January 16: TRADITION FREE!

 

“Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.” (Matthew 15:6)

 ” . . . The phrase ‘one last shaking’ means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered.” (Hebrews 12:27 – The Message)

 

1.  Today I will live in the now! I will live in the now because I have declared my independence from meaningless forms, routines and traditions in my life that are contrary to my present reality, and that make the word of God ineffective for me. I am moving past archaic and passé ways of thinking about God or life or myself. The limiting, antiquated ideas and philosophies that I have accumulated over the years are being exposed for the irrelevant relics that they are. I am free to think a new way!

 2. Today I will not believe something just because someone told me to believe it. I will have the confidence to think for myself, and the courage to expose a lie that I have accepted when I recognize that it is, indeed, a lie. I will be able to maintain my love and respect for someone important to me, without feeling obligated to believe everything they say.

3. Today I will consider the word of God as the final authority on every subject.

4. Today I will honor the Lordship of Jesus as the highest priority in my life.

5. Today I will cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit in my inner man.

6. Today I will reject, resist and renounce all forms of the man-made religion that exalts itself against God’s true Kingdom. I will pull down strongholds in my mind that were imparted to me from the religious system that are contrary to the knowledge of God. Religion is the enemy, and I will have no part of it and its silly fables, false doctrines, and pointless works of the flesh.

7. Today I will enjoy the good traditions from my family, my childhood, my country, my heritage. I will benefit from sage advice – the wisdom of the ages – and from lessons learned by life experience. I will restore the old landmarks, and will be a link to the next generation by passing down what is noble and worth keeping. But I will also know how to discern the difference between healthy, foundational traditions, and the ones that are holding me in the past. In that context, today, I will be tradition-free, and today I will live in the now!

Father, help me to break free of all unnecessary tradition today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

January 4: ONLY BELIEVE!

 

“As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue,

 ‘Do not be afraid; ONLY believe.'” (Mark 5:36)

 

1. Today I will live in the now! I will live in the now because I hear the voice of Jesus speak to my inner man the words that He spoke to Jairus, and I will obey those words. I will not be afraid today, but I will ONLY believe. God has not given me a spirit of fear, and my faith in the now will be enough to put me over, no matter what happens.

2. Today I will not be devastated by any bad news, or negative report that I may hear. I will not overreact, because my heart is established and I walk in the illogical peace that passes understanding. I will believe the report of the Lord. I will overcome all obstacles to my faith by His word spoken to my heart.

3. Today I will prevail over my emotions, and will conduct myself according to what I believe rather than by what I feel. I will resist the temptation to be anxious or fretful. I will not waste my time worrying, because the Lord, my Shepherd, will make me to lie down in green pastures, and lead me beside still waters. He will restore my soul.

4. Today I will be calm and steady in my mind. The circumstances around me will not distract me. I will focus on what God is doing in the now, and in the now I will find my confidence. I will rise to the occasion today. I will accomplish my goals for today. I will win!

5. Today my words will reflect that I ONLY believe. I know that I cannot believe and doubt at the same time, any more than I can travel north and south simultaneously. My words will be words of faith, victory and success today. My tongue, like the rudder on a ship, will guide me through dangerous waters into safety all day long. I will have what I say.

6. Today I will avoid negative people and their influence as much as possible. I will not believe the words of those who do not ONLY believe. I will attract faith-filled and positive individuals who will inspire me to continue to believe, and will confirm the truth on which I stand. Our speech together will be seasoned with salt.

7. Today I will understand what the word ONLY means in a whole new way. Because I declare the end from the beginning, I call this day a good day even before I live it. I will not dilute my pure faith with compromise. I will be radical in my ability to believe, and things will change in my life for the better because of it. Today I am fearless! Today I will ONLY believe, and today I will live in the now!

Father, help me to ONLY believe today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

January 25: KINGDOM, COME!

 

Your Kingdom come.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  (Matthew 6:10)

 

Therefore, since we ARE RECEIVING a Kingdom which cannot be shaken,

let us have grace….  (Hebrews 12:28)

 

1.       Today I will live in the now!  I will live in the now because I am a part of His Kingdom, and His Kingdom is coming now!  The King is reigning in my life now.  His government is increasing now.  The kingdoms of this world are becoming the Kingdoms of our God and of His Christ, now.

 

2.       Today I am not encumbered with the pointless rules and regulations of religion, because the Kingdom of God is not meat or drink, but it is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.  I will interpret my day be these three things and will make seeking them my first priority.

 

3.       Today is a day to demonstrate righteousness.  He who knew no sin became sin for me that I might become the righteousness of God in Christ, and it is from this righteousness consciousness that my self-esteem and confidence flow today.  By this I am able to show that He has made me the head and not the tail.

