A Year of Rest

“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?” (Isaiah 43:19 MSG). 

The last couple of years have been filled with uncertainty and challenges resulting from a worldwide pandemic and ongoing instability. So many people have suffered great loss and heartache. It would be easy to shrink back and expect more of the same in 2022. However, God did not create you in order to live with fear, loss, mediocrity, and constant struggle. 

The Scriptures tell us that God crowned the year with His goodness and abundance (Psalm 65:11). God has done some great things in your life so far. But God never does His greatest miracles in your yesterdays; they are always in your future. If you stretch your faith this year, you will experience more peace, joy, laughter, increase, and influence. 

Visualize Your Victory

Tara wanted to become Miss America from the time she was a little girl. She entered the 1994 Miss Florida pageant and won the first runner-up. The following year she came short of winning the title again. She felt discouraged but rather than giving up on her dream, she stayed focused and entered the 1997 Miss Kansas pageant. This time she won the title, and later that year Tara Holland was crowned Miss America. A reporter asked her, “What’s the secret to your success?” Tara explained how she was tempted to give up after she had lost the Florida championship, but decided to rent all the videos she could find of previous local, national and international beauty pageants. She watched hundreds of crown-winning moments over and over again. Every time Tara saw a woman crowned a winner, she pictured herself receiving the crown. Another reporter asked if she was nervous walking down the runway in front of the judges and millions of people watching on television. “No, not at all,” Tara replied, “You see, I had walked down that runway a thousand times.” 

Friend, God has already crowned your year with victory. Have you ever pictured yourself winning a title, wearing a crown, doing something amazing? Can you see yourself feeling healthy, strong and whole again? Can you envision yourself free of debt, anger, and addictions? Is your vision one of abundance, increase, and the ability to help people all around the world or do you see yourself inadequate and struggling? If you want to reach your highest potential, you have to first see it on the inside before you can experience it on the outside. Paul said, “I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead” (Philippians 3:13 TPT). 

Press Past the Pain

Genesis 11 tells the story of Abraham’s father, Terah. He lost one of his sons, Haran, at an early age. It was a great loss and a disappointment for him. Several years later, God put it on Terah’s heart to go to Canaan–the Promised Land. At first he was fired up and excited, but when they reached a city called Haran, the same name as his deceased son, he let the memory of his loss steal his mission. Instead of pressing past the pain, moving toward his goal, Terah got discouraged and gave up on his dream. Terah could have been the father of many nations instead of Abraham. He was the original one God told to go to the Promised Land. We could be talking about the God of Terah, Abraham, and Isaac instead of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The blessing could have started one generation sooner, but Terah decided to settle. He chose to stay focused on the pain. 

Are you lingering on your pain, loss, and betrayal? Are you holding on to the past? Do not let setbacks, losses, and bad breaks define the rest of your life! Do not allow a season of mourning to become a lifetime of regret! Press through the pain, regret, disappointment, and failure. Keep moving forward and God will repay you double for your troubles. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NLT). In the tiredness and weariness, do not let the heaviness contaminate this year. Jesus has promised to give you rest. Right now, God is releasing new things into your life–favor, healing, salvation, deliverance, increase, and anointing. I declare that you are blessed with wisdom, that you have clear direction, that you make good choices in life. I declare that you are blessed with a good family and friends, that you have healthy relationships, that your children will be mighty in the land. I declare that you are blessed with protection and provision. God is watching over you and your loved ones. No sicknesses, disease, plagues, or sudden calamities will come near you. You are blessed to be a blessing to the entire world. We love you and we believe in you! 

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2021: The Year of Restoration

Last year was difficult for most all of us—a pandemic, an economic collapse, and political upheaval wrought havoc in many lives. The enemy may have robbed you of your peace, finances, health, or relationships, but God is in the restoration business. He will restore everything that has been taken from you. 

This past Thanksgiving, I was returning to Dallas from Houston when I got a call from my neighbor. He informed me that my house was flooded. When my family and I got home, we discovered the service line in the toilet had broken causing major water damage and a huge fiasco. We got the mitigation company to come out and my insurance agent got us all situated.  It was over a month of inconvenience and difficulty, especially this time of year.

The Bible says, “What the enemy meant for evil, God will turn for your good!” Before the flooding, I was contemplating having the house repainted and the carpets replaced in addition to some other repairs. See, God knows what we need, when we need it, and how to get it to us. My house is now fully restored, and it looks better than ever.

God knows how to restore everything–and not only does he restore it to its original condition. His restoration is always greater in quality, quantity, or both (Exodus 22:1). Our God is full of compassion and mercy. It does not matter if you made the mistake, or it was someone else’s fault, or life just happened, God will bring you out better off than you were before. Why don’t you trust and surrender to Him? He loves you and has your best interest at heart. The mercies of God are greater than any mistake you ever made. Rise up in faith and declare, “Father, restore!”

Do you feel like the enemy has consumed your years? Perhaps you suffered from a chronic illness, miscarriage, depression, the loss of a job, or a loved one? Let the word of the Lord strengthen your heart today. Our God is a God of restoration. He is most able and willing to restore what you have lost.

In the Bible, Joseph spent 13 years being mistreated, betrayed by his brothers, and put in prison for something that he did not do. It was not easy, but he kept honoring God with his life. One morning, the guard came to Joseph and said, “The Pharaoh wants to see you!” Joseph did not know the king because he was a foreigner and a slave locked away in a dungeon. You, too, may be sitting in a dark place feeling forgotten and overlooked. Do not be discouraged! The One who matters has His eyes on you. God will never leave you or forsake you.

When Joseph walked into Pharaoh’s magnificent palace, he must have felt intimidated. Nevertheless, God was with Joseph just as He is with you. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream. The king was so impressed that he made Joseph second-in-command on the spot. Think about that! Joseph woke up that morning as a slave and went to bed that night as the Prime Minister over all of Egypt. God promoted and vindicated Joseph because our God knows how to restore!

Friend, you may have lost something valuable, but God is not going to let you end in a minus. Do not be discouraged by what is not changing. Make pleasing God your highest priority even when you do not see any improvement. Rest assured, God remembers you. Payday is coming. God has some destiny moments in store for you. He is going to thrust you to a new level of peace, joy, fulfillment, increase, and influence. God is going to restore your health, bring salvation to your entire family, and give you the nations for your possession. He will multiply you a thousand times more (Exodus 1:11 NLT). The right people will come looking for you. Promotion, opportunity, and vindication will track you down and follow you.

Now do your part and put your faith in God! When we encounter loss, it is easy to get discouraged, to settle where we are, and to stop expecting good things. I challenge you to get your hopes up and expect God’s best. Your expectation sets the limits for your life.

Jesus said, “Have what your faith expects” (Matthew 9:29). Let me ask you a question: What are you expecting in life? Big things? Small things? Or nothing at all? Learn to have a restoration mindset. Live each day filled with anticipation that God is going to bless you abundantly so that you can become a blessing to the world. My prayer is that you experience an unprecedented manifestation of His restoration in every area of your life in 2021. May His grace, profound peace, and divine protection cover you and your loved ones! Get ready for your year of restoration!

“We went through fire and flood, but you brought us to a place of great abundance” (Psalm 66:12 NLT).  

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A Decade of Favor

What an exciting time to be alive! There is something about the year 2020. In the same way that 20/20 vision indicates perfect eyesight, I believe the New Year will usher in God’s unstoppable favor over our lives. 2020 will be a decade of God’s favor! 

It’s good to make New Year’s resolutions and set new goals for ourselves. However, success is not just about grand achievements but also how to live a life of excellence in obedience with God’s Word. When we step into His purpose for our lives, God’s favor surrounds us like a shield. (Psalm 30:5 NIV).

I’ve learned that it’s not so much about what we have that counts but do we have God’s favor in what we have that matters the most. When we have His favor, we have an advantage for success. God’s favor brings the right connections, opens the right doors, and brings us good breaks. The favor of God is the force that will take you where you cannot go on your own!

This is what happened to Joseph in the Bible. As a young boy, God gave him a vision that one day he would rule over a nation. He was his father’s favorite. He started with lots of love and support of his family. But as the dream got stronger, his brothers became jealous of him. They were not threatened by Joseph but by his dreams. One day, his own brothers threw him into a pit to die.

You may be going through some challenges right now. It’s because of the dream God placed in your heart. You are making progress, moving towards your destiny. The enemy opposes you the most when you are approaching the finishing line. It is not that people hate you, but oftentimes they don’t understand the vision that God has put in your heart. Like Joseph, you may be in a pit right now but the Lord’s favor will bring you out. God began a good work in you, and He will bring it to completion.

Joseph’s brothers eventually sold him into slavery to a man named Potiphar. Despite Joseph having done nothing wrong, his whole world was turned upside down. His dream seemed to be fleeting away from him. Instead of ruling over a nation, he was betrayed by his own family, a slave in a foreign land. Moreover, Potiphar, his master’s wife falsely accused him that landed him in prison for thirteen years. You’d think Joseph must have been discouraged, angry, bitter, and upset.

No, Joseph understood this principle. Joseph was surrounded with the force field of God’s favor. He kept doing the right thing even when the wrong thing was happening to him. God didn’t forget Joseph. One day Pharaoh had a dream that no one was able to interpret except for Joseph. Pharaoh was so impressed that he put Joseph in charge of the entire nation.

