God’s Plan for Financial Freedom

Today’s Scripture…

“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.” John 4:23 (NLT)

Devotional Thought…

Today’s verse tells us an interesting thing about God… He is looking for true worshippers. Whether you are worshipping on Sunday morning in a Worship Center, on a weekday morning having your daily devotion, or any other time God wants us to be true worshippers.

Each time we encounter the Lord or the scriptures, we are encountering truth. (John 14:6; John 17:17) When we encounter truth, God wants us to respond truthfully. For example, if we are reading a passage where God reveals to us we are sinning, a true worshipper doesn’t pretend they didn’t see it or doesn’t ask for God’s forgiveness when they have every intention of doing it again. True worshippers acknowledge the truth that God reveals, and talk to God about what He has revealed…

If God is calling us to put away something that we honestly enjoy, be honest about it. Ask God to take away your appetite for it, so you will want to put it away. (Isaiah 6:5-7)

If God is calling us to take on something that we don’t think we can take on, be honest about it. Let God know you don’t think you can do it and let Him convince you that He can. (Exodus 3-4)

As for Sundays, think about what God could do with a room full of true worshippers. People who when singing “I surrender all” were begging God to make “surrender” a reality in them. People who in coming face to face with scriptural truth were desperately asking God to make that truth a reality in them.

God is looking for true worshippers today, and will be this Sunday. Let’s approach worship in a way where we are desperate for Him to find us truly worshipping.

Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of Prosperity Renewal:14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom

info@prosperityrenewal.org

www.prosperityrenewal.org

Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God. 

God’s Plan for Financial Freedom

Today’s Scripture…
“I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches.”  Psalms 119:14 (NLT)

Devotional Thought…
Have you ever really wanted something and then were able to finally possess it?  Can you remember the feelings that were going on inside of you at that moment?  Maybe one of these examples will help you remember the feeling I am talking about…

The feeling of walking into a home you finally were able to purchase.
 
The feeling of driving home in that car you had your eye on.
 
The feeling of receiving that promotion that you were up for and had worked hard to get.
 
You know the feeling I am writing about.  That feeling that puts a smile not only on your face but a huge happy feeling on the inside as well.

Today’s scripture is a simple one to understand but not often practiced.  The Psalmist basically says to God that the words of God get him just as excited as a pile of money.  The scriptures put a smile on his face and in his heart just as much as his favorite possessions.
 
When is the last time we got excited as we heard from God?  Do we seek after His words to us as expectantly as we seek after a good word from our accountant or retirement account?  If we will seek after a word from God, He has promised that He will deliver (Proverbs 8:17).

Ask God to create expectancy for hearing from Him.  Do we really believe God desires and can speak to us through His word?  Express that belief to God and don’t be surprised when a “godly grin” or a “holy hallelujah” starts to make its way from the inside out.

Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org
Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

God’s Plan for Financial Freedom

Today’s Scripture…
”No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening-it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”    Hebrews 12:11 (NLT) 

Devotional Thought…
Discipline is a word that through the years has changed.

When most people think of being disciplined, they think of punishment.  This kind of thinking relates discipline to the idea that we did something that someone in authority didn’t approve of, and now we must be punished for it.  It associates discipline with words like spanking, grounding, and loss of privileges.  When we think of discipline in these terms, we tend to run from it.

But discipline is really a word that means to be shaped into something we are not.  True discipline is not focused on the pain, even though pain is felt.  True discipline is focused on the end product; on what we can become if we are willing to change.
 
It is much like a great whittler, who was asked one day how he could create such beautiful carvings.  “Well, what I do is start with a piece of wood and if I want to whittle a dog, I just cut away everything that doesn’t look like a dog!”

God’s discipline is the pocket knife He uses to take us from an ordinary piece of wood to a spiritual carving of Christ.  The Bible is clear that God’s goal for each of us is to be like Jesus (Romans 8:29).  For most of us, there is a great difference between what we are today and the person of Jesus Christ.  God loves us too much to let us stay where we are, so He uses all sorts of things to whittle away everything that doesn’t look like Jesus.

What is the Lord whittling on in you?  Are you angry at God, because you are focusing on the pain?  Are you at peace and celebrating the fact that God loves you enough to whittle on you?  Take some time to talk to God about your perspective on his whittling, and ask Him to help you keep in mind the Christ-likeness that He is whittling toward.

Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org

Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

God’s Plan for Financial Freedom

Today’s Scripture…
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)

Devotional Thought…
Recently, I was able to visit Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.  Oahu is a beautiful island that hosts millions of visitors a year.  Whether you are hiking in the mountains, snorkeling in the reefs, or golfing on one of its manicured courses, it is easy to find a peaceful place.

