Category: Today’s Word

A New and Living Way

Hebrews 10:19-20. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,

The deepest yearning of the human spirit is to meet God, for in His presence lies the end of all our problems and the fullness of life. Yet, we were tragically cut off. Our sin erected an impassable wall, causing us to fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

This separation meant more than just a lack of fellowship; it resulted in spiritual death, a devastating change in identity and destiny. We were denied access to the Most Holy Place—the very presence of the Triune God. It became impossible, through our own strength or effort, to escape the grip of sin, and disasters and calamities became a permanent part of life. Human existence, apart from God, was ultimately shadowed by the background of hell. Our destiny was to remain as children of Satan forever.

This desperate condition was radically and permanently solved by Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul writes: “He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). By taking our sin and our curse upon Himself on the cross, Jesus “broke the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). At the same time, He opened a new and living way for us to approach God (Hebrews 10:19-20).

In the Old Testament Temple, the veil separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, symbolizing the separation between sinful humanity and God’s holy presence. When Christ died, that temple curtain was torn from top to bottom, signifying that the barrier was destroyed and access was granted forever (Matthew 27:51).

Jesus Himself affirmed this only path: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He is the only reason for the confidence we now possess to approach God’s throne in prayer. This privilege was given to us free of charge, yet it cost the Father His Son, offered as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

Because we are in Christ, God is not only willing but eager to meet with us in every circumstance of our lives. Therefore, the Scriptures encourage us: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

God is pleased with us, not only because we are in Christ, but also when our transformed hearts demonstrate love, forgiveness, and embrace toward our brothers and sisters. This is the command that defines the life of the believer: “To believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23).

The more deeply we realize the radical love and forgiveness of Christ shown to us, the more capacity we will have to extend that same love and forgiveness to others: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

Let the wall of division come down in our families, communities, and nations. As those who have been reconciled to God, let us be peacemakers who carry the gospel of peace for all. By the very power of the gospel that saved us, let us become those who open a new and living way for others who are still living under the power of Satan, sin, and the fear of hell.

Prayer. Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross and Your resurrection, which brought me back into a relationship with God. Because of Your finished work, I now have the confidence to enter the presence of the Triune God. Teach me how to pray, aligning my heart and requests with what pleases You, so that Your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Your mighty name, Amen.

How Can Prayer Change the World?

1 Chronicles 29:11-12.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you;
    you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
    to exalt and give strength to all.

The effective prayer is not found in the eloquence of our words, but in the power of the throne of the Triune God. We begin, as King David did, by recognizing the boundless nature of our God. We confess,

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.“

Our God is the beginning of all authority; the King who is exalted as Head over all. Wealth and honor flow from Him alone, and in His hands rests the strength to lift up or to sustain any soul.

Why is our prayer then so powerful, so effective? The answer lies not in our merit, but in our relationship. Our prayer is powerful because it is the supplication of God’s children. We do not come to the throne as strangers, but as His chosen, those adopted into His eternal family. When we present our requests, we do so in the authority of Jesus’ name, the Name that guarantees our access and validates our petition.

We must always remember who our Father is: He is Omnipotent. He spoke the universe into existence by the power of His Word, and He sustains everything and governs every event from His sovereign throne. Yet, He is our Father. This is the fundamental truth that assures us our prayer is not merely a wish, but a force capable of changing the world.

Let us continually renew our faith in this magnificent power of our Father. It is the power that created everything from nothing (Genesis 1:1). It is the same, immeasurable power that raised Jesus from the dead and placed Him above every other authority (Ephesians 1:19-20). This is the power contained within the living Word—the Word that transforms nations, heals souls, and equips us, through the Holy Spirit, to be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

God is not bound by any limitation. He is not constrained by time, space, or knowledge. Anything with a boundary is a created thing, an idol; but our God is without limit—He is all-knowing and all-present. King David marvels,

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You perceive my thoughts from afar… Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” (Psalm 139).

He knows us completely. He numbers our days, and our very life and breath are held securely in His hand. This intimate knowledge is not a threat, but a profound blessing for those He has chosen.

This recognition of God’s complete control means that nothing happens to us by accident. Every circumstance, every moment, occurs within His presence. When we grasp that God is in complete control—over life, death, curse, and blessing—we realize that no difficulty can truly be a “problem” that threatens our foundation.

