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O lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains. Psalm 116:16 Imagine what you could become without the chains that are limiting you. What could you accomplish without that chain of fear and insecurity? What kind of relationship could you have without that chain of guilt, shame, and feeling wrong about yourself? How high could you go without that chain of negative words that were spoken over you, telling you how you don’t measure up and can never be successful? It’s time to be freed from those chains. Your destiny is too great, your assignment too important to go around bound. Quit telling yourself you’re stuck, you’ll always struggle, you’ll always be lonely, you’ll always fight depression. The chain breaker, the Most High God, is working in your life right now. When you least expect it, things are going to shift in your favor. Ask Him to set you free.

Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people ! Proverbs 18:16 God has entrusted us with gifts and talents, but too often we let fear hold us back. We’re hiding our gifts, hiding our talents, hiding our personality. We’re afraid to come out of our shell, afraid we may not be accepted. It’s time to quit hiding. If God has given you the gift to sing, start singing. If you can write, start writing. If you can lead, start leading. If you can build, start building. If you can teach, start teaching. That gift doesn’t do you or anyone else any good if you keep it to yourself. It has to be released. Your gift may seem small, but when you develop it, big doors will open. You don’t have to have a great gift for God to use you in a great way. Today’s Scripture doesn’t say you have to have a big gift, an important gift, an impressive gift. Whatever you have, if you develop it and keep getting better, it will open doors of opportunity.

What is faith ? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. Hebrews 11:1 There are times when we’re waiting on God to do something, but God is waiting on us. Think of all the people in the Scripture who didn’t wait for Jesus to come to them, but sought Him out passionately for their needs, even pushing through crowds to touch the hem of His garment for healing. God has a perfect time for each of us, but today’s Scripture says, “Faith is...” Faith is always in the now. It may not bring the change overnight, for we all have waiting periods. But our faith should stay active. Your faith is going to turn things around. Your faith is going to open the right doors. Your faith is going to bring unexpected favor. Live with the anticipation that it could happen today.

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Romans 12:2 There’s a price to pay to become all we were created to be. You may not be able to do what others do, to watch what they watch, or to do your business as they do business. To always do the right thing, you’ll need to go the extra mile. People may not understand why you won’t talk behind someone else’s back, or why you won’t laugh about certain things. It’s not our business to judge them, but don’t become like them. Don’t lower your standard. Value God’s blessing more than what another person thinks of you. If you don’t feel good about something, if you have to talk yourself into it and make excuses as to why it’s okay, it’s not worth it. You’ll never go wrong taking the high road. Have a made-up mind. “I’m going to be a person of integr...

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5 You may have shed some tears of sadness over what hasn’t worked out, over dreams that haven’t come to pass, over disappointments, over the loss of a loved one. The Scripture says that God is going to turn your mourning into dancing and those tears of sorrow into tears of joy. It may not have happened yet, but it’s not over. What God promised you doesn’t have an expiration date. It’s still on the way. Your breakthrough is coming. When it happens, it’s going to be more rewarding, more fulfilling than you ever imagined. Too often we disqualify ourselves. We think it would have happened if we had more faith, or hadn’t made so many mistakes, or were just good enough to deserve it. But God is full of mercy and doesn’t bless us based on our performance. What He promised is still going to come to pass. What He started, He’s going to finish.

By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:35 It’s easy to write off someone because they don’t believe as we do, they’re making poor decisions, or they’re against what we stand for. Too often we try to make them believe, but some things don’t happen overnight. Their heart may not be open yet, but at the right time God will soften their heart. Jesus said your love for one another will prove you are His follower. It’s not by your doctrine, not by how many Scriptures you can quote, not by how right you are, but by how much you love them. You don’t judge them. You don’t look down because they don’t believe as you do. You just keep loving and being good to them. They’re in your life because God is counting on you to help them change.