From the PRISM Topic – What Does God Give…
Love you all, praying for you. What do you need most from God today? (See the Relationship Topic – The Best Question Ever). This can be a difficult question, because you won’t really know what you need most from God, unless you ask Him. God definitely has something for you to do today, so it could be something you need in order to accomplish that. Or, it might be something you need spiritually, physically or emotionally – completely unrelated to His assignment for you today. The biggest challenge with this question is distinguishing between what you think you need (might be just what you want), and what God knows you need most from Him today. You don’t know what’s coming, and He’s already been there. One Daily Caller said: “I don’t know if that’s what I need most, but it’s what I want, so I wrote it down.” Their transparent moment captures what most of us struggle with when it comes to answering this really important question. If you don’t know what you need most from God today, then you can’t ask God for it, and you might not even recognize when He’s trying to give it to you, or be open to receiving it. So what does God give? The list is infinite: II Peter 1:3 – “By his divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who call us by his own glory and excellence. Wow. What a verse. That means God has already given what you need, its just a matter of receiving it. It’s by Divine Power that He has done it. And whatever you need, you get through the knowledge of Him – and it’s glorious and excellent! What do you need most from God today? Here are just a few of the things He gives. Praying that you will review the PRISM Topic What Does God Give – for the verse that goes with each one! So what does God give? Praying that you will do PiVAT before dinner every day – so you know what He wants to give you, so you can ask Him for it, receive it and walk in it. Salvation, The Holy Spirit, His Word, Wisdom, Strength, Peace, Joy, Grace, Forgiveness, The Fear of the Lord, Faith, Deliverance, Ears to Hear, A Heart To Obey, Favor, Blessing, Daily Bread, His Thoughts, Counsel, Fruit, Hope, Love, Healing, Vision, Comfort, Instruction, Victory, Sleep, Rest, Love, Light, Purpose, His plans, Details, Understanding, An Assignment, Patience, Kindness, Good Things, Honor, Faithfulness, An Answer, A Reply, Words to Speak, Skill and Ability, Success, Discernment, Promotion, An Instructed Tongue, A Song, Compassion, Seed, Harvest, Judgments, The Spirit Without Measure, Gifts To Men, Joy in the morning, A wife who fears the Lord, Diligence, Increase, Prosperity, The Power to get wealth, True Riches, Grace to Give, Food, Provision, Abundance, Justice, Vindication, Rain, True Bread, Courage, A Friend, Beauty For Ashes, Restoration, Happiness, The Desires Of Your Heart, Discretion, Direction, Revival, Reward, Revelation, A Garment of Praise, Laughter, Help, Boldness. Praying that you will Ask God what you need most from Him today, So you can receive and walk in it. Praying that you will ask someone else – so you can pray for them, so they are aware of what God longs to give them. And praying that you will review that PRISM Topic – What Does God Give, so His Word will transform your mind, encourage your soul, and resonate in your Spirit. Praying that you will walk in every thing He longs to give you today – exactly what you need for His glory and your good. Love you all, dad
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Love you all, praying for you.