It is God who has allowed every trial in our lives. He does this to bless us with an opportunity: an opportunity to actively confirm that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the complete solution to all our challenges. Our deepest desire should be to discover God’s absolute plans behind these trials. Do not allow your human shortcomings or weaknesses to discourage you. Instead, as the Scriptures command, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10).

Finally, the power of our relationship with God must flow outward into our relationships with others. We are called to live together in peace, striving to understand one another, being kind and humble. We must reject the world’s instinct to retaliate. We are not to pay back evil for evil, nor insult for insult. Instead, we are commanded to bless them, for we ourselves were chosen specifically to receive an eternal blessing (1 Peter 3:8-9).

Peter reminds us that what we do matters to God: “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). Our righteous actions—seeking peace, turning from evil—are the evidence of our faith. We must not give the accuser, the devil, a foothold by judging those for whom Christ died.

Let our attitudes and actions toward our brothers and sisters silence the accuser. When we live in this love and unity, the God of peace Himself will soon crush Satan under our feet (Romans 16:20). We may not be able to change people ourselves, but our God certainly can. Let us continue to lift them up, blessing them in the powerful name of Jesus.

Prayer. Father, I come before You with the confidence You have given me through faith in Your Son. May Your Holy Spirit activate Your power in my spirit, soul, heart, mind, and body when I pray. Heal me and restore me to fully receive the blessing of prayer that changes the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Summit Time: The Daily Rhythm of a Spiritual Summit

Daniel 6:10. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

During the Babylonian captivity, Daniel kept unwavering faith in God — even when the cost was his life. How was that possible? Daniel lived a life anchored in the covenant and prayer. His everyday rhythm was centered on communion with God — “just as he had always done.”

His windows were opened toward Jerusalem because his heart was fixed on the covenant: the promised Messiah. He bowed in worship three times a day because every moment of his life was lived before God. And even in the face of death, he gave thanks — because he knew God’s sovereignty was unshakable. This was the daily summit time he enjoyed more than anything.

That kind of “as usual” faith moves heaven. God sent His angel into the lions’ den and shut the mouths of the lions. What seemed like the end became a stage for God’s victory. As a result, through the decree of King Darius, a pagan ruler, the name of the Lord was proclaimed through the entire empire (Daniel 6:26–27). When one remnant chooses unwavering faith, God reveals His glory to nations.

Thanksgiving is the highest expression of trust. God has already blessed you “with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Yet many believers live as if they have nothing — not knowing the riches that have already been given. When difficulties come, they default to fear and unbelief because they do not yet grasp the finished work of Christ.

But when you know the gospel — truly know it — everything changes. You begin to see the world’s spiritual reality and the absolute answer God has given in Christ. You become bold where others tremble. You give thanks where others panic. Like Daniel, you will stand firm even when surrounded by lions because you know it is God who has led you there and He is with you.

Do not be deceived by your circumstances. God is clear about who you are: “For everyone born of God overcomes the world… Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4–5). When you trust God completely and pray earnestly with thanksgiving, the Lord Himself will fight for you (Exodus 14:14). Mountains will move (Matthew 17:20). The world will see the blessing of salvation through your life.

You are today’s Daniel. The same God who stood with Daniel stands with you. Trust Him with all your heart. Fix your gaze on the covenant. Let prayer be the rhythm of your day. And watch God reveal His glory through you.

Prayer. Father, thank You for the privilege of prayer and the victory already given through Christ. Teach me to trust You as Daniel did. Help me pray continually with thanksgiving and see Your kingdom at work in my life today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Spiritual Summit

Daniel 2:46-47.  Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”

Today’s Word records an extraordinary moment in history. What happened in that throne room was nothing short of astonishing: the most powerful man on earth—the emperor who ruled nations and commanded global armies—bowed down in front of Daniel, a young exile from Judah, to honor him. The king praised Daniel and ordered that an offering and incense be presented in his honor.

He publicly humbled himself because he encountered through Daniel a power infinitely greater than his own—the living God who reveals mysteries and governs kings. It was not Daniel’s skill or status that moved him, but the undeniable reality of God’s presence and sovereignty displayed in the life of His servant.