 

4.       Today is a day to walk in peace—not as the world gives—but as Jesus Himself shares His supernatural peace with me.  I let not my heart be troubled because I have the peace that passes understanding.  I will not be agitated, frustrated or anxious today, because of my Kingdom right to walk in Kingdom peace.

 

5.       Today is a day to celebrate joy in the Holy Ghost.  I will not be sad or depressed today because His joy is in me and, therefore, my joy is full!  The Kingdom joy working in me will be my strength and will give me the winner’s edge.

 

6.       Today I will seek the Kingdom first in every situation.  Before I have a chance to think about it in the natural…before I analyze it or react emotionally…I will look for the Kingdom before  I do anything else about anything at all.  He is reigning in and through me today, and every name that is named must bow to His Name!

 

7.       Today I live a life that shows the world that I am a royal subject of the ultimate Kingdom and, therefore, I cannot fail or lose or be defeated.  Jesus the King shall reign forever and ever, and He is my Lord, my personal friend, my elder brother.  Today I say, “Long live the King!” and today I will live in the now!

 

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven – today.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

January 23: START NOW!

 

Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity],

because the days are evil.  (Ephesians 5:16 AMP)

 

1.       Today I will live in the now!  I will live in the now because I have realized how important my time is and how necessary it is for me to stop wasting it.  I can do something to advance the Kingdom of God now!  I can do something to make the world a better place in which to live now!  I can do something to help somebody I love now!  I can do something to improve my life now!

 

2.       Today is a day full of opportunity and promise.  I don’t have to be victimized by the swift passage of time, because I have the ability to redeem it.  The eternal “I AM” lives in me and, therefore, time is on my side.  It is never too late for a miracle!

 

3.       Today I will stop delaying my destiny.  I will be a proactive producer rather than a prosaic procrastinator.  I will not be lazy.  I will stop making excuses for myself.  I will not put off until tomorrow what I should go ahead and do today.

 

4.       Today I will move toward the fulfillment of the prophecies over my life.  I will find ways to start making my dreams come true, and I will enjoy the journey every bit as much as I do the destination.  To accomplish this, I will start making the necessary changes in my thinking immediately.

 

5.       Today I will not allow an unfounded fear of failure prevent me from getting started.  So what if I fall?  Stepping out of the boat is more important to me now than trying to stay out of the water.  In fact, I would rather be a wet “water-walker” than a dry “boat-dweller”!

 

6.       Today I will trust that God will stop me before I take a wrong step, because I have prayed over my path.  My faith will distance me from the pack—those who are too careful or too afraid—and I will ride with God on the high places of the earth.

 

7.       Today I will be brave enough to take the initiative in pursuing my best destiny.  I have experienced enough to know that I don’t have to be afraid anymore.  I am ready to get started today, and today I will live in the now!

 

Jesus said, “No procrastination.  No backward looks

 You can’t put God’s Kingdom off till tomorrow.

Seize the day.”  (Luke 9:62 The Message)

 

Father, give me the courage to get started on my journey today.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

January 22: GOOD MORNING!

 

…the Lord’s mercies…are new every morning.  Great is your faithfulness.

(Lamentations 3:22, 23)

 

1.       Today I will live in the now!  I will live in the now because God’s mercy endures forever—one morning at a time.  The freshness of the dawn and early hours of the day are a reminder to me of how current and new God is in His merciful dealings with me.

 

2.       Today I will praise the Name of the Lord from the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same.  I will start off my day with a love song for the One who woke me up this morning, and I will sing it to Him in my heart until I lay down to sleep this evening.  I am blessed and thankful for all of God’s benefits.  Today I know that He is smiling on me as I sing of His greatness!

 

3.       Today I will not be overcome by sorrow, because weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning.  No matter how dark things have been, this morning I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I will be optimistic in my thinking, and the faith in my heart will produce great expectations in my inner man.

 

4.       Today I will go where the day takes me, without fear or dread.  I declare the end from the beginning by saying that this is the day the Lord has made, so I will regard it as an open door to my future.  No matter what it may bring or what I may be up against, my faith will win the day.

 

5.       Today, as the Daystar arises in my heart, my vision will increase like the sunlight at dawn.  This day will usher in a whole new season of increase for me.  I say “good morning” to my new attitude, as I welcome all the possibilities that are on the way.

 

6.       Today I let yesterday go and use what I have in my hand right now to maximize the day’s potential.  A new opportunity for me lies around every corner, and I will not let one go unnoticed by being distracted by water under the bridge.

 

7.       Today the Bright and Morning Star shines on me—and through me.  It’s a new day and everything is different in my world than it was before.  I demonstrate that His mercies are new this morning by my determination to live the liberated life today, and today I will live in the now!

 

Good morning, Lord!  Help me to see Your new mercies today.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

January 21: RELATIONSHIPS NOW!

 

Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one

from a [purely] human point of view

[in terms of natural standards of value]….

(2 Corinthians 5:16 AMP)

 

1.       Today I will live in the now!  I will live in the now because of the covenant relationships in my life and the way that they reveal Jesus to me.  The people in my life—family, loved ones, acquaintances, business partners, neighbors, friends (both close and distant) and enemies alike—are all working out a higher purpose in me and, therefore, I will thank God for them all!

 

2.       Today I will succeed because I walk in love and love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).  The God-kind of love is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost, and that love will enable me to exist in a supernatural dimension of harmony, forgiveness and grace toward everyone with whom I come into contact.

 

3.       Today I will enjoy the comfort of friendship.  Knowing that “a friend loves at all times…” (Proverb 17:17), I will believe and accept that I am loved.  I deserve friends because I have shown myself friendly (18:24), and today my life will be improved because of them, as iron sharpens iron (27:17).

 

4.       Today I will embrace the benefits of commitment.  I will not be hesitant to make a required withdrawal from the lives of those into whom I have made an investment.  I will give of myself freely, fully understanding the demands imposed upon me by my relationships, ignoring the risks.  I will ask for help when I need it.

 

5.       Today I will speak the truth in love (“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” – Proverb 27:6).  Life is in the power of the tongue, so I will not avoid confrontation when necessary nor fear possible rejection, because there is no fear in love.

 

6.       Today I will be unselfish with my time and attention.  I will let those who play significant roles in my life know how important they are to me by my words and by my actions.  I will be touchable.

 

7.       Today I will work toward improving my relationship with God, with others, and with myself.  My life will be enriched by relating to people.  Today I will make a connection, and today       I will live in the now!

 

Father, help me to value my relationships today.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

January 20: NO CONDEMNATION!

 

There is therefore NOW no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,

 who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  (Romans 8:1)

 

1.       Today I will live in the now!  I will live in the now because no condemnation exists for me in the NOW.  He who knew no sin became sin for me that I might become His righteousness—and I am the righteousness of God in Christ now.  I am forgiven now.  I am holy now.  I am justified now.  I am clean now.

 

2.       Today mercy is working on my behalf, to withhold from me what I really deserve.  I will make myself comfortable at the mercy seat, because Jesus has enabled me to do so.  I am accepted in the beloved, and today I will act and feel like I am accepted.

 

3.       Today grace is working on my behalf, to pour out on me what I really don’t deserve.  I will make myself at home at the throne of grace, because Jesus has invited me to do so.  My transgressions have been removed from me as far as the east is from the west, and today  I will think and speak like I am forgiven.

 

4.       Today the blood of Jesus is working on my behalf, to wash away all of my guilt and shame.  He was wounded for my transgressions and bruised for my iniquities.  His cleansing blood is alive now through the Eternal Spirit.

 

5.       Today the word of God is working on my behalf.  It is written in the logos word that my sins have been thrown into the sea and have been cast behind His back.  It is spoken in the rhema word that He is saving me to the uttermost, as He lives to make intercession for me.

 

6.       Today the Holy Spirit is working on my behalf as He leads me into all truth.  I will walk in the Spirit today and not in the flesh.  As He reveals Himself to me as the Spirit of Adoption, I will be secure in the family of God, boldly crying, “Abba, Father!”

 

7.       Today I will enter into rest, knowing that I do not have to be motivated by fear.  My heart does not condemn me and, therefore, I have confidence before God.  I will glory in the cross, believe the resurrection with my heart, and confess His Lordship with my mouth.        I am saved!  I have eternal life!  I am a new creature in Christ!  I have passed from death unto life!  Today I will know that God is good, and today I will live in the now!

 

Father, help me to walk in the Spirit today.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

January 19: GET UP!

 

For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again….  (Proverb 24:16)

 

1.       Today I will live in the now!  I will live in the now because I have it in me to get back up again when I fall down.  I am not just a survivor; I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me!  Because of the reality of the resurrection, I have the grace to get up, the power to prevail and the will to win, even if I fall frequently.

 

2.       Today I will get up out of my shackles of shame.  An embarrassment is not the end.  He has made me the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath.  I am the righteousness of God in Christ.  I will arise and shine for my light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon me!

 

3.       Today I will get up out of my sewer of self-pity.  A mistake is not mortal.  If God is for me, who can be against me?  He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies.  No weapon formed against me can prosper, and every tongue that rises against me will be shown to be in the wrong!

 

4.       Today I will get up out of my dungeon of discouragement.  A defeat is not devastating.  Forgetting those things which are behind, I press on to the prize. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me.  The joy of the Lord is my strength!