The morning of December 7, 1941 was not a peaceful time to be on this island.  On that day, the Japanese accomplished a surprise attack on the island, targeting the US naval base at Pearl Harbor.  Over several hours Japanese planes bombed and torpedoed their targets and the once peaceful island turned into a nightmarish turmoil that saw ships and planes damaged and destroyed, and over 3000 people killed or wounded.
  
The island today is a reminder to us that peace doesn’t “just happen.” Peace was restored to this beautiful island but it took a war, it took changing our Pacific strategy, and it took the dedication of striving for new technologies that made peace possible.

Our God is a God of peace, and today’s verse reminds us that He desires us to experience peace in all times and in every way.  If peace is not a reality in our financial situation, our relationships, or in any other category of our lives it means that something ungodly is working against us.  Sometimes the things that work against us come because of the ungodliness of others, but many times the peace we lack is because of our own ungodly and selfish ways that are working from within.  Either way, usually it takes a Christ-waged war, a Christ-revealed strategy change, or a passion for a godly new way of doing things that will make the peace of God a reality in our lives.

Think about your life.  What area(s) of your life does the peace of God reign?  Have you thanked Him for the peaceful places He has established in your life?  Today’s scripture should inspire you to worship and thank the God of peace.

What areas of your life are full of turmoil and restlessness?  Have you cast your burden on Jesus, knowing that He cares for you?  (1 Peter 5:7)  Have you enlisted for the God ordained war it may take to bring peace to the troubled areas of your life?  Are you willing to look to Christ for the marching orders of change that He promises can bring “peace at all times and in every way?”

The Prince of Peace died and lives so that His peace might reign in us. Give Peace a chance!

Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of 
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org

Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

God’s Plan for Financial Freedom

Today’s Scripture…
“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”  Proverbs 3:9-10 (NIV) 

Devotional Thought…
As we listen to folks comment on the current economic times, many use words and phrases related to how much we have lost and how difficult gaining more will be in the coming days.
The truth is, anyone who is reading this devotional today has more wealth and more stuff than probably 99% of the rest of the world.  We have a safe and secure shelter to lay our head at night, we know where our next meals are coming from, and we have multiple shoes for our feet.  If you really want to see what the rest of the world is living like, you might take a look at http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats. Could it be we have plenty enough but need to be using what we have differently?

One of the questions we need to ponder with God is, “What have I been doing with my wealth so far?”  Today’s passage reminds us that we need to be honoring the Lord with our wealth, and that honoring is to come from the beginning of our wealth.  Most folks pay their bills for all the stuff they have already bought for themselves, and if there is anything left over then we give some money to God and/or someone in need.  That is the opposite of what today’s scriptural truth tells us to do.

Honoring God with our wealth starts with the tithe (Malachi 3:10, Luke 11:42).  This is how God impacts the world for Him in a “we and Jesus” way.  But above that, God may call you to give in some “me and Jesus” ways.  Using your wealth to meet the need of someone who has lost a job, supporting a mission church or missionary with some of your wealth, or blessing someone with a portion of your wealth who could never pay it back are all ways we can also honor God with our wealth.  God wants us to do more than pray for people in need (James 2:14-17).

If you are realizing that you need to change some things so that you can honor God with your wealth, remember that He is not looking over your shoulder with a mean smirk because of where you are.  God is in front of you, calling to you with a loving smile to experience the super abundant joy that comes from being a giver.  He knows the feeling because He is the ultimate example of giving (Galatians 1:3-5).

Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of 
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org
Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

Genuine Love

Today’s Scripture…
17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.'”
20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away very sad, for he had many possessions. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”   Mark 10:17-23 (NLT)

Devotional Thought…
Genuine… a word that means the “real deal.”  When you are blessed to meet someone who is genuine, it is a breath of fresh air.  It is always nice to be with someone who isn’t pretending to be something they are not.

Today’s passage tells us the story of a wealthy man who had a genuine question.  He really wanted to know what he needed to do to secure his place with the Lord.  He had been taught all the rules and regulations of being a good person, and had done a decent job of following the rules.  Yet he knew something was not right, and he came to Jesus to get His perspective on it all.
Jesus knew that this man’s actions didn’t really line up with what he really worshipped. 

It is interesting to note what the Bible says Jesus was feeling on the inside about this man.  Even though the man was a conflicted, spiritual mess, the Bible says Jesus felt genuine love for him.  It was from this “genuine love” that Jesus spoke, and helped the man see that his “doing good deeds” was never going to be able to get him eternal life.  Eternal life comes as we lay down all of our sin, our striving, and our stuff and follow Jesus Christ.  Through Jesus we receive genuine forgiveness and find the genuine purpose for our existence.

