Engaging Heaven Today E-Book

James Levesque

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 411

Beschreibung

Engage with heaven daily.   Modern society encourages complacency, but God wants to use you to change the world. In Engaging Heaven Today, James Levesque challenges your perspective, transforms your priorities, and urges you to play your part in bringing God's kingdom to earth. Join in God's work today as you - discover timeless promises, - engage in active prayer, - experience breakthrough truths, - remember God's calling on your life, and - achieve growth with daily reflection.Ignite your faith and harness your gifts for God's glory.   

Leseprobe

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Savage, Minnesota, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

Engaging Heaven Today: 365 Daily Devotions

Copyright © 2022 James Levesque

978-1-4245-6272-5 (faux leather)

978-1-4245-6273-2 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible, public domain.

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Dedication

I would like to dedicate this devotional to one of my spiritual fathers, Brian Simmons. God used you to teach me many things, especially the value of “hearing” God every morning. As a result, I’m always listening, and whether God speaks through a dream or a thought, each morning I awake ready to hear.

You’ve written many books throughout your fifty years of ministry; thank you for being “Pop” to me.

CONTENTS

January

January 1: Curse of Convenience

January 2: All In

January 3: Break Your Pattern

January 4: New Year’s Resolve

January 5: A Bitter Soul

January 6: God Is a Rewarder

January 7: Escape

January 8: Spirit of Offense

January 9: Dad’s Approval

January 10: Whatever You Ask

January 11: Cause

January 12: Gospel Culture

January 13: Show the Difference

January 14: Idle Talk

January 15: Confidence

January 16: Pharisee Faith

January 17: Patience

January 18: Heavenly Account

January 19: Power of the Gospel

January 20: Freedom from Trauma

January 21: Throne Zone

January 22: We’re Not Perfect

January 23: Everything We Need

January 24: The Power of God

January 25: Breakthrough

January 26: Heavenly Father

January 27: Still Stumbling

January 28: Hope Deferred

January 29: Why Jesus Came

January 30: God Knows

January 31: Defender

February

February 1: Be Doers of the Word

February 2: Living by His Voice

February 3: The Plan

February 4: Not Just a Regular Guy

February 5: Why Worry?

February 6: All Things

February 7: Faithful Today

February 8: More Fire

February 9: Perfect Peace

February 10: God Has All Power

February 11: Compassion

February 12: Surrender

February 13: You Reap What You Sow

February 14: Authentic Living

February 15: God Said

February 16: Delight Yourself

February 17: A Martyr’s Message

February 18: Great Boldness

February 19: Heavenly Minded

February 20: A Renewed Heart

February 21: Do You Read It?

February 22: Kingdom Culture Church

February 23: Your Heart Is Leaking

February 24: We Are Kings

February 25: Do Not Disturb

February 26: Learning to Receive

February 27: Choosing Wisely

February 28: For the Love of Money

March

March 1: Overcoming Offense

March 2: The Mandate

March 3: Comparison or Contentment

March 4: All the More

March 5: Make Up Your Mind

March 6: Love Freely

March 7: Friends

March 8: Listening to God

March 9: On Earth

March 10: Control Your Thoughts

March 11: God Can Redeem

March 12: Influence

March 13: Power with a Purpose

March 14: The Purpose of Prayer

March 15: God Remembers

March 16: Bunker Christianity

March 17: Clarified Vision

March 18: Miracle Mandate

March 19: Era of Doubt

March 20: Walk in Love

March 21: Diligence

March 22: Make It Right

March 23: God on Display

March 24: You Are an Overcomer

March 25: Every Good Thing

March 26: Kingdom Business

March 27: Life with No Strife

March 28: Redeem the Time

March 29: Change

March 30: Heaven Opened

March 31: Perilous Times

April

April 1: Exhausted Christianity

April 2: Looking Up

April 3: Overpromise, Under-deliver

April 4: The Jesus Box

April 5: A Different Form

April 6: Believe Him

April 7: Hearing and Speaking

April 8: Your Heart’s Desire

April 9: Break Free

April 10: God’s Love

April 11: When Temptation Comes

April 12: Good Soldier

April 13: Don’t Respond to Darkness

April 14: Love Is Hard

April 15: Timeless Truth

April 16: God Disciplines

April 17: Last Words

April 18: Commit Today

April 19: Hope Stealers

April 20: A Child’s Perspective

April 21: Habit of Trust

April 22: From Within

April 23: Satan’s Secret

April 24: I Am

April 25: Bring the Light

April 26: Pleasure in Prosperity

April 27: Convenient Christianity

April 28: Return to Sender

April 29: Grounded in Love

April 30: Conformed to Transformed

May

May 1: Perfect Patience

May 2: This Is War

May 3: Our Response to Fear

May 4: Heavenly Places

May 5: Mind of Christ

May 6: Darkest Places

May 7: God Never Lies

May 8: Messed-Up Church

May 9: He Loved Us First

May 10: Plans and Purpose

May 11: Thirst for God

May 12: Faith on Trial

May 13: Love War

May 14: Every Blessing

May 15: Wheat and Tares

May 16: Don’t Tolerate Devils

May 17: Living Content

May 18: All Scripture

May 19: God Wants to Speak to You

May 20: Personal Growth

May 21: Despising You

May 22: Net-Breaking Blessings

May 23: Beliefs

May 24: Holding God Hostage

May 25: Tomorrow Friendships

May 26: Where Does Jesus Live?

May 27: Look at Us

May 28: Faith Over Fear

May 29: Eternally Loved

May 30: Absolute Truth

May 31: Aim High

June

June 1: Live on Purpose

June 2: Break Out

June 3: Fake Christians

June 4: What’s Your Excuse?

June 5: Foundations of Faith

June 6: Childlike Love

June 7: Hearing the Father

June 8: Above the Fray

June 9: Love Is Everything

June 10: Exceeding the Need

June 11: Wisdom Is for Sharing

June 12: Commit to the Process

June 13: Guard Your Mouth

June 14: Partners

June 15: Acts 2

June 16: Follow His Voice

June 17: Marriage Is Sacred

June 18: Changing Roles

June 19: Relationship Maintenance

June 20: The Presence of God

June 21: Draw a Line

June 22: A Breakthrough Life

June 23: Be the Light

June 24: Killing Comparison

June 25: Don’t Lay Down

June 26: Made Whole

June 27: Break Up

June 28: You Are the Church

June 29: First Love

June 30: Great and Terrible

July

July 1: Change Your View

July 2: Place of Protection

July 3: Fathers

July 4: Destroying Doubt

July 5: Supernatural Invitation

July 6: Herod’s Birthday

July 7: Surroundings

July 8: Walk like Christ

July 9: Determining Value

July 10: Choices

July 11: Number the Days

July 12: Worship

July 13: Jesus Is with You

July 14: Prayer and Fasting

July 15: Evil Companions

July 16: Holy Spirit Nudges

July 17: Alpha and Omega

July 18: Life Is Short

July 19: Speak Boldly

July 20: Comfort

July 21: Anchor of Peace

July 22: Glory to Glory

July 23: Facing Opposition

July 24: Motives

July 25: Temptation and Fear

July 26: Integrity

July 27: Endure

July 28: Level of Belief

July 29: Abraham and Lot

July 30: Works Matter

July 31: Highly Offended

August

August 1: Changing Perspective

August 2: Wait Patiently

August 3: Fifty Year Commitment

August 4: Created for Praise

August 5: Formula for Peace

August 6: Taking Responsibility

August 7: Back to Basics

August 8: Discouragement

August 9: Abide

August 10: Solomon’s Wisdom

August 11: Conviction

August 12: Every Little Thing

August 13: All You Need

August 14: Who You Really Are

August 15: Seek Wise Counsel

August 16: Comparison

August 17: I Will Remember

August 18: Part-Time Christians

August 19: Make a Move

August 20: Boundaries

August 21: Given Much

August 22: Right Living

August 23: Controlled by the Spirit

August 24: Identity

August 25: Accepting Sin

August 26: Obey God

August 27: Blame Game

August 28: Watch and Pray

August 29: If You Are a Son

August 30: Carnal Mind

August 31: Finding Your Assignment

September

September 1: Plank-Eye

September 2: Acceptance

September 3: Believe and Trust

September 4: It’s All His

September 5: Climb Out

September 6: Honor

September 7: Bound by Principles

September 8: Labels

September 9: Expecting Too Much

September 10: Creating Mountains

September 11: Worthy of Your Calling

September 12: Isaac’s Inheritance

September 13: Desire

September 14: Radical Faith

September 15: He Lifts Your Head

September 16: Apart from Me

September 17: Budgeting Bondage

September 18: Kingdom Thinking

September 19: Handling Your Blessing

September 20: Being Brave

September 21: Many Turn Away

September 22: Act Like It

September 23: Set a Speech Standard

September 24: Decree a Thing

September 25: Not as the World Gives

September 26: Danger of Low Expectations

September 27: Hope’s Stronghold

September 28: Authority

September 29: Joy in the Morning

September 30: Because of the Way

October

October 1: Go after Peace

October 2: Anointed

October 3: Little by Little

October 4: Do You Not Hear?

October 5: What Is True?

October 6: Eliminating Worry

October 7: In the Dark

October 8: Battle Tested

October 9: By Design

October 10: Keys to Heaven

October 11: Distracted Minds

October 12: Pain of Progress

October 13: Clearing Your Conscience

October 14: Time Matters

October 15: Contend and Defend

October 16: Looking for a Sign

October 17: Culture of Wisdom

October 18: Yahweh Provides

October 19: Apostleship

October 20: Getting Loose

October 21: Evaluate

October 22: Surrender Your Past

October 23: Breaking the Agreements

October 24: Faith Crawl

October 25: Limiting Thoughts

October 26: Healthy Decisions

October 27: Being One

October 28: No Reputation

October 29: Eternity

October 30: Peace with All People

October 31: Bringing Change

November

November 1: Eyes Opened

November 2: Stand Fast

November 3: Discernment

November 4: More than a Feeling

November 5: Pruning Promotion

November 6: Don’t Write Me Off

November 7: Oak Tree

November 8: Help My Unbelief

November 9: It Must Die

November 10: Connected Peace

November 11: How Fire Works

November 12: A Wind from Elsewhere

November 13: Isolation

November 14: Bright Lines

November 15: Reach Forward

November 16: Being Available

November 17: Forgive

November 18: Wages

November 19: Enjoy Life

November 20: It has Been Released

November 21: Answered Prayer

November 22: Two Masters

November 23: Experience and Sight

November 24: Lay It Down

November 25: Christianity Is Addition

November 26: Front Lines

November 27: Politics

November 28: Here and Now

November 29: Be Aggressive

November 30: Grow in Greatness

December

December 1: Decisions

December 2: Full Counsel

December 3: Captive Thoughts

December 4: Train for Battle

December 5: Just Jesus

December 6: Encountering God

December 7: Vessels of Honor

December 8: Not Shaken

December 9: God’s Promises

December 10: Submission and Honor

December 11: Overcrowded

December 12: Accomplishments

December 13: Ignoring Waves

December 14: Uncomfortable

December 15: Hate

December 16: Depression Isn’t Trendy

December 17: Maintenance of Love

December 18: Biblical Hope

December 19: Keep Him Close

December 20: Born into a Mess

December 21: Never Left

December 22: Covenant

December 23: Happy Birthday, Jesus!

December 24: Simeon

December 25: Merry Christmas

December 26: Knowing Your Season

December 27: Why Am I Here?

December 28: Leading

December 29: Quality Christianity

December 30: Feed Your Faith

December 31: New Beginnings

About James Levesque

January

 

JANUARY 1

Curse of Convenience

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

GALATIANS 6:9 NKJV

Everything is happening so fast today, but you can’t have a microwave Christianity in a slow-cooker world. God wants to plant seeds in our lives, but he is waiting for faithfulness. Although we get frustrated, impatient, full of anger and fear, the Father is perfecting his plan. What does it cost? Everything. We are not going to have a Pentecost at no cost. As for me and my house, we are going to believe what God said in his Word and stand on his promises. We are going to know that every word he has promised will come to pass, and we will not grow weary as we wait. A forty-year prophecy does not come to pass in four minutes; it doesn’t work like that. In this outrageous, fast-paced world, we don’t want our Christianity to be convenient. There are things we are going to have to pray over. There are promises we will have to go to war for.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Keep praying every day. Even if it doesn’t seem like anything is changing, consistency in prayer is the first step to faithfulness. Maybe it’s a good day to start something new in your relationship with God.

 

JANUARY 2

All In

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

DEUTERONOMY 6:5 NKJV

Let me ask you a question: Why Jesus? Why did you go all in for Jesus? There are many believers going through trauma. They are frustrated, struggling, and wondering what to do next. Well, the next step comes from the presence and power of Christ. See, we can’t be full-time Christians with part-time participation. God is not concerned about our abilities. Do you know what he is concerned about? Our availability. Are you available for what God has called you to do? It doesn’t matter how long you have been saved. If you have never known the Lord, today is your day. If you’ve known him for many years, there is a fresh outpouring that God wants to give you. You are not going to wonder what God is doing on the earth or what he is saying today. You are going to live and move and breathe that fire. Are you living for what he died for? Are you all in?

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Ask yourself, are you all in? And what are you all in for? Are you wasting your passion on politics? Social media?Entertainment?Or are you serving Christ?

 

JANUARY 3

Break Your Pattern

It’s true that our freedom allows us to do anything, but that doesn’t mean that everything we do is good for us. I’m free to do as I choose, but I choose to never be enslaved to anything.

1 CORINTHIANS 6:12 TPT

Now that we’re a few days into the New Year, it’s a good time to ask, Am I breaking patterns? Or am I opening myself up for attacks? Am I changing the way I’m doing things? Am I letting go of old habits? If nothing changes, if every day looks the same in your life, that’s when your light begins to go out. Break your patterns. We live in a society that teaches us to believe we need the things that make us feel good, which often leads to selfishness, bad habits, and even addictions. The truth is that the compounding interest of good decisions will change your life! Every time you say no to something unhealthy and say yes to prayer, spending time with the Lord, devotions, or journaling, you will reap the benefits. If you eat an apple today, you won’t see the results right away, but over time, healthy habits will make you stronger. Familiar, easy, feel-good patterns can be destructive, but God wants to help you change those patterns.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Think of one or two patterns you need to break.