Are you leading a sin-free life? Or does sin have a hold on you in an area of your life? If you give it an inch, it will take a mile. It won’t let you go. Most people can’t even imagine what a sin-free life would look like or feel like. Sin has a powerful attraction, a powerful pull. Most people want enough Jesus to get them out of trouble when they need him, but not enough Jesus to take up their cross every day. Some people don’t even know what a sin-free life is. Some think it’s finally some level you reach in religion that you somehow are immune to temptation, or the devil stops trying to tempt you. That’s a mirage… sin is always crouching at your door, wanting to control you, if you let it. If you do not resist the devil, he will take advantage. A sin-free life is not a sinless life. Only One had that, that’s why He’s our Savior. But the grace that raised Christ from the dead, that secures you for eternity with God in heaven, instead of outer darkness and separation, that same grace that gives you a new name and a new family in the Kingdom of God, that grace is the power to say “No” to any temptation you face. God promised He will never allow the devil to tempt you beyond what you can bear. So temptation – that invitation to sin, or fall short of God’s holiness or God’s best, is also an invitation to choose victory. A sin-free life is not a life that never sinned, or never made a wrong choice… It’s a life that is no longer controlled by sin. It’s a life of freedom, not bondage. It’s a life that has learned to habitually choose God’s readily available grace to overcome sin. A life that resists the devil – until he flees from you (He has to – God’s Word says it). It’s a life that knows the joy of choosing right instead of wrong, and the more you do it, the more anything else becomes distasteful. Momentum is huge. If you dabble in sin, it will control you, but if your reject it before it starts, the devil cannot even get a foothold. The keys to a sin-free life? #1 God’s Presence – that time of personal worship – If you start there and come back there as many times a day as you can – His presences purifies you – it heightens your desire for Him above the things of the world. Stay in that place of worship, the more you see His face the more the attraction of the world will fade. #2 God’s Word – if you get the mind of Christ – that transforms yours, you will think like He thinks, and you will gain the fear of the LORD, and wisdom which will keep you from the path of sin. PRISM puts you in position daily for your mind to be transformed. #3 Obey the first thing – PiVAT is so important. God has plans for you today, including this hour. And sin is not one of them… Just get busy doing what He told you to do in this hour, and you won’t have time for sin, you’ll be too busy walking in His path for your good, in victory, and blessing, and abundance. Doesn’t mean you’ll always have stuff, but your life will be abundantly blessed. #4 Do not hang out with sinners, do not choose their path. Some people are always sinning, and if you are with them, you will too. Choose better company, and you’ll choose better character. Invest your friendship in obeyers. And #5 Give your testimony. It is your overcoming! Your Daily Call is key to overcoming the enemy. That’s why the devil wants to keep you from it! Your testimony will help you overcome and you will be encouraged by their obedience, to grow in yours. Praying that you will learn to Praise like David, Pray Like Daniel, Believe like Abraham, and Run like Joseph. If you Praise – that’s His presence, He’ll come and live in your praises. If you pray – God will help you avoid the pitfalls of the enemy, If you believe, you will know that God’s ways are infinitely better than any lesser choice. And If you are ever confronted with a temptation – right in your face. Run like Joseph, leave your coat behind if you have to. Not only was Joseph totally opposite of the foolish young man, at dusk walking down the road toward her house… He flat out ran away when the temptation found him. He did it because He would never dishonor God. He knew it wasn’t about sin, it was about relationship – and nothing the world could offer was worth a broken relationship with God. Praying that God’s Presence will fill you, that His Word will sustain you, that your obedience will distance you from any sin, that you would only associate with obeyers, and avoid others, that your Daily Call would be the first of many overcoming testimonies each day. That you would praise and pray and believe and run if you need to. That you would value your relationship with God far more than the cheap thrill and temporary pleasure of sin – that it would never have a grip on you - not even a foothold. Praying that you will love God, and hate sin, and run your race, sin-free, and full of the fruit of wisdom and righteousness; that your life will be marked with the distinction that God makes between the wicked and the righteous, those who choose sin, and those who walk with Him in the fear of the LORD, and all the blessing that goes with it. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
