Topic: Thanks for Who God Is [Our Daily Bread 16 November 2018 Devotional]

Read: Psalm 95:1–7, Bible in a Year: Ezekiel 3–4; Hebrews 11:20–40

Let us come before him with thanksgiving . . . for the Lord is the great God. Psalm 95:2–3

Among the thousands of sentiments printed on greeting cards, perhaps one of the most touching is this simple statement: “Thanks for being you.” If you receive that card, you know that someone cares for you not because you did something spectacular for that person but because you’re appreciated for your essence.

I wonder if this kind of sentiment might indicate for us one of the best ways to say “thank you” to God. Sure, there are times when God intervenes in our lives in a tangible way, and we say something like, “Thank You, Lord, for allowing me to get that job.” But most often, we can simply say, “Thank You, God, for being who You are.”

That’s what’s behind verses like 1 Chronicles 16:34: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Thank You, God, for who You are—good and loving. And Psalm 7:17: “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness.” Thank You, God, for who You are—the holy One. And “Let us come before him with thanksgiving . . . for the Lord is the great God” (Psalm 95:2–3). Thank You, God, for who You are—the Almighty God of the universe.

Who God is. That’s reason enough for us to stop what we’re doing and praise and thank Him. Thank You, God, for just being You!

Prayer: Thank You, dear God, for being who You are—the Almighty God who loves us and welcomes our love in return. Thank You for everything that makes You magnificent. We stand in awe of You as we praise You with word and song.

There are countless reasons to thank God, including for who He is!

INSIGHT
In Psalm 95, the psalmist is transfixed by the wonder of the Creator and Redeemer he loves. God is the “Rock of our salvation”; nothing can remove the sure foundation His love has laid out for us (v. 1). Even though the psalmist knows there’s only one God, because of the polytheistic culture in which he lives he exclaims that his God is far above any other objects of worship (v. 3). The wonder of the Creator drives the psalmist to invite all believers to bow down in adoration and to realize that like sheep we are under a loving Shepherd’s care.

How can you praise the Lord for His marvelous creation and infinite love?

Dennis Fisher

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Our Daily Bread Devotionals HERE”

This message was written By Dave Branon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]

Topic: Breaking Barriers By The Blessing [Seeds of Destiny 16 November 2018 Devotional]

Scripture: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee,…And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son,…and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. Genesis 12:2

Thought For The Day: Do not be afraid of daring the undareable if the Blessing of God is upon you.

Recorded events in the Scripture and diverse experiences of life have made it clear that it takes a greater force, which is the force of God’s Blessing, to overcome the forces working against one’s fulfilment in life.

In Genesis Chapter Eleven, the Bible makes it clear that Abraham’s father, Terah, was going to Canaan but he died on the way, in the land of Haran. He had three sons: Nahor, Abram, and Haran, the father of Lot. Haran died before his father. Nahor existed without relevance. So, in their family, they had the trinity of setbacks – starting without finishing, living without relevance and dying before time or premature death. That trinity of calamity was in existence in Abraham’s family before the Blessing came upon him, exempted him, distinguished him and made him the first to fulfil destiny. So, the Blessing of God in the life of a person forbids the existence of embargoes. It empowers the blessed to exist as barrier breakers, obstacle crossers, limit overcomers and territory takers. It also establishes the blessed as generational pace setters, standard bearers and reference points.

Beloved, when the Blessing is upon you, you reach where no one in your family has reached. So, do not be afraid of daring the undareable if the Blessing of God is upon you.

Today, I declare to you that where your family members have never reached in life, you are reaching there by the power of the Blessing, in Jesus’ Name.

Remember this: Do not be afraid of daring the undareable if the Blessing of God is upon you.

Assignments:
1. Always believe that your case is different.
2. Dare the impossible and hold unto the Word of God concerning your life for a breakthrough.
3. Refuse to confess negatively; be positivistic, enthusiastic and optimistic.

FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: THE POWER OF THE BLESSING

Prayer: O Lord, I subscribe to Your barrier-breaking Blessing upon my life. Make me a pacesetter in my generation, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 33:1 to 34:31, Hebrews 13:1 to 25, Psalm 115:1 to 18, Proverbs 27:21 to 22

Quote: When you are confronted by the storms of life, always remember that who is behind you is stronger than what is before you. Culled from RIDING THE STORMS OF LIFE by Dr Paul Enenche.

Amazing Fact: Oysters can change from one gender to another and back depending on which is best for mating.

Today In History: 16/11/1965 – Venera program: The Soviet Union launches the Venera 3 space probe toward Venus, which will be the first spacecraft to reach the surface of another planet.

Don’t Forget To Attend: The Home Church meeting by 6:00pm tomorrow at a Home Church near you. Also invite your friends and neighbours. God bless you as you do so.

Also Read: Click HERE to read Other Inspirational Messages by Pastor Paul Enenche

Today’s devotional was written by Pastor Paul Enenche of the Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), headquartered at Abuja, Nigeria, with Pastor Paul and Becky Enenche, as the Senior Pastors. It is a power-packed arena where God’s Presence, Principles and Power are at work for the salvation, healing and restoration of human destinies and dignities

Flatimes Notice Board: Until you are born again, God ever abiding presence will never be with you. You must be born again to enjoy continuous victory. Please say the displayed prayer below in faith:

Lord Jesus, come into my life. I accept You as my Lord and Personal Saviour. I believe in my heart You died and rose from the dead to save me. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name Amen.

If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to [email protected], 07026385437 OR 08141320204.

Topic: Pick Up Your Sword [Kenneth Copeland Devotional 16 November 2018]

But thou, O man of God….fight the good fight of faith. – 1 Timothy 6:11-12

When you’re up against the wall, don’t start begging God to break through it for you. That’s not the way He works. He’ll give you the plan. He’ll give you the power. And He’ll guarantee the victory. But your hand, not His own, is the instrument He’s going to use to get the job done. You’re going to have to stretch forth your hand by speaking and acting on the Word, even when circumstances are against you.

God gave me a striking revelation of that over 20 years ago through a vision He gave me in Beaumont, Texas. I was preparing to minister in a service there, spending some time in prayer, when suddenly I saw myself standing in the pulpit of the church. Looking up, I saw a dragon—a horrible, ugly thing—poke his head through the front door of the church.

As he came into the church, his body expanded like a balloon, filling the whole room. He was snorting fire and smoke. When, in the vision, he turned it on me, he almost burned my clothes!

As I fell back onto the floor, I saw Jesus standing nearby with a sword in His hand. Why doesn’t He do something about this? I thought. Can’t He see I’m hurting?

But He didn’t move. He just stood by with a frown on His face. I could tell He was really put out with me. The Bible says God was not pleased with those who were overthrown in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:5). And He wasn’t pleased with me either as I lay there on my back in defeat.

Then Jesus held out the sword to me and pointed at the dragon. The look on His face said, Get up!

I reached up to catch hold of the sword, and an instant before I touched it, Jesus turned it loose.

The sword stayed in midair of its own accord. I grabbed it and began to pull myself up. Not only did it hold firm, but it began to lift me!

I stood and touched the dragon’s chin with my sword and it split him from one end to the other. It laid him open right before my eyes. In amazement, I looked down at the sword. Why haven’t I used this before? I thought.

Don’t wait for God to slay the dragon in your life. You have the sword of the Spirit, the all-powerful Word of the living God, at your fingertips. Pick it up and use it today!

Scripture Reading: Joshua 11:5-23

If you missed yesterday devotional, please click to read “Kenneth and Gloria Copeland’s Daily Devotional Here’’

This message was written by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, the leader of the Kenneth Copeland Ministries (www.KCM.org) that specializes in teaching principles of bible faith – prayer, healing, salvation and other biblical topics.