How are you planning to do this?

 

JANUARY 4

New Year’s Resolve

“For who has despised the day of small things?”

ZECHARIAH 4:10 NKJV

Resolutions get broken, but resolve stays with you. Some of us look at our lives and think about all the things we’d like to do or change. Well, don’t despise the day of small beginnings. Zechariah was given a big task: to rebuild the temple that was in ruins. It must have been hard to know where to start. But he was resolved. We can’t just wish anymore; it’s time to have real, biblical hope that God can do all things. If you’re ready to make a change, just start and start small. It’s not making a resolution; it’s firmly committing in your heart to a course of action. If you want to start going to the gym, be reasonable about how much time you can spend at the beginning and add a little more each week. If your goal is to spend an hour a day with the Lord, start with fifteen minutes. This can be the greatest year if we refuse to become caught up in the hypes and highs and lows. Just take a little bit here and there every day to get you where you want to go.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

What are you resolving to do or change this year?Make a plan and start small.

 

JANUARY 5

A Bitter Soul

Lay aside bitter words, temper tantrums, revenge, profanity, and insults.

EPHESIANS 4:31 TPT

You can’t see mold in your house right away. It starts in hidden places then grows. That’s how bitterness is as well. One day you have a thought, it festers, and before you know it, the situation is blown out of proportion. We’ve all been hurt. But are you going to live in prison the rest of your life? The Bible says to guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) because everything is a heart issue. Bitterness is cancer, and unforgiveness can send you right to hell. Are you a person who is easily offended? Are you bitter about something that happened months ago? Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, “Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools” (NKJV). You need to deal with that mold issue in your house, and you need to deal with that bitterness in your bosom because it will destroy you physically and spiritually.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Misunderstandings produce mistrust. Is there anything you need to air out with someone else so bitterness does not grow in your soul?

 

JANUARY 6

God Is a Rewarder

We come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek him.

HEBREWS 11:6 TPT

David was a shepherd boy. We all know the story. He went down to see his brothers, minding his own business, and found all these trained soldiers too scared to fight the big, mean Goliath. Then David learned about the reward for slaying Goliath: great riches, the king’s daughter in marriage, and an exemption from taxes for the victor’s entire family. Well, the reward system worked for David because he asked three different times, “Wait, what would I get?” Through his faith in God, he slayed the giant, but there was also motivation. Don’t become so religious that you miss the fact that God will reward you. That’s not why we’re obedient, but it’s absolutely an attribute of the rich and rewarding kingdom of God. We don’t give to get, but when we do give with a pure motive, we will reap God’s rewards because he is generous and loves to bless us.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

How has God rewarded your faithfulness in the past?

 

JANUARY 7

Escape

At each and every sunrise you will hear my voice as I prepare my sacrifice of prayer to you. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart.

PSALM 5:3 TPT

Are you falling asleep with your phone in your hand and waking up to text messages? Listen, your morning routine and your nighttime routine matter. That’s why devotions are essential. Do you value prayer? Do you value intimacy with the Father? Then make it a priority. And we can’t hear God’s voice if we’re not present in the moment—if we’re always trying to block out reality. Instead of trying to escape your life, live abundantly with God where you are. We cannot run around trying to find our spots on earth and then expect God to meet us; that’s not how life works. Sure, go on vacation, but live your abundant life too. Focus on spending time daily with the Lord, hearing his voice, seeking his face, and starting your day off properly. Then you won’t need to escape the amazing life that God already died for you to have.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

What are your morning and nighttime routines?What would you like to see changed?

 

JANUARY 8

Spirit of Offense

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.

PROVERBS 19:11 NKJV

Everybody has a reason to be offended. If you want to be offended today, that is the easiest thing to accomplish. Worse than any virus is the spirit of offense ravaging across the planet. It is rooted in bitterness and unforgiveness, and it is not bringing about any positive change. Offense does not look for real healing. It does not want to heal because it is constantly angry and comfortable with its anger. This cancer culture looks for more offense to fuel its anger and hate. Do you know what the biggest healer of anger is? Love. Loving God and loving people is the only way to beat offense. And loving means forgiving. Forgiveness is hard. True forgiveness means you forgive someone even if they never come and ask you for it. The whole earth is swelling with unforgiveness and offense as people become consumed with the apologies that they believe others owe them. It’s a slippery slope that will never bring healing. Lay it down today. Choose forgiveness. Choose love.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

What offense do you need to lay down and let go of today?

