how weak I am. 
2 Corinthians 4:17  These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. 

Psalms 30:5  Sorrow will last for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Hebrews 13:5  Don't fall in love with money. Be
Proverbs 3:5 With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment.
Psalm 118: When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Brian Houston: A right spirit and the future

Failure, success, somebody else’s spirit, an unteachable spirit or whatever it is that tries to rule our spirit, can I encourage you to take responsibility for it because my spirit is my responsibility and your spirit is your responsibility.

As you continue on your path into the future with God, remember to always guard and protect your spirit. God has only good things for you, but remember you also have an enemy who will try to hijack your spirit and sabotage your future. Refuse to let that happen by taking responsibility for your own spirit because your future depends on it.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for the reminder that you alone are the captain of my soul, the protector of my heart and that your Holy Spirit dwells within me. Teach me what it means to maintain a right heart and righteous spirit before you, and may the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart continually bless your name. Amen.

Jeremiah 29:11 For 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.
1 Corinthians 2:9-16  But it is just as the Scriptures say,
“What God has planned
for people who love him
is more than eyes have seen
or ears have heard.
It has never even
entered our minds!”
God’s Spirit has shown you everything. His Spirit finds out everything, even what is deep in the mind of God. You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind, and God’s Spirit is the only one who knows what is in God’s mind. But God has given us his Spirit. That’s why we don’t think the same way that the people of this world think. That’s also why we can recognize the blessings that God has given us.

Every word we speak was taught to us by God’s Spirit, not by human wisdom. And this same Spirit helps us teach spiritual things to spiritual people, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things. That’s why only someone who has God’s Spirit can understand spiritual blessings. Anyone who doesn’t have God’s Spirit thinks these blessings are foolish. People who are guided by the Spirit can make all kinds of judgments, but they cannot be judged by others. The Scriptures ask,
“Has anyone ever known
the thoughts of the Lord
or given him advice?”

But we understand what Christ is thinking, we think as Christ does.
We think as Christ does. How amazing!
Sy Rogers talk: is that really you, God?
Christ died to reconcile us to God - we are made to communicate with him.
Life is about communicating in community.
God communicates with us using Scripture, His people - prophets, dreams, visions, visitations, 'voices' in our minds.