 

5.       Today I will get up out of my morass of mediocrity.  A failure is not forever.  I can run and not be weary; I can walk and not faint.  Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!

 

6.       Today I will get up out of my gulf of guilt.  A fall is not fatal.  Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound.  He has not dealt with me after my sins, nor rewarded me according to my iniquity.  He is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness!

 

7.       Today I will get up, even if I fall seven times (the number representing infinity), because Jesus is praying for me.  I will never give up, because He never gives up on me.  And every time I get back up, I become stronger than I was before I fell.  Today I am restored, renewed, revived, refreshed and resurrected by His power, and today I will live in the now!

 

Father, help me to get back up today.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

January 18: LET GO!

 

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone,

forgive him and let it drop (leave it, LET IT GO)

in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you

your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.  (Mark 11:25 AMP)

 

1.       Today I will live in the now!  I will live in the now because I am not held in the past by unresolved issues and unfinished business.  I am too busy to be bitter.  I have more important things to do with my time than to waste it by holding on to things that I cannot change in the natural.  I will forgive, not just because I have been commanded to do so, but because it is for my own benefit.  Forgiveness moves me into the now.

 

2.       Today I will let go of unrealistic expectations that I have in and for other people.  Jesus is enough for me.  His grace is sufficient.  I can depend on Him.  His faithfulness allows me to give a break to someone who has disappointed me.  His power helps me to keep people in perspective.

 

3.       Today I will let go of my regrets.  That was then.  This is now.  I will learn from my mistakes, take responsibility for my actions, and do what I can to make my life what it should be.  If  I can change something that I don’t like, I will.  If I can’t, I’ll shut up about it!

 

4.       Today I will let go of my pettiness.  I will choose greatness by taking the high road with others.  I will do the right thing, whether anyone else does or not.  I will be mature and noble and wise. I will stop blaming everybody else for what I don’t like about the world. I will not complain about what I permit.

 

5.       Today I will let go of my anger.  I will retire from nursing my high-maintenance grudges, and stop allowing myself to be exhausted and burned out from my hatred and prejudices.  I will be a peacemaker, even with myself.

 

6.       Today I let go of my negativity.  God is good.  Life is good (or at least better than I usually realize or admit).  The world is a beautiful place to live.  So I let it all go…bad attitude, self-pity, pain and sadness…and I will not take comfort in the familiarity of these things any longer.

 

7.       Today I let yesterday go.  I can’t go back there; I have to keep moving, so I will make the journey easier by lightening my load.  I will not hold on to the past, but will move with the rhythm and flow of life.  Today I say “good-bye and good riddance” to what I should release, and today I will live in the now!

 

Father, help me to let go today.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

January 17: ACT NOW!

 

Go to the ant, you sluggard!  Consider her ways and be wise,

which, having no captain, overseer or ruler,

provides her supplies in summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

(Proverb 6:6, 7)

 

1.       Today I will live in the now!  I will live in the now because I am a doer of the Word, someone who takes action.  I will seize the day, live in the moment, and perceive the power of the present—and at the same time take charge of my life by preparing for my future.  What I do today will make a difference in the world around me.

 

2.       Today I am making plans…planting seeds for a desired harvest…watching and praying…but I am doing it all without taking thought for tomorrow.  I make wise preparation, all the while considering the lilies of the field!  This is impossible to do in the natural, but with God all things are possible.  I am blessed to be balanced in Him.

 

3.       Today I am a co-laborer with God.  I am His fellow worker.  I can decree a thing so that it can be established, but I can also cast my care upon Him.  He will not do everything for me, and I do not have to do everything for myself.  God and I are in perfect harmony with one another.

 

4.       Today I will recognize opportunity when it knocks.  Jesus is made unto me wisdom.  I have the knowledge of witty inventions.  I have the Mind of Christ.  I know when to move and when to act.  I also know when to be still and wait.  I walk in the Spirit.

 

5.       Today I will not walk in stress or under undue pressure.  The government is on His shoulder.  I have the energy and the will to pursue success, but I also have the grace to let go.  Through faith and patience I inherit the promises.

 

6.       Today I have a keen sense of timing.  I will not run ahead of God, nor lag behind Him.  I will move with the cloud.  I will not act prematurely, nor will I procrastinate.  I am in sync with God, moving in tandem to his perfect leadership.

 

7.       Today I make good and right decisions.  I am not afraid to trust my instincts.  I will patiently wait for the “blade” and the “ear,” but when the “full corn in the ear” is ripe, I will not hesitate to thrust in the sickle and reap!  I will discern my moment of visitation.  I will not miss my window of opportunity.  I can do something powerful and important today, and today I will live in the now!

 

Father, show me today how to “act now.”  In Jesus’ name, amen.