 

JANUARY 9

Dad’s Approval

Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

LUKE 2:52 NKJV

In this country, there’s a father wound, which happens when people don’t get approval from their earthly dads. There is a spiritual connection between children and their fathers. Each of us has a desire to be loved and approved of by someone we respect. Whether you have an earthly dad or not, and whether he was a good dad or not, there is something in each of us that longs for the approval of a father or father figure. Ultimately, this is a desire for approval from the Lord. Since we tend not to make that immediate connection, we can end up living the rest of our lives seeking approval from people instead of from our heavenly Father. It can cause years of pain and disappointment and frustration because we’re trying to fill a God-sized hole in our hearts with peoplesized approval, and it’s just not good enough. If we want to heal, grow, and find favor, it needs to start with God.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Do you believe in your heart that your Father God approves of you and loves you endlessly?Do you believe he is proud of you?

 

JANUARY 10

Whatever You Ask

“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

JOHN 14:13 NKJV

Jesus said, “When you pray,” meaning when you step into God’s presence. Your desires change when you’re in the presence of God, when you go to that secret place with the Father. So, when desires come up, when your heart is turned toward God, then whatever you ask will be in agreement with what he wants to give you. Jesus is not telling every haphazard believer who is backsliding that they can just open their mouths and he’ll give them what they want. What he’s saying is that if you are a lover of him, and if you’re intimate with him, and if you take the time to learn his heart, and if you’re laying down yourself for his sake, then yes, you will receive what your heart desires. When you spend time in God’s presence, your prayer changes, your heart changes, your desires change, and your answers change.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

What do you desire of the Lord?

 

JANUARY 11

Cause

David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”

1 SAMUEL 17:29 NKJV

I love how much awareness society is bringing to racism and sexism and that people are standing for great causes. I want to cure the world of sickness and disease, of bigotry and hate. But the way this is going to happen is through the love of God and hearts being changed. We cannot get there by only protesting injustice or picketing abortion clinics. Awareness is important, and each of these issues is crucial, but the Lord isn’t satisfied with social justice warriors on the earth who don’t understand what their cause really is. Define what God has called you to fight for. Stand for something great. When David, a mere shepherd boy, went down to face the Philistine army, his cause was bigger than simply overcoming a giant. That was a great cause, but he was there to prove that the way to victory is always to be on God’s side.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

What causes ignite your heart, and how can you show the love of God through your engagement with these causes?

 

JANUARY 12

Gospel Culture

I delight to fulfill your will, my God, for your living words are written upon the pages of my heart.

PSALM 40:8 TPT

You cannot let culture determine your spiritual temperature. Set some definite boundaries and be clear that your message is the gospel. Have you become more vocal about current events than about your faith? Are politics and issues of the world all you talk about anymore? The only hope we have to make a positive change is the power of the gospel. That’s it. So take inventory of your heart. What is your faith in? Is the gospel the most important thing to you? Whatever you put your trust in today is going to dominate you tomorrow. Truth is timeless. Truth isn’t subject to culture. But if you’re not careful today, culture will change you tomorrow. The gospel doesn’t change. The message you’re preaching is directly connected to the harvest you are going to receive. Don’t let culture change your message when the gospel message is what should be changing culture.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Do you spend more time reading current events and listening to the news than you spend reading the Bible and praying?

 

JANUARY 13

Show the Difference

Above all, set yourself apart as a model of a life nobly lived. With dignity, demonstrate integrity in all that you teach.

TITUS 2:7 TPT

Evil and selfishness were prevailing on the island of Crete. Paul wrote Titus instructions on how the leaders of the church should conduct themselves. It is important for the outside world looking in that Christians display what a transformed life really looks like. Today, as much as then, we need to exemplify these qualities. There are so many weak variations of Christianity in America and around the world. They lack power. They lack surrender. There is very little demonstration of the gospel. Sometimes this is the result of ignorance or a lack of shepherding as they grow in faith. But other times it’s directly connected to not living right or buying into doctrines that don’t matter and allowing things into their lives that contradict God’s law. It is tragic how far we have drifted from the truth. Truth is still true! Be the kind of Christian who shows the difference, who confronts sin, and who is willing to let the world see the right example of a life that Jesus has changed.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Read all of Titus 2. Make a list of the attributes you would like to work on in your own life this week.