During the Babylonian captivity, when the covenant people of God were surrounded by idols, worldly power, and a culture hostile to their faith, Daniel remained steadfast. Scripture says, “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine” (Daniel 1:8). He refused to compromise his identity or repeat the sins of his ancestors who turned away from the Lord. Daniel saw clearly the spiritual reality behind Babylon’s greatness—Satan’s strategies at work—and he chose instead to hold tightly to God’s covenant.

God honored Daniel’s unwavering faith: “Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel” (Daniel 1:9). After a simple ten-day test of faith, Daniel and his friends looked healthier than those who indulged in the king’s luxuries—convincing proof that the Lord Himself was caring for them.

In addition, “God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds” (Daniel 1:17). When he entered royal service, the king found him “ten times better” than all his wise men (Daniel 1:20). The blessing of the throne rested upon him.

Then came the crisis that would reveal the true Sovereign over Babylon. The king demanded something impossible—his wise men must tell him both his dream and its interpretation. When they failed, a death sentence was issued for every advisor, including Daniel and his friends. But Daniel did not panic. He turned immediately to God as he always had done. Scripture says that “during the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision” (Daniel 2:19).

Brought before the king, Daniel carefully redirected the glory to where it belonged: “No wise man…can explain to the king the mystery…but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries” (Daniel 2:27–28). Daniel described the king’s hidden dream and unfolded God’s plan for the future kingdoms of the world—something no human could have known. The king fell to the ground in awe. Through Daniel’s prayer directed toward the throne, God was proclaimed publicly as “the God of gods and the Lord of kings” (Daniel 2:47).

This is what happens when God’s children focus not on compromise but on the covenant—on enjoying Christ, experiencing His kingdom, and praying in the power of the Holy Spirit. In every age, God raises spiritual summits—people through whom His glory, wisdom, and power shine into the highest places of the world, so all nations and tribes may hear the gospel that Jesus is the Christ.

You are today’s Daniel. God has called you to be a spiritual summit. The same God is alive in you. You must believe this. You do not need to blend in with the world to survive. When you resolve to seek His kingdom and His righteousness alone, He will open impossible doors and reveal His mysteries through you so that even the world’s “kings” may acknowledge Him. The world is waiting to see the God who reveals mysteries—through you.

Prayer. Father, I trust in You with all my heart. Open my eyes to see every spiritual blessing You have poured out on me through Christ. Help me remain unshaken in my identity as Your child and place me where Your glory is revealed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Ordinary People Can Change the World

Philippians 4:6-7. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

These are the words of Paul, who changed the course of history through prayer. When someone truly understands what takes place when we pray, that person becomes a world-changer.

In Christ, we have become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21), and because of that, our prayer is “powerful and effective” (James 5:16). When we focus on God in prayer each day toward the throne of the Triune God, Jesus says that mountains can move (Matthew 21:21).

How? When we pray, God mobilizes His angels to fulfill His will: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). Prayer is a spiritual science. When we pray in Jesus’ name, the Holy Spirit begins to work powerfully, and “the strong man,” the devil, is bound (Matthew 12:28).

The Early Church understood this mystery. Scripture says that “they all joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14), and that prayer changed everything when God answered by sending the Holy Spirit in power (Acts 2:1–4). Ordinary fishermen, laborers, and women became history-makers.

God arranged encounters through their prayer, like when the crippled beggar was healed “at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon” (Acts 3:1), when Cornelius “at about three in the afternoon had a vision” (Acts 10:3) while Peter “went up on the roof to pray” (Acts 10:9), and when Paul’s gospel ministry in Philippi began as they went “to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer” (Acts 16:13), and again when “we were going to the place of prayer” (Acts 16:16) and the evil spirit was cast out.

When we pray for the ministry of the gospel, God pays full attention to our prayer because “this is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3–4). When our heart aligns with God’s heart in prayer, nothing in the world can block what God is about to do.

So what are we always thinking about? That determines the future. We do not need to worry about anything, because our Father in heaven knows what we need. Jesus reminds us that “the pagans run after all these things,” and instead, “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,” and God will provide “all these things” as well (Matthew 6:32–33). God has chosen to change the world through prayer. And He has given that authority and privilege to you.

So pray—and watch mountains move.

Prayer. Father, I thank You for the incredible privilege of prayer. Open my eyes to see what happens when I pray. Align my heart with Your desires so that my prayers may accomplish Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Your Father Bends Down to Listen

Psalm 116:1-2. I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!”

What should you do when you find yourself in a situation as difficult as David’s—surrounded by the threat of death, overwhelmed by anxiety, and trembling in fear? (Psalm 116:3). Call upon the name of the Lord. The Almighty God, your Father, will bend down to listen to you and respond with mercy, goodness, and deliverance (Psalm 116:4). If you truly experience the power of His throne, your fears will begin to fade, and your worries will lose their grip.

God protects those who trust Him with childlike faith. Come before your Father just as a small child comes to a loving parent—honestly, simply, and with total dependence. He leans close to hear every word you whisper. In His presence, your soul will find peace and rest.

As you pray, God invites you to discover His will in all things: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14–15)

How do we learn His will? By listening to His Word and keeping it in your heart. Jesus promised: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7)

This begins where God placed you—your local church. Just as the believers in Acts 2:42 devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, God speaks today through the Word proclaimed by His servants in His church. Take that Word into your heart. Meditate on it throughout the week. Pray over it. See every situation through the lens of the gospel.

Begin every morning with today’s Word—God’s promise for you today. Lift today’s prayer—your response to His Word. And live out today’s evangelism—your mission from God to bless the people around you. This is a life carried by strength from the throne of the Triune God.

Surrender to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Surrender is obedience: “We receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him” (1 John 3:21–22).

But God’s greatest delight is when we hold onto and believe in Jesus, His Son, as the Christ: “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29). Praying in Jesus’ name is not just saying words—it is exercising the authority He has given: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” (Matthew 16:19)

Your prayers, aligned with His Word and offered in His name, can unleash the blessings already prepared for you in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3). In Christ are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)—and through prayer, those treasures are made known and applied in your life.

Above all, do not approach God as if you were powerless and unworthy. Come as His beloved child, calling on the most powerful name under heaven: “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:14)

The name of Jesus has already shattered the grip of Satan, sin, and death. That name is yours to call upon today. May God open your spiritual eyes to see the joy, power, and privilege of prayer—every moment of every day.

Prayer. Father, thank You for giving me the right to ask in the name of Jesus Christ. I know You desire what is best for me. Help me to stop worrying and start trusting—start asking—because You hear and You answer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God’s Blessing Through His Servants

Deuteronomy 21:5. The priests, the descendants of Levi, must also go there. (The Lord your God has chosen these priests to serve him and to bless people in the name of the Lord. The priests will decide who is right in every lawsuit and whenever someone is hurt.

A faith-filled prayer of parents for their children moves the heart of God. He hears their cries and pours His blessing into the next generations. In the same way, God has chosen His servants to serve Him and to bless His people. Their most sacred calling is to lead God’s people into true worship—worship that lifts high the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Just as the priests in the Old Testament presented blood sacrifices before God, today’s pastors and spiritual leaders must continually place before the church the death and resurrection of Christ at all times—the center of all worship and the source of all blessing. That was what the Early Church did:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

God’s servants lead worship filled with the Word, foster unity in Christ, and guide the church to seek God’s will. And God has given them spiritual authority—to speak blessing in the name of the Lord and to discern His will in the midst of His peoples’ covenant journey.

Your spiritual leaders continually lift you up in prayer. They stand before God on your behalf, remembering you with love and burden. So the Scriptures instruct us to honor them—especially those who labor in preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17)—and to support them with the good things God has given us (Galatians 6:6). Most importantly, Scripture calls us to pray for them that:

“God may open a door for [their] message… and [they] may proclaim the mystery of Christ clearly.” (Colossians 4:3–4)

We have been called to save our church—to restore its joy, unity,  spiritual power, and mission. Many today are discouraged or even wounded within the church. This grieves God’s heart. But when Christ becomes the center, the gates of hell cannot prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18).

So always choose faith over unbelief. Become the joy of your church and the delight of your pastor. Become a model of the gospel, a vessel of prayer, and a witness for evangelism to future generations. Your faithfulness today will become a foundation of blessing for countless lives tomorrow.

Prayer. Lord, thank You for revealing Your righteousness in the gospel through Christ. Help me choose faith in every situation today so that I may save my family, my church, and the world You love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Blessing of Evangelism

Mark 10:29-30. “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.

God’s call to evangelism is not a burden—it is a blessing. The privileges He has entrusted to us are so glorious that “even angels long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1:12). Through the field of evangelism, God wants us to personally experience the power of the resurrected Christ. He wants us to stand confidently on the victory of the cross and watch the forces of darkness collapse at the name of Jesus, crushed under our feet once more (Romans 16:20).

There is no greater joy than rescuing a soul bound by Satan’s chains. The fruit of evangelism is eternal—the only crown we will treasure before Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 2:19). Evangelism is shining the Light you have received into the places still in darkness (Isaiah 60:1). It is simply telling others what God has done in your life—your testimony of Christ’s presence becomes the very means through which others come to life.

Yet many believers feel evangelism is reserved only for the most gifted or trained. Not so. Evangelism is the natural life movement of anyone who truly has the life of Christ. If you have been saved by His blood, then introducing Jesus to those still oppressed by the devil is the most natural and powerful expression of gratitude toward God and love toward people. This is why evangelism is one of the greatest blessings God has given to His children and why Satan fears it more than anything.

The Early Church understood this. Under severe persecution, they did not retreat or ask for relief—they prayed for greater boldness to proclaim the gospel (Acts 4:23–31). Persecution only sharpened their focus on their heavenly mandate and missions.

Discover the evangelism that is most natural to your life. Begin by praying that God will open doors for the gospel (Colossians 4:3). Connect every relationship, every interaction—every day—to evangelism. Be prepared to share the hope of Christ with gentleness and respect whenever the Spirit prompts you (1 Peter 3:15).

Jesus calls with urgency. Lives are at stake. Nothing is more important than leading even one soul to Christ. Nothing is more necessary than praying for disciples who will become workers in God’s harvest (Matthew 9:37–38). Nothing will fulfill you more than participating in Christ’s Great Commission in this generation.

You carry the authority of Jesus’ name—“the name above every name” (Philippians 2:9). You walk with the privilege of divine communication and are surrounded by the protection of angel armies. Wherever you go with the gospel, the Lord Himself will work with you, confirming His Word with power (Mark 16:20). The gospel will spread rapidly and be honored (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

So do not worry about what you may lose for the sake of Christ—anything you may lose is not “worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in you” (Romans 8:18). He Himself guarantees that anything surrendered for Him and for the gospel will return a hundredfold in this life—and immeasurable glory in the next (Mark 10:29–30).

Prayer. Father, help me live today with a single devotion to Christ and an undivided heart for the gospel. Let me walk with bold faith as Your evangelist, confident in the authority of Jesus’ name. Fill my field with Your presence and drive out every force of darkness. Use me to rescue those in bondage and restore lives by Your power. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayer?

Proverbs 15:8. The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

When you pray, do not pray like those who do not know God. Jesus taught us not to heap up empty and repetitive words, because the Father already knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:7-8). God is not interested in eloquent phrases but sees beneath the words and knows the intentions within us: “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).

This is why David confessed, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). Sin held onto in secret hinders prayer. Bitterness blocks peace. Unforgiveness quenches the Spirit. When we approach God harboring revenge or pride, we are not aligned with His heart.

Prayer begins by yielding to His desires above our own. Scripture reminds us that unanswered prayer often comes from pursuing selfish goals rather than God’s purposes (James 4:3). Your Father loves you too deeply to give you what would ultimately harm you. Instead, He desires to give you the very best — His own Spirit. Jesus said, “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13).

Even our Lord Jesus modeled this surrender when He prayed in Gethsemane, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). He prayed again, fully submitting to the will of the Father (Matthew 26:42).

His entire life of prayer was built on the words He taught us: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). This is what pleases the heart of God: not a prayer that demands our own will, but one that joyfully embraces His. We have been given everything through His Son. There is nothing to ask for, except for the kingdom of God.

The early church understood this. Under threats and persecution, their prayer was not for personal safety but for boldness to proclaim the gospel: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus” (Acts  4:29-30). Their deepest longing was for God’s kingdom to advance. Their confidence was in Christ, not in comfort.

God has already lavished every spiritual blessing upon His children in Christ. In His presence there is rest, joy, peace, hope, and abundance. He delights in you. Therefore, do not approach Him like a beggar. You have full access to the throne of grace by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-20). Your identity is no longer defined by sin, Satan or hell. You are a beloved and honored child of the Most High God!

So pray like one. Pray with confidence. Pray with expectation. Pray with a heart aligned to His mission. Do not give up when you do not see immediate answers. Jesus promised that God “will bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night” (Luke 18:7). Keep praying with persistent faith. Keep praying with shameless audacity.

You have been born from above. Therefore, pray for the things above. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and trust that everything else will be provided in God’s perfect time (Matthew 6:33). When you pray in alignment with the throne of the Triune God, the kingdom of darkness trembles. People living in despair will encounter the light of the gospel through you. God will move in ways that surpass understanding and change the world around you.

Let your prayers please the Lord. Let your heart be fully His. Let your life be a testimony that God delights in the prayer of His children.

Prayer. Father, help me pray not as a beggar but as Your beloved child. Align my heart with Your will. Strengthen my faith so that I may ask confidently and live boldly for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For the Sake of Our Future Generations

1 Kings 11:1-13. King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

9 The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

God’s greatest desire has always been for His people to return to Him—leaving behind a life that has been stolen and deceived by the devil. He created us to enjoy Him. Yet the moment humanity turned away from the Creator, darkness became our inheritance.

The curse did not come from God’s desire to punish but from our separation from Him—cut off from the source of life and glory. That separation became our spiritual condition, the state into which every person is now born. Scripture reveals this reality: “Each of us has turned to our own way” (Isaiah 53:6).

We followed the “ways of this world” and the “ruler of the kingdom of the air” —Satan—who still works relentlessly in those who remain spiritually blind (Ephesians 2:2). We did not seek God, yet God sought us. He pursued us when we were running away. He loved us when we were rejecting Him.

And out of His infinite love, He placed the full weight of our guilt upon His Son Jesus: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus crushed the serpent’s head and removed the power of sin, curse, and death. When you believe and receive Jesus as the Christ, the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20). Your identity shifts from slave to child, from cursed to blessed, from darkness to light. The Holy Spirit now dwells within you, leading you into a restored life with God that will continue into eternity (John 14:6; Romans 8:2).

But our salvation was never intended to stop with us. When God saved you, He had your children in mind. And their children after them. His covenant is generational (Genesis 6:18). Through Christ, God has already secured blessings for those who will come from your line.

Jesus, our True King, broke Satan’s grip on future generations. Jesus, our True Priest, canceled the curses that would have carried on. Jesus, our True Prophet, opened a new and living way to God for them too.

This is why the tragedy of Solomon is so sobering. Blessed beyond measure, visited by God twice, gifted with unrivaled wisdom—yet his heart drifted. He forgot his first love. He allowed idols into the home, the palace, and the nation. He built high places to false gods, leading the next generation into spiritual destruction.

God warned him, pleaded with him, but Solomon did not listen. And so the kingdom would be torn apart. Yet God said: “For the sake of David my servant… I will give him one tribe” (1 Kings 11:13).

Why? Because God remembered the covenant with David. David’s faith became his son’s covering. God’s mercy carried through the bloodline—not because Solomon deserved it, but because David believed God. This truth should both humble and awaken us: Our devotion affects our descendants. Our spiritual negligence also affects them.

But thanks be to God — in Christ, generational curses are not the end of the story. They are broken once and for all. And instead of a cursed inheritance, God now promises: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (Acts 16:31).

God’s mercy now reaches “to a thousand generations of those who love him” (Exodus 20:6). Through you, He plans to reveal “the incomparable riches of his grace” in the ages to come (Ephesians 2:7).

So, do not take lightly the spiritual imprint you are making. Build the ark for your family (Genesis 6:18). Cover them daily in the blood of the Lamb (Exodus 12:13). Teach them to delight in Immanuel—God with us (Isaiah 7:14). Establish the unshakable confession that Jesus is the Christ (Matthew 16:16).

To that end, imprint the Word deeply into their spirit, soul, mind, and body: “These commandments… are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children…” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Let your home become their first sanctuary and your faith become their first inheritance.

God can and will raise up a thousand and a mighty nation through your line—children who shine the gospel to all nations and stand as a testimony that the light has overcome the darkness (Isaiah 60:22).

Prayer. Father, I thank You for breaking the power of generational curses through Your Son Jesus Christ. Because of the incomparable riches of Your grace, I now have hope and a future. Help me continue to instill the complete covenant in the hearts of my future generations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.