Manna for Your Morning

“ Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself. ” — Matthew 6:34 (TPT) Pour out all your worries and stress upon him and leave them there, for he always tenderly cares for you. Instead of worry, worship our great and mighty God. Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion looking for its prey to devour. Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith. For you know that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure. (1 Peter 5:7-9 TPT)

“ But you asked God for help and he gave you the victory. God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God’s help… ” — 2 Chronicles 16:8-9a (MSG) Be totally committed to the LORD at all times. For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. (2 Chronicles 16:9a NASB) Rely on the LORD, to show you the way and give you the strength to overcome every challenge and persevere through the storms. It is better to put your faith in the Eternal for your security than to trust in people. (Psalm 118:8 VOICE) O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You! — Psalm 84:12 (NASB)

So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. — Colossians 3:1-2 (MSG) The enemy likes to distract us with the difficulties of the day. Don’t fall for his tricks. Keep your eyes on Jesus and what He is doing. See things from God’s perspective. How the world sees you is of no consequence, if you don’t buy into it. When you see things from His perspective, your thoughts about yourself line up with His Word. You are a child of the Most High God. You are loved, chosen, and accepted. You are more than a conqueror! And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. — Psalm 9:10 (NASB)

Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. — 1 Peter 5:8 (AMP)  After the devil had tempted Jesus for forty days, he departed from Him until an opportune time (Luke 4:2,13). Satan is always looking for an opportune time to steal, to kill, and to destroy. He sends his fiery darts to cause division, offense, bitterness, hatred, etc. so he can steal your peace and joy, and eventually kill your love. Since God is love, destruction is inevitable without the love of God in our hearts. But we can resist him, firm in our faith, and like Jesus, we can use God’s Word as our weapon of choice, by speaking what is written in it, over every situation.

Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving. — Colossians 4:2  (AMP) I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. (1 Timothy 2:1 NLT) But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. (1 Peter 4:7) The LORD will be very gracious to you at the sound of your voice; when He hears it, He will answer. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16 NLT)

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. — Romans 12:11-12 (MSG) Let us be cheerfully expectant. Our God is faithful and His Word does not return to Him void. He is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, (Ephesians 3:20 NASB). Be on fire for Jesus and keep your hope in Him alive. Those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. (Psalm 34:10b NKJV)

So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. — Colossians 3:1-2 (MSG) Keeping the right perspective in life, is so important. Instead of looking around at the circumstances, let us look up and stay focused on our great God, and all that He is doing in our lives. As we look to Him, with eyes of faith, He comes to our aid. As long as our eyes are fixed on the immediate earthly realities, we stay trapped by the limitations of our humanity. When we look to our heavenly Father, we open ourselves up to His faith filled world of unlimited possibilities. With God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) No matter what your current situation may be, never lose sight of the fact that God has a plan a...

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. — Romans 12:11-12 (MSG) The best way to stay full of His Spirit and on fire for the LORD, is to keep a constant connection with Him throughout your day, through prayer, praising and the giving of thanks. Let the difficulties and challenges draw you closer to Him. Look to our great God in cheerful expectation of the deliverance He will bring about in your life. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person is powerful and produces wonderful results. Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2 AMP)

For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears. — 2 Corinthians 7:5 (NKJV) The world has a way of wearing us out with daily dilemmas, conflicts and challenges. However, nothing is too difficult for our great God. Even though there’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:3-5 MSG) Keep your hope in Christ alive and continually draw your strength from Him.

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. — Romans 12:11-12 (MSG) Just as our vehicles need gas or electric power to keep running, we need to keep ourselves fueled by the power of God’s Holy Spirit who dwells inside of us. When we rely on His Presence in us, we are able to draw from the vast resources He has made available to help us in our time of need. Continually seek His wisdom, guidance, and strength. Let us be cheerful as we look to our heavenly Father with expectancy and hearts aflame with hope.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. — 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) How do we escape the hidden traps of the enemy? By being aware and alert to his wicked schemes. We must also know God’s Word and rely on His great wisdom and mighty power in every area of our lives. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11 NKJV). This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels (Ephesians 6:12 MSG).

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. — 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (NKJV) A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders (2 Timothy 2:4 MSG). As good soldiers of Jesus Christ, we have received a call: a set of orders. Instead of getting entangled in the affairs of civilian life, and having an unauthorized absence (UA) from our place of duty, let us give our attention to fulfilling the mission the Lord has entrusted to us, that we may please our Commanding Officer. That means we must endure hardship, and stay alert and fully engaged in our God-given orders: assignments that tell us where to go, when to go and what to say.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. — Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV) We experience our greatest strength when we acknowledge our human weaknesses, and fully rely on God, —His power, His wisdom and His strength. In His strength you can crush an army; with God you can scale any wall. “God’s way is perfect...” (2 Samuel 22:30-31 NLT). Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…(1 Peter 5:8-9 NIV).

“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? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.” — Isaiah 43:19 (MSG) Let us be alert and present to what God is doing today. Jesus warns in Luke 17:32, Remember Lot’s wife! She looked back, and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). God gives us brand new mercies every morning because He is doing a brand new thing. If we expect God to do things the way He has done them in the past, we are trying to box Him in. Dear brothers and sisters, let’s focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. May we press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT).

Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. — Romans 12:11-12 (MSG) As we continue to renew our minds with God’s Word and pray fervently, we will be alert, fueled and aflame for the LORD. Instead of listening to the voices telling you to give up, pray all the harder, when you encounter difficult times. Then you can be cheerfully expectant, as you trust in and look to our heavenly Father to victoriously bring you through.

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. — 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (NLT) We are in a race, however we are not competing against each other, but against an enemy whose only desire to trip us up, and keep us from crossing the finish line. All he wants us to do is give up on God and quit. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself (1 Corinthians 9:26-27 MSG). Let us run with purpose in every step!

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. — John 10:10 (NKJV) Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8 NIV). Walk in wisdom and don't fall into the enemy's traps. Ignore the noise of his distractions and focus on the voice of our Savior and Shepherd, who came that we may enjoy life in abundance, to the full, till it overflows (AMP)!

For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. — 1 Corinthians 16:9 (NKJV) Whenever a door of opportunity is wide open, make sure the door was opened by the Lord. If He sets before you an open door, no one can shut it  (Revelation 3:8). Know that any good work you undertake will meet some opposition. Continue to take each step by faith. And stay alert, sin is crouching at your door and it desires to have you. Keep your eyes and heart open for every great and effective door of opportunity to give, to serve, to forgive, to walk in love, to let His light shine through you, etc.

Now therefore listen to me, O you sons; for blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not refuse or neglect it. — Proverbs 8:32-33 (AMP) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (James 1:5 NIV). Be wise and listen to the LORD’s instruction and direction. Joyful are those who listen to me [Wisdom], awake and watch for me each morning, alert and responsive (Proverbs 8:34). For whoever finds Wisdom finds life and receives favor from the LORD (Proverbs 8:35). Wisdom calls. Will you answer?

“...Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” — Deuteronomy 20:3-4 (NIV) Every day we are engaged in a battle because our adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. We need to stay alert and of sober mind (1 Peter 5:8). The Message Bible says, the Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. John 10:10 says, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. But praise God, Jesus came that we may have life and have it to the full!