 

JANUARY 14

Idle Talk

Shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

2 TIMOTHY 2:16 NKJV

Idle talk will sabotage your destiny. People use words, which should be powerful and lifegiving, and they sling them around to cut others down. Idle talk has always been a tool to draw people away from becoming like Jesus. The internet is full of idle talk. It is easy to follow wrong paths on the internet, leading to distraction and destruction, and we must make sure our spirits aren’t becoming infected with this garbage. Every single one of us needs to set boundaries and keep them strong. Paul warned Timothy that people have even strayed away from their faith because of idle talk (1 Timothy 1:6). And it’s infectious! He said profanity and idle babblings spread like cancer (2 Timothy 2:17). Godless chatter, arguments, puffing ourselves up—it’s everywhere we turn! Don’t let it infect you like cancer. Turn away from it. Refuse to become involved in it. Watch your words. Are they edifying, lifegiving, and powerful? Do they bring peace, unity, and love?

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Read 1 Timothy 6 and pray over the words you let come out of your mouth and go into your ears.

 

JANUARY 15

Confidence

Do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.

HEBREWS 10:35 NKJV

The Bible clearly states that if you get rid of your confidence, you get rid of your potential to be rewarded. The Word of God is our title deed. Faith isn’t just holding high expectations based on questionable information. What most people call faith today isn’t faith at all. But when you are in the Word of God, you realize it is an entire book of title deeds waiting for you. It is our weapon and our confidence in contending. Our strategy and our confidence are in pursuing God for his best and for another great outpouring. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace” (NKJV). The difference between walking in confidence and power or disqualifying yourself is just belief. We should approach God’s promises in confidence because we know that God is with us and that he’s moving on our behalf. He’s going to do great things.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Do you have confidence that the Lord is moving on your behalf?What does this confidence embolden you to do?

 

JANUARY 16

Pharisee Faith

“I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

MATTHEW 5:20 NKJV

It must have sounded like a tall order when Jesus said our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees, but what was he actually saying? What was the righteousness of the Pharisees? What was Pharisee faith? It was to live only by the letter of the law and no more. There was no relationship with God, nothing extra offered out of love; they did just enough to get by. Jesus was telling us that if we really want the fullness of God in life, we need to go beyond just what is required. If you’re a Christian just so you don’t go to hell, then you’re not really in this. Christianity isn’t hell insurance. Christianity means having a relationship with Christ. Do you believe it was Christ’s intention to die on the cross for you, give you the Holy Spirit, and make you a co-heir with him just for you to keep living any way you wish? You cannot expect to pray a prayer that will keep you out of hell and then keep living as if you were bound for hell. No. He gave you everything because that’s what he expects in return.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Are you touching people’s lives, feeding the poor, and loving your neighbors?Or are you just relieved you’re not going to hell?

 

JANUARY 17

Patience

Don’t allow your hearts to grow dull or lose your enthusiasm, but follow the example of those who fully received what God has promised because of their strong faith and patient endurance.

HEBREWS 6:12 TPT

We all have promises we’re believing for, right? And we’re taught to have faith in God’s promises, but who is teaching about having patience to inherit his promises? Look at the patience displayed in your life because it echoes what’s in your heart. Are you patient with your family? At work? In traffic? In this era when we can’t even wait for drip coffee anymore, we don’t seem to have patience for anything. But some things require a little percolation. It’s a slow drip to break through. It is through faith and in patience that we inherit the promises of God. Are you walking in patience? Are you waiting to inherit the promises? Miracles may be instant, and healing can happen fast, but the process of God perfecting his will through you will take a little time. Rest. God is eager for you to inherit his promises in his perfect timing.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Pray with me: Lord, be it unto me according to your will and your time. I will be patient and allow your work to perfect itself through me. Amen.

 

JANUARY 18

Heavenly Account

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.

1 PETER 1:3–4 NKJV

There is an account for you in heaven that was created by Jesus on the cross before you knew, and that account is better than advertised. When you live as if everything has been paid for, you don’t beg for joy and peace; you receive it. You don’t struggle through life trying to make ends meet; you believe and receive the blessing of the Lord. Many times, believing God’s Word contradicts your earthly situation. Welcome to faith. And unlike an empty, earthly bank account, God has established a heavenly one for you on the cross, and it’s full! It’s written in love and blood. Many Christians struggle to believe it’s theirs and struggle to access it. Once you believe it’s there, you will begin to have the faith to access it. Jesus didn’t say salvation was at hand or good fortune was at hand, he said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7 NKJV). The kingdom of heaven is within reach if you would only believe.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Salvation is the greatest miracle, but do not cheapen the kingdom of God by limiting it to salvation only.

 

JANUARY 19

Power of the Gospel

I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

ROMANS 1:16 NKJV

You need to make a decision: What are you going to serve? What message are you preaching? Is your message full of politics or full of the hope of Christ? Have you become dissuaded by doubt and unbelief? Guard your heart and your mind. Make sure you’re not giving more attention to the demon spirits than you are the Holy Spirit. This world is looking for hope. This world is looking for people, Christians, to rise up and stand for truth. This world is looking for believers to believe. People are hurting, and the power of the gospel is the only remedy. If you are too focused on the world, you cannot be effective. If another season goes by and you don’t see breakthrough, evaluate what it is you are sowing. There’s such a need out there for the power of God, and if you don’t do anything about it, how will they know where they can find the answers?