In the same way, God put something on you that will override people being against you. What is that? It’s the favor of God. It will override bad breaks and injustice. You have been in the pit and in prison; now get ready for your palace where you can influence a whole nation. Don’t worry about who has done you wrong. Just keep being your best working unto God and not unto men. Life may push you down but God will pull you back up. Situations may look impossible, but God can do the impossible. Your obstacle may be big, but our God is bigger.

God’s favor will make your crooked places straight. It will win over the hearts of your enemies. Favor will land you the job you are not qualified for. it will help you to meet the right person. When you face challenges, do not feel discouraged, speak favor instead! Look at your bank account and say, “God will supply all my needs!” Speak favor over your health and say, “By the stripes of Jesus, I’m healed!” Do not simply pray but declare God’s favor over every area in your life.

Let me make a declaration of favor over you today: I declare health, energy, and wholeness. The chains that have held you back are coming off. I declare freedom from sickness, chronic pain, depression, and addiction. I declare favor over your family, marriage, and children. I declare favor at work, with your boss, with your co-workers, and with your clients. I declare favor over your finances. Favor is opening new doors of opportunity, promotion, increase, influence, and abundance. Favor is attracting the right people to you. I declare that the favor of God will catapult you to a new level of victory. You are going to take on new ground, set new standards, and reach new heights. You are a history maker. 2020 will be your best year and decade yet–in Jesus’ Name!

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

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2017: Year of Increase

Another New Year has rolled into our lives and most of us are excited about it. How we set our sails in our attitude and expectations determine what we will experience this year. I believe and declare that 2017 will be a year of increase!

No matter how much or how little we have, there must always be a hunger in us to grow bigger, better, and brighter. When we have the desire to be a better person, have more to help more, then we’ll see increase and growth in a measure we’ve not known before.

Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6 NIV).

Nothing great in life happens by default. In order to achieve success and significance, we must live by design. Every thought, word, and action justifies or cancels how we intend to live. In order to have great influence, we have to put action behind our intent. Let me share a few thoughts that are vital to making this a blockbuster year.

1. Have a positive mindset. What goes into our mind determines how we live. Eight out of the ten spies of Israel saw themselves as grasshoppers in their own mind (Numbers 13:33 NAS). As a result they never entered the Promised Land. How you see yourself is how everybody sees you. I challenge you to look in the mirror as God does. He has some out-of-this-world plan for your life. Will you agree with God? You’re a Child of the Most High. You’re intelligent, purposeful, disciplined, favored, focused, victorious, the head and not the tail. You’re above and not beneath. You have God’s can do power to propel you into your next level of success.

2. Speak what you want. Most of us are accustomed to saying what we see or have experienced in the past. Faith is to say it before you can see it. It’s not enough to have a vision of victory. You have to relentlessly call it in. Jesus taught this vital principle in Mark 11:23 – You shall have whatsoever you say. Don’t just use words to describe your situations; speak words to change your circumstances. Scripture says, let the weak say, “I am strong.” Let the poor say, “I am rich.” I know many people who are satisfied with what they need but they don’t feel confident to ask God for what they want. This is a terrible way to live. God has no problem giving you any good thing. “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). I encourage you to believe God for the impossible. Our extra-ordinary God loves to fulfil our extra-ordinary expectation!

3. Enlarge your sphere of influence. We’re product of our environment. A mighty oak tree is limited within the confinement of a small pot. In the same way, you too have been endowed with great gifts and talents but for them to come to fruition, you must surround yourself with people who are bigger, better, and brighter than yourself. Enroll yourself to further your education. Attend conferences and seminars to enhance your knowledge. Meet new people. Be in places of inspiration. Who speaks into you loudest will determine how high you will rise in life.

Helen Keller said, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

Friend, as you stand in the threshold of this New Year, set your mind on high and lofty goals and ambitions. You’re God’s dream personified on earth. God can do anything but often He is limited to our own belief, words, and actions. May I challenge you to start this year with great expectations from God? Write down your goals, dreams, and aspirations. Be liberal in your thinking of what God and you can do. Make your goals public with a specific completion date. Speak and share your vision with like-minded people who believe in you. Most of all put your trust in God. He thinks so much of you! His dream for you is greater than your own. Pay attention to the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit throughout the day. Read God’s Word daily. Most of our problems will dissolve if we do what the Bible says. Friend, I believe and declare that 2017 will be a Year of Increase. More joy. More influence. Better relationships. More finances. Better health and a life of peace, pleasure, and prosperity. I love you and I’m praying for you and your success.

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9 NKJV).

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