Day 14 of the 21 Day plan

Keep your hope in the Lord So often, we want to move at our own pace but fail to move at God's. God makes it clear that whatever you desire of Him, if you keep your hope in Him, He will renew your strength. Sometimes waiting on God can be challenging. We are saying, "God when? God why? God, what are you doing with me? God, I don't quite understand it." No good thing will be withheld from you It is not for us to know when, why or even to understand His plans for our lives. It is more relevant to understand He loves us so much He will not leave or forsake us, read Hebrews 13:5. He even loves us so much that He will not hurt us and He only desires the best for us. He will not withhold anything good from us, read Psalm 84:11. Isn't this great to know? God is like a virus protector. He will make certain it does not come your way! There is hope If you find yourself waiting on God today, stand on His Word. He says there is hope in your future, read Jeremiah 31:17. Just hold on, knowing you will live a full life here on earth. Wait for Him and quietly place all your hope in the Lord, see Lamentations 3:26. In doing so, He will provide you with the strength to keep going and give you victory. Reflection: If there is something you have been waiting for from the Lord, begin to declare right now God is working it out for you and it will come in God's time! Hebrews 13:5 Psalms 84:11 Jeremiah 31:17 Lamentations 3:26 January 13th, Day 15 of the 21 Day plan Psalm 139 I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt. "Often in life, you will hear the devil speak to you, saying things like you are too fat, too skinny, too poor, not smart or even not beautiful enough. You must recognize these voices are of the devil. But remember, God made you beautiful (refer to Psalm 139:14). God had a plan for me See, I understand what you are going through. I too used to listen to these voices and what is even worse, started to believe them. Although God already had a plan for my life, I mean a big plan beyond my thoughts. The devil knew if I believed the lies he had construed in my head, it would stop me from moving into the direction God already had for me. God knew my future and more importantly He deemed I would have success." Jeremiah 29:11 - 13: "For 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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity... Fight back with God's Word "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12 KJV). When those voices come against me, I have to fight back with the Word of God. It is the most powerful weapon I will ever own. Therefore, it is important to memorize the Word and be able to recite it immediately. I may find yourself in situations where my Bible may not be accessible and in order to obtain success, I must quickly fight back with the Word. COMMIT TO no longer allowing the lies of the devil to linger. Declare God's Word and I will win each and every time. Whose report will I believe? Have I received any negative reports lately? Speak against these reports, proclaiming the powerful Word of God. January 14th, Day 16 Trust Him even when you can't trace Him Sometimes, we face life's issues and wonder why God has not stepped in to help. Perhaps He has already helped us, but we may not see it yet. Even more so, we do not know how God intends to work out our issues because it is not how we expected it. Lean not to your understanding When we don't quite understand what is going on in our lives it is important to put it in God's hands. Refer to Proverbs 3:5. It tells us, lean not to our own limited understanding, but stand confident knowing we can both trust and depend on God. Do you believe He is working it out for your good? I promise He is. And when this trial is over, you will understand, with the help of the Holy Spirit, God's wisdom and knowledge for your life. Trust Him no matter what Begin today letting God know you trust Him no matter what it looks like. God knows when to step in at the right time and turn things around. Remember, He knows and sees all. Therefore, the direction you desperately want to travel, God may instruct you that it may not be time just yet. Or the person you are praying for may need a little growing first. Whatever it is, God knows best. God will remain faithful knowing He will bless you just when you put it all in His hands, but first you have to trust God. Proverbs 3:5 With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. And the verse of the day: Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said: If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. Mark 8:34-35 January 15th, Day 17 of the 21 Day Plan Asking God for wisdom and guidance - as if I haven't been doing this for months now!! *sigh "Ask Him to lead you It was laid on my heart today to ask God for His guidance and allow Him to lead me. Sometimes in life, we have an idea of how we want our lives to unfold, but God already knows what is in our future. Read Jeremiah 29:11-12. It reminds us, God already has a plan for our lives. We simply need to ask Him to reveal it to us, get on board and trust Him to be our source and light! Reflection: If you are unclear regarding the direction of your life, ask God what does He desire for you. And whatever He reveals to you ask Him for His grace to do His will. Jeremiah 29:11-12   "I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers." (CEV)   Day 18 and 19 January 17th Just because it looks like nothing doesn't mean God isn't up to something 1 Kings 18:43-44. Elijah believed God would end the drought therefore, he continued to pray for rain. I bet people thought he was crazy because he kept believing when it really looked like a dead situation. However, he trusted God would stay faithful to His promise. Persistence is key We can apply this lesson in our lives today. Are we willing to be persistent and continue to pray in a land of drought? In this passage, we see persistence plus prayer is key. Elijah was not only persistent but he did not take “no” for an answer. Each time his servant came back to report there was no sign of rain, he instructed him to go back a total of seven times before there was even a small sign of cloud. Many times in life we give up too easily – when the doctor says “no,” when we have one bad day, an opportunity falls through or our kids are acting a certain way. But, we must realize our prayers are providing a constant and powerful breakthrough. God sent Elijah a small sign – a cloud and soon after there was a heavy rain. Although I may not see huge progress today, God is forming small clouds on my behalf. So is there an area in your life you have given up? Are you just another touch away from victory? Stand strong knowing God is forming clouds for you! Praying about something and ignoring the small progress? Begin to thank God for the small victories in your life. These small victories will certain to bring about a big movement in the future. Receiving the praises of God John 12:43 "And besides, the leaders liked praise from others more than they liked praise from God". It speaks of receiving the praise of God and not of man. Most often as we go about our days, we may seek several likes on our social media page, hope to be retweeted on our status bar, or simply wishing friends and family would validate who we are. What is even worse, we also seek the praises from those we do not like, hoping for a "good job," "you are the best" or "I appreciate you," but instead, we should seek the praises of our Heavenly Father. Follow His will So, how do we get the praises from God up above? Begin by seeking and implementing God's will for our lives. Love doing what is right and follow His commandments. Let go of any idols you have placed above God. Knowing if we follow His will, we will not only have a fulfilled life, but we will obtain the praises of the Heavenly Father. He has started a good work "For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God had ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10 KJV). God expects us to walk into the good work He has already implemented in our lives. We have been created and designed for God's use. Begin today listening to your heart, asking God how your life can be used to give Him praise. Cease to live a self-fulfilled life, and let God begin to use you for His purpose. Then you will begin to receive the praises of God. Day 20 Psalm 27:9 - 10, The Message: "You’ve always been right there for me; don’t turn your back on me now. Don’t throw me out, don’t abandon me; you’ve always kept the door open. My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in." 2 Corinthians 4:17: "So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever." Romans 8:26 - 28 "Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." Day 21 of '21 Days of Powerful breakthroughs' He wants all of me "For such a long time, I thought giving God most of me was good enough. I thought since I prayed, attended church and would attempt to do what is right, that was enough for God. The reality is, God wants all of our lives, not just a part of it. Mark 12:30 "The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” Partial obedience = disobedience What does it mean to give God your all? It means to stop clinching your fists and to stretch out your hands to God. For so long, I put things, people, relationships, and careers over God. I thought if I was a little obedient, or if I took a short cut, I would still receive the promises of God. But, when God says obey, He will not settle for partial obedience. For this reason, anytime I would step out of the will of God; I would immediately be convicted and corrected. But anytime I was obedient, God truly blessed me beyond my belief. Refer to Isaiah 1:19:If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; Surrender When you decide to give God your all, it requires surrendering every area of your life to Him. Even when it does not make sense, I have learned to obey Him. You know what really amazes me? Every time I let go of something, He usually gives it right back, but with lagniappe. Lagniappe is a word often used in New Orleans, which means a little something extra! Obedience is better than sacrifice I love the passage in the Bible that speaks about Abraham preparing to sacrifice his one and only son. As soon as he prepares his son for sacrifice, God exclaims, "Do not lay a hand on the boy," He said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son" (Genesis 22:12 NIV). The angel of the Lord proclaimed, "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars...your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me" (Genesis 22:17-18 NIV). God is no different in our lives. The moment you follow Him, surrender, and let go, God promises He will bless you. I have to trust that God knows what is best for me. If something is not working in your life, you have to give it up to Him. When you surrender and align your plans with His, it may hurt for a moment, but God will turn your sadness into joy and give you strength. Nehemiah 8:10: "Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ "You will get to a place and wonder, why didn't I trust God in the first place? He will give you more than your heart could have ever imagined. I promise, you will obtain peace, which the world cannot give to you. Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you have not been obedient? Ask God to help you to be obedient in this area. Request the Holy Spirit to give you the grace to be obedient. Let the Holy Spirit reveal what steps you should take as you become more like Christ. This plan is comprised of excerpts from the book 21 Days of Powerful Breakthroughs by Kemberley Washington. Copyright © 2013 by Kemberley Washington. 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