ENGAGING HEAVEN

How can you guard your heart and mind against doubt and unbelief as you go through your day?

 

JANUARY 20

Freedom from Trauma

This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

LAMENTATIONS 3:21–23 NKJV

This world needs the best you. This world needs the healed you. But if you’re carrying around trauma, how will you ever move forward? God wants better for you. Trauma will ruin every area of your life if you give it power and allow it to keep hurting you. The devil wants to use trauma to torment you, but it can be broken from your life! You can know in your heart of hearts that the Lord can heal you and set you free from all the traumatic events of your past. There will be a day when the sting will subside. There will come a time when you will be able to extend forgiveness even if it is never asked of you. One day, it can even become a strength in you that God will use to help other people also find freedom. Nothing good happens in the dark, so invite the light in and ask God to break you free of trauma.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Spend some time with God and ask him to help you uncover and address the obvious as well as the hidden trauma you’ve been carrying.

 

JANUARY 21

Throne Zone

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, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations.

EPHESIANS 3:20–21 NKJV

There is a throne zone around your life, and if any trials, persecutions, or stupidity try to enter that circle of protection, God will give you the power to overcome it. Whatever comes your way is under his rule. That’s God’s part. But Paul intentionally specified that it is God’s power at work in us, which means we have a part to play too. Our part is allowing God to transform our lives. Our part is recognizing that when something unexpected or unwelcome comes into our lives, we need to be proactive and not reactive. Nothing happens by accident when you’re a child of God. What do you do when your boss says there are going to be layoffs? Have peace. Breathe. Speak the Word of God over your situation. Be proactive about trusting God and remember that your life is ordained, and nothing just happens. Even if God does close a door, he’s going to open up a massive double door for you!

ENGAGING HEAVEN

As a believer, the very nature of your character should be to believe. That isn’t wishful thinking; it’s faith.

 

JANUARY 22

We’re Not Perfect

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

PHILIPPIANS 3:12 NKJV

This is a race. Do you know what that means? Heaven is counting on you. Heaven is cheering you on, saying, Come on, run with a heart that is true! But the point is that we’ve not yet attained anything. We have not yet been perfected. We are in a race for a prize! There is more available for us. Jesus flipped the whole script when he told his disciples that there would be even more for them when he left earth. The book of Acts is for us to learn to live in a greater place of power and authority, that the Holy Spirit will fill us, and we could manifest the Lord everywhere we go. We’re not perfect, but we press on. The purpose is not to become perfect—that’s God’s job, not ours. Our job is to press on and run this race, gazing on Jesus the whole way.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Are you running after God, or do your imperfections keep distracting you and tripping you up?

 

JANUARY 23

Everything We Need

Everything we could ever need for life and godliness has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness.

2 PETER 1:3 TPT

There’s an old story about the Lord visiting a man and telling him to push an enormous rock. Even though the man didn’t understand why or feel like he was accomplishing anything, he obeyed the Lord’s command day after day, year after year. One day, the Lord told the man to move a mountain, and he did! All the years of pushing the rock gave him the strength, character, and integrity to move mountains when the day finally came. David slayed Goliath because he remembered the lions and the bears he’d chased away from his sheep. And like these two faithful examples, all the trials you have been through have prepared you as well. You just need to have patience and believe. If family drama is high or your job is super stressful, remember that the Lord has given you everything you need for whatever crisis you are facing right now. The power to overcome is already inside you before you even walk into the room because God prepares us before he sends us.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

If you feel inadequate or unprepared, just remember that it’s God’s way of saying, I’ve got you.

 

JANUARY 24

The Power of God

For we’ve been buried with him into his death. Our “baptism into death” also means we were raised with him when we believed in God’s resurrection power, the power that raised him from death’s realm.

COLOSSIANS 2:12 TPT

There are three things that the power of God wants to do in your life. First, it wants to come to you so you experience an encounter with God. When you encounter God, it changes you forever. Second, it wants to go into you. That’s when you start wrestling with the matters of the heart and balancing out what is healthy and unhealthy in your life. It teaches you the art of clean living. Holiness comes when you meet the Lord, obey his Word, and live clean. The Bible says, “According to that power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV). Are you allowing that power to work in you? Are you allowing yourself to be changed in his presence? Finally, the power of God wants to go through you, and that is the mission part of life. God didn’t save you so you would hide; he died on the cross so that you and I would have life abundantly and reconcile this earth to him.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

What is the resurrection power of God doing in and through you today?