Today’s scripture gives us some great truths to meditate on…

Jesus genuinely loves you.  In a world where more times than not people love us because of our performance, we can be tricked into thinking that Jesus’ love operates the same way.  But that is a HUGE lie, for Jesus loves us to death (John 15:13).  He loves us in spite of our conflicted-ness and even in spite of our unwillingness to change.  Have you ever just been still before the Lord and thanked Him for his genuine love for you?  …His love not based on performance?  …His love despite your mistakes?

The rich man missed out, because instead of running to genuine love, he ran back to his first love… his wealth.  As we enter into this study on financial peace, the Lord may lovingly make you aware of specific things you need to do to come follow Him fully.  Have you ever ask God to show you ANYTHING in your life that is keeping you from following Him?  If you will genuinely ask, He will show you!  (Jeremiah 33:3)

Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org
Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

Where You Are Weak, God Is Strong

Today’s Scripture…
25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. 26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you;  never again will my people be shamed.”  Joel 2:25-26 (NIV)

Devotional Thought…
One of the things we can usually count on with problems is that the longer we put off dealing with them, the worse things get.  Whether we are talking about the noise under the hood, the toothache that won’t go away, or the Lord calling us to make some changes, this principle applies.

In Joel’s day, God had been calling His people to make some changes for a long time.  They put off getting things right with God to the point that He allowed something to happen to get their attention. The Bible says that one year, right at harvest time; swarms of locusts came to the land and devastated all the crops.  Instead of a harvest of wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, dates and apples, the people looked over the chewed up remains of what might have been.  In their despair, God called out to his people through Joel, hoping this time they would be willing to exchange their way of living with God’s abundant way of living.

Sometimes our finances are an area that we put off letting God have control in.  We know God has said some things about how we should handle our money, but the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) lead us to make financial choices that can be devastating.  When God finally gets our attention about it, we can look up to find that our level of debt and our financial situation seems maybe even too big for God! 

Whether its finances, a relationship, or some other area of your life that looks like it’s too big a problem for even God to fix, today’s passage gives us a great promise to meditate on with the Lord.

God told his people that though He sent the problem, if they would turn their hearts and ways back to God, he would repay them for the years the locusts had eaten.  God wants to restore our hearts but he also will help restore a bank account or a broken relationship.  Are you willing to take your financial or relational mess and lay it before God saying, “Lord, here is the evidence of what I can do.  Please forgive me and fix my mess.  As you fix my mess, please fix me and teach me how to do things your way.  Teach me your ways in this matter.” 

Are you willing to trust, believe, and express to God that you know He can restore the years that your locusts have eaten?  If we are willing to do things God’s way starting today, God will work wonders for us.  And one day very soon we will be telling others “where I was weak, God became strong.”
 
Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org

Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

Be Content With What You Have

Today’s Scripture…
5Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

Devotional Thought…
Not too many years after the Apostle Paul, lived the great Greek philosopher Plato.  In one of his philosophical moments, he is credited with coming up with the idea, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”  His observations were that most inventions come about NOT through some random idea that popped into the mind of a human, but usually they come because there is a need.  God has caused the human mind to work in a way that when we are frustrated or perturbed, we begin to say to ourselves, “There has got to be a better way to do this.”

Over the last several months, we have experienced an economic downturn of global proportions.  Retirement funds, savings accounts, the worth of homes and the net worth of many families and individuals has shrunk to levels that have caused many to become fearful and panicked.  Through the fog of economic uncertainty, many are evaluating the way they have valued and handled their money up to this point in life and are saying to themselves, “There has got to be a better way to do this.”

Today’s scripture gives us some great truths to meditate on when it comes to the topic of money…
Keeping our life free from the love of money means there should be NO place for it in our lives.  To “love money” means money is something we pursue, we think about, and is a passion for us. How much do you “love money?”  Could our current economy be a way God is showing us that we have a love for money that is hindering some things God wants to accomplish in our lives?  Is this something you need to confess to God?

We are called to be content with what we have.  Are you content with the money and things you have, or is there always something more you desire and seem to be striving to get?  Have you ever taken the time to walk through your house, your yard, and your garage and just thank God for your stuff?  Have you looked at your checking account, savings account or retirement account and thanked God for whatever the amount is?  Do you need to apologize to the Lord for not appreciating all that He has allowed you to have?

Our money will come and go, and so will our stuff.  But there is One who is eternal; one who will always be with us in His abundance.  When is the last time you have worshipped the Lord, honoring and recognizing Him as the Eternal, Abundant, Never-ending One?

The real question to ask during these days is not, “how much am I going to lose in these tough economic times?”  The eternal question is, “What kind of person do I want to be in these times and beyond these times?” 
 
Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org
Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

God Desires To Work IN You

Today’s Scripture…
13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.  Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

Devotional Thought…
There are really only two kinds of people on planet earth.  Those whom God is working ON, and those whom God is working IN.

For those who have yet to enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the Bible makes it clear that God is working ON them (2 Peter 3:9).  God wants everyone to be a part of His family, and that is why he sent Jesus.  If you want to know how to have a real relationship with God, click here.

But for those who are in God’s family because they have a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the Bible says God is working IN them.  Today’s scripture gives us some great truths to meditate on today…

The same God who created the heavens and the earth LIVES IN US.  He is not some “far away” God, ordering us around from a distance.  The Bible says that God is IN us.  We are His temple, the place that He dwells (1 Cor. 6:19).  Have you expressed your worship and appreciation to Him for being willing to dwell IN you; for the opportunity to be IN relationship with Almighty God?
 
God is working IN us in two ways.  First, He is working IN us to give us the DESIRE to do what pleases Him.  There are times in the life of a Christian where we know what God wants, but the truth is we don’t DESIRE to do what He wants.  God knows when we don’t want to do His will, and when that is the case He promises to work on our DESIRE.  Have you been honest with God about the things He wants you to do, but you don’t DESIRE to do them?  Confess those things to God and pray for God to go to work on your DESIRE.
 
Second, God is working IN us to give us the power to do His will.  God is always asking us to do things that we don’t think we have the power or ability to do.  God isn’t asking us to do these things to show us how puny we are, He is asking us to allow Him to do His will through His mighty power.  Peter couldn’t walk on water in His power, but as the power of God flowed through Him he could (Matt. 14:29).  Have you admitted to yourself and to God that you need His power to do the things He wants you to do for Him?  If you are serving God in some way, are you desperate for God to be empowering you to do it?  Do you need to ask forgiveness for doing the work of God in your own human strength?
 
As we seek to live each day for God, let us celebrate the truth that God is IN us, and let’s be desperate for Him to empower us to live for Him.

Kingdom Focused!

Flora M. Kynard, author of
Prosperity Renewal: 14 Biblical Principles for True Financial Freedom
info@prosperityrenewal.org
www.prosperityrenewal.org
Exerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with God.

God Was, God Is, And God Forever Will Be

Today’s Scripture…

¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning–the first day.        Genesis 1:1-5 (NIV)

Devotional Thought…

Today’s passage has some great thoughts to meditate on today…

In the beginning, God….  Before the earth ever had its first day, God was there.  God had big, beautiful plans for the heavens and earth before they even existed.  The truth is, any big, beautiful God-sized plan begins with God, even yours (Jer. 29:11).  Have you taken time this year to say to God in a “heart to heart” way that you understand that He is God, and you aren’t?  Have you taken time to let God know that you want to embrace and pursue his God-sized plans for your life?

The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters…  When God first started his creative work, it was formless and empty… but God was at work and He hovered close to His work.  It may seem that for God to do God-sized things in us, big changes will need to take place.  We may feel that we are so far from anything that God could use in a big and beautiful way, and the truth is we probably are.  But just as God hovered close to his creative work in the beginning, He hovers close to us (Is. 40:11).  Have you thanked God that He hovers close to you?  Have you celebrated the truth that His mercy endures forever?

And He separated the light from the darkness…  In the beginning, God made a separation between what was light and what was dark.  It was an essential “first step” that would set the stage for the big, beautiful things to come.  If we really want God to do some big, beautiful God-sized things in and through us in 2009, don’t be surprised if God starts calling on you to separate from the sin that He knows is in your life.  We all have dark places, where sin has crept in and we have allowed it to reside.  God points it out not because He hates us, but because He loves us.  He loves us so much He sent Jesus to earth to die on a cross to take it away.  Don’t resist his call to expel the dark places.  Have you spent any time in confession this year, agreeing with God about the things in you that are sin and asking Him to remove them through Jesus?

Do you really believe God can do some big, beautiful God-sized things through you in 2010?  The truth is, He made a world out of nothing and He can make anything He chooses out of us, if we will make it our passion to know Him and love Him.

Kingdom Focused! 

Flora M. Kynard, author of

Prosperity Renewal: 14 biblical Principles for Truee Financial Freedom

info@prosperityrenewal.org

www.prosperityrenewal.org

Excerpt from DAILY DEVOS, a ministry of First Baptist Church of Allen, Texas.  We would love to hear how God is using this ministry to help you find and take your next steps with Him.