Have you ever thought about the most valuable skills in life? Here’s one – Anticipation. The greatest investors know how to anticipate, the greatest quarterbacks, or defensive backs – have developed the skill of anticipation. Even the Bible talks about the men of Issachar who understood the times, and understood what the people of God should do. Every successful business with longevity has developed this skill to be firmly positioned in changing times. They can sense where the consumer market is going and adjust their plans accordingly. Great anticipation helps you plan ahead - which is what prepares you for success. To Anticipate is to have a sense of what is coming – so you can be prepared, and succeed where you or others have failed. The Seattle Seahawks in the final seconds of the Super Bowl, marched down the field, stopped just short of the goal line with seconds to spare. Everyone knew the final play in the waning seconds was going to be Marshawn Lynch up the middle smashing over the goal line for the winning touchdown. They hadn’t stopped him the entire final drive. But as the Seahawks came up to the line of scrimmage – with the world on the edge of their seat. Malcolm Butler the Defensive Back of the Patriots noticed something. Something looks awfully familiar, I know how this story ends. And the moment the ball was snapped, he sidesteps the pick block, steps right in front of the receiver waiting on the ball already in the air, and intercepts that game winning pass. With that one instant of anticipation, he forever changes Super Bowl History, and gives Tom Brady a ring he wouldn’t have had. The Patriots have another ring to add to their collection, and the team that had them beat – had to walk away empty handed. That skill of anticipation made the difference between Super Bowl Champs and maybe next year. In the game of life, the struggle is with sin, not the Seahawks or the Patriots. The devil wants you falling and failing, disconnected from God, kept from the victory God has for you through His more than enough Grace! Have you ever struggled with a sin, or a shortcoming in your life, in your character, or in how you really want to be? Sometimes repeated failures come from mere lack of anticipation and lack of planning. The wise man sees danger and takes cover, but the fool keeps going and suffers for it. God said we are to be wise when handling the enemy. Sometimes you need to anticipate, to know the places you fall, and plan ahead so you can avoid them. Choosing instead the Fruit of the Spirit that God has for you – always at the top of your mind. If a short temper, or a harsh response is a challenge, then ask God to help you (before you encounter the first person today) and every person thereafter – to help you choose humility. How can I demonstrate humility in this first conversation, or this first response? The secret is love. If you love someone, you will treat them like God loves them. You will treat them with the value that God places on them, not how valuable you think they are to you. So what is the secret weapon of anticipation so you can plan ahead? Ask the One who already knows the future. God doesn’t anticipate, He already knows, and if you ask him for wisdom, for direction, for help, for guidance, for a way out and the way through, He will surely give it to you. He knows what’s coming. What the devil intends for evil, He intends to use to make you stronger, for His Glory and your good. Praying that you will ask the Holy Spirit today, to point out every pitfall before it happens so you can avoid it, so you can stay far from it, and go on your way, the way best for you, the way chosen for you. So victory is your habit, so holiness is your default, so the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom for you, and everything that you walk through God can work out for your good. Praying that you will ask Him – What temptation will I face today? What place or path should I avoid, what should I choose instead - so the fruit of the Spirit flows from my mouth and life today? He will tell you, and if you respond the way He tells you to respond, and choose His path, instead of the path that leads to destruction, you will walk far away from any danger or trap the devil has laid for you, and the fruit you will produce today is the life that He has already purchased for you! His plans for you are good! His grace is sufficient for every victory. Praying that you will anticipate and get His plan, with his testimony on your lips, so you will overcome the enemy at every turn. Just victory after victory! Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
What are you doing today? I just love God’s Word. It is truth, the standard by which every word is measured by. A story was once told of a man passing some workers on a city street. “What are you doing?” He asked one of them. “Laying bricks,” was the reply. Then he asked the next, “What are you doing?” “Building a wall.” Walking a few feet further he asked the third… “What are you doing?” The man smiled and straightened up. “We’re building a Cathedral.” Each one doing the same thing, but not really. One was just laying bricks, another was building something for the glory of Almighty God. A higher purpose. The why is important. Psalms 67:1 – May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us. You likely have heard these words in every Sunday Service benediction. But the very next verse delivers the secret. “So that your ways may be known on the earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, may all the nations praise you.” I just love God’s Word, it not only gives the what – it gives the why. In every thought and action in life, every endeavor, every plan, every word… there is God’s way and man’s way. If you know His plans for you today, and are humble enough to exchange yours for His. And if you know His word of life and truth that He wants to reveal to you for today. That is how you will walk in His ways. His ways are higher – your life will be infinitely better. It’s how you get to His good! The good that He has planned for you, that He has in store for you, that He has stored up for you. Humility, Obedience and Wisdom isn’t for nothing – it will make you successful, fruitful, and His peace will surround you, it will be in you, and rest upon you. But that’s not the only purpose for walking in His ways. Not just for your blessing, but for your proclamation – that His ways will be known on the earth. So every nation and every people may praise Him! The One who saves and delivers, who forgives and heals, who leads and guides in truth and life, and peace and joy. That’s why PiVAT before dinner is so important, it’s the starting point – the key ingredient to walk in His ways – you have to know what they are. You find out when you ask. Praying that PiVAT will always put you in receiving mode of His great plans for you. And His instructions for you. PRISM will have you soaking in His Word until how you think is how He thinks. It’s how His ways become your ways, and His thoughts become your thoughts. Its how His words become your words, and His life becomes your life. Praying that your Daily Call will be just the first of many times you share your testimony today - of what He did when you just obeyed. Telling others of His amazing grace and faithfulness, so they too will be drawn to walk in His ways. Praying that you will walk with Him, for the highest purpose way beyond merely your good and your blessing, your provision, and your peace. So that everyone who sees you – will see what He does for the one who fears the LORD and walks in His ways. So they will come to know Him, like you do. So will walk in His ways – in the wonderful plans He has for them! So they will praise The One who is worthy of all praise. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
I just love God’s Word. It gives secrets. It tells you what success is and what it looks like, and how to walk in it -- the favor and blessing of God. Psalms 66:16 – “Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and hear my voice in prayer. Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me.” How important is your testimony today! Who will you tell today, what God has done? It gives Him glory, and it gives you victory. It’s God’s supernatural cycle of blessing, just like springtime and harvest. David gives testimony to others. He cries out to God, with praise on his tongue. How long does it take you to cry out to God? Are you facing a challenge or a struggle, or just need God’s direction, wisdom and guidance? How long does it take you to cry out to him, or do you worry and fret first – giving credence to the enemy instead of the LORD… or do you try to figure it out on your own first? Cry out to him quickly! But bring praise – not just your problem. The bigger your praise when you come, the smaller the problem seems to you. Because to God the problem is nothing. He said if you can’t add one hour to your life, (and that’s a little thing) why worry about the rest. Praying that you will cry out to him quickly, with praise always, and never cherish sin in your heart. This is important! Otherwise He won’t hear you! Do not let any sin remain in your heart unconfessed. Don’t leave a secret place for it. Did you fully obey yesterday? Confess any known sin, God will surely forgive you. He instructed his disciples if someone sins against you seven times even the same day, forgive them. God will surely forgive you as you confess and turn from any sins. The cheap thrill it gives isn’t worth the disconnect from God and His favor. Anything that he told you that you didn’t do, just confess that falling short, and thank him for His grace to help you finish with joy all every thing He assigned for your good. Praise be to God – He will never reject your prayer, or your confession, and He will never withhold His love from you. Praying that you will pray quickly, praise always, confess immediately, and obey fully. God’s favor and blessing will hunt you down, and His love will never leave you. Love you all, dad Love you all, praying for you.
What does God want you to begin this month? Or begin again? Have you asked Him? Maybe it’s a new habit, or a new approach to doing something – that will bring a new way of thinking for greater consistency. Maybe it’s your Daily Call – that might have gotten away from you because things got a little crazy, and we so easily fall for the deception that we don’t have time for one of the greatest commands He has given us. Hebrews 3:13 – to exhort one other… daily. So we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. He designed it for your victory! Maybe it’s something that you have done in a season past, and God wants to renew in you. Maybe it’s something that God has been putting on your heart a few times now, but you’ve ignored, or delayed. You need wisdom, when it comes to what to begin. Some things God doesn’t want you starting, they’re not for you, or not for this time. Sometimes before you can begin something, you have to end something. Are you willing? If you will ask God, He will surely tell you. He promised. James 1:5. And if you as an earthly father would give your child anything that ask for, how much more will your Father in Heaven give you what you need? He’ll tell you what to begin, and what needs to go, to make room for what you need now, in this new month, or this new season, or to get ready for where He’s leading you. Praying that you will ask Him what He wants you to begin, or begin again… when He want you to do it, and in what order and timeframe. Praying that you will end that thing, that He didn’t tell you to do, or that He is withdrawing His grace for. And whatever He tells you to begin, don’t be discouraged, and don’t despise the day of small beginnings. A mustard seed doesn’t seem big enough to do anything – but in truth, it can move mountains. Praying that You will ask so you know, what needs to go, and what God wants you to begin – so it can become what He intends for it, and so you can become all that He created you to be! Love you all, dad |
AuthorKelly Kamentz - Jesus follower, husband, father, and friend, helping others surrender time, thoughts, money, and testimony, to fulfill their purpose! Archives
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