 

JANUARY 25

Breakthrough

“The One whom God has sent to represent him will speak the words of God, because God has poured out upon him the fullness of the Holy Spirit without limitation.”

JOHN 3:34 TPT

Do you realize that you have all power and authority? Do you understand that God has given you his Spirit without measure? When Jesus died, he gave us his inheritance. He gave us everything so we would do his will on this earth. With that in mind, think about what we spend our lives bowing down to. God wants you to break out of every limitation, break through every chain, every addiction, every fear, and every lie holding you back from what he has called you to do. The Bible says that three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines just to bring David a drink of water (2 Samuel 23:16). If three men could break through enemy lines just to serve their earthly king, think of what we could do on behalf of our heavenly King! Allow God to continually break off those chains and believe what is possible as a body of Christ. It’s time for a breakthrough.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Are you struggling with depression, anxiety, fear, or any other chain?Whom do you know who will pray with you?

 

JANUARY 26

Heavenly Father

“I will be a true Father to you, and you will be my beloved sons and daughters,” says the Lord Yahweh Almighty.

2 CORINTHIANS 6:18 TPT

The way you view your earthly father influences the way you view your heavenly Father. If your earthly dad was neglectful, you might feel like God’s not there for you. If your earthly dad’s approval was performance based, you may try to earn God’s love by serving him. But because he’s a human, your earthly dad is nothing like your heavenly Father. It matters immensely how you view your Father in heaven because if you’re going to believe for things, you’re going to have to understand that he is not like an earthly dad. He is not like an earthly boss. The faithfulness of our Father is unfathomable and unbreakable. The law would give you just a little, but God will always give you more than enough because that is his heart. The God we serve is generous and abundant. The God we serve is always there for you, and he loves you no matter what.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

How has your relationship with your father influenced the way you understand God?

 

JANUARY 27

Still Stumbling

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

PHILIPPIANS 1:6 NKJV

Sometimes we assume that if we stumble, we’re not truly converted. We assume that if we have old desires, then we must not be a new creation. Our assumption is if we’re anxious about anything, we don’t really trust God. When those doubts creep in, remember that God promises to continue working in you until you are finished, when Jesus Christ comes again. Furthermore, our lack of love does not diminish his because even “if we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13 NKJV). When we understand God’s love, it helps us become a little more patient. The work of sanctification is not completed overnight. He is constantly shaping us and growing us. But if we can have patience with ourselves and allow him to do his work in our lives, we will one day see it completed.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

Do you have patience with yourself when you mess up, leaning on him to get you back on track? Or do you beat yourself up and have a hard time moving forward?What is your motivation?

 

JANUARY 28

Hope Deferred

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

PROVERBS 13:12 NKJV

When you’re dealing with the realm of faith, you’re not the one in control. Victory and success are guaranteed, but God is the one who is going to make it happen. There is a process to it that God wants to walk you through so that you learn to trust him more. Don’t become discouraged if it takes longer than you think it should because God is going to bring you to the promised land in his perfect timing. It’s going to happen. When you realize your desire for a victorious life and you realize the fact that victory in the Lord is certain, it becomes a tree of life inside of you. You live a little differently. You are more encouraged. This hope grows and grows inside you! People who get discouraged tend to take things into their own hands and spend time dwelling on what’s not happening in their lives. But you can’t control when, where, and how certain promises come to pass, so be faithful with what’s in front of you now. Focus on pushing God’s kingdom forward and stay hopeful!

ENGAGING HEAVEN

How can you be diligent with what’s in front of you today?

 

JANUARY 29

Why Jesus Came

You have entrusted me with all that you are and all that you have. No one fully and intimately knows the Son except the Father. And no one fully and intimately knows the Father except the Son. But the Son is able to unveil the Father to anyone he chooses.

MATTHEW 11:27 TPT

Why did Jesus come to this earth? The Bible offers us many reasons. Luke 19:10 says, “To seek and to save that which was lost” (NKJV). Luke 5:32 specifies Jesus’ mission to call “sinners to repentance.” Isaiah 58:12 prophesied Jesus to be the “Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.” There are many, many reasons why God came here to earth and why you are here now. One very important reason Jesus came was to reveal the Father. Everything Jesus was, everything he did, and everything he said while he was on the earth was to point us to the Father. He came to enlighten us and show us a realm in which God is available and accessible to us. He came to bridge the gap and lead us home, and at his ascension, he commissioned us to do the same work. The Bible says that Jesus is the desire of all the nations (Haggai 2:7), and it also tells us to go make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19). That is why Jesus came.

ENGAGING HEAVEN

The reason Jesus came is the same reason we remain. How are you continuing his work?

 

JANUARY 30

God Knows

You saw who you created me to be before I became me! Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days you planned for me were already recorded in your book.

PSALM 139:16 TPT