One night with the King can completely change your life and the destiny of a nation!
And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, and said “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are …

Children of God have the favor of God!
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11)
Do you expect the favor of the King?
A few months ago when I was working at Giles Memorial Hospital, the manager of the radiology department came up to the outpatient surgery area to take care of some business. When she saw me, she asked how I was doing. I answered …

As the family goes, so goes the nation!
Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1)
What are a few lead dominos to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation?
I believe one is prayer and another is blessing marriages.
When I went to Argentina for the very first time in October 2005, I met many outstanding marketplace and pulpit ministers. However, of all the people I met there, Jack Serra had the greatest impact on me and my family when he …

More than anything else, God demands our obedience!
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. (John 21:17)
Do you love Jesus?
Are you feeding God’s sheep?
As I mentioned in yesterdays’ devotional, a simple act of obedience to the Holy Spirit on my part on September 26, 2006 …

There is little difference between people, but that little difference makes a big difference!
Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. (1 Timothy 4:15)
We’ve just concluded a 16 day series called “Too Busy Not to Pray” based on Bill Hybels book by that title. Why did we spend so much time on one topic? Because prayer is life changing, even world changing for those who are totally submitted to God.
Now let’s summarize the pearls of wisdom found at the top of …

Prayer is a way to maintain constant communion with God.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Is God your closest friend?
How do you let Him be?
The purpose of prayer is not simply to draw up one’s requests and praises and present them in an acceptable fashion to God. It is not simply to become aware of God’s answers and guidance. Prayer is a way to maintain constant communion …

The Holy Spirt never contradicts the Word of God!
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16)
How can know if a leading is truly from God?
When God tells us to write to this person or make an appointment with that person or give away so much money, to start this or stop that, or to share something, it doesn’t have to make sense to us. Some of the most important decisions you will ever make in your life will make no sense from a worldly perspective.
All leadings that …

Strength comes from solitude.
“Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18a)
How do you tune into God’s voice?
Hearing the Holy Spirit’s leadings is vitally important to a healthy Christian life. But often when the Spirit tries to get through to us, He gets a busy signal. What changes do we need to make so that when God speaks to us through His Spirit, we will be able to hear Him?
The discipline of stillness is essential to hear from God! People who are really interested in hearing from God must pay a price: they …

Listening to God is like listening to anyone – before you can hear Him, you must be ready to listen!
“when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:3)
Are you listening to God when you pray?
How do you listen to God when you pray?
It’s an honor to be able to speak to God. We don’t have to go through a priest or a saint or any other intermediary. We don’t have to follow any prescribed rituals. We don’t have to wait for an …

The value of a contemplative life is character transformation.
“Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you.” (Exodus 18:19)
What is time to you?
Time is …
If you are involved in the marketplace, you are trained to believe that time is money. You don’t have to be in business to be over-committed. The pace of single working parents is double or triple that of the rest of us.
Where does the still, small voice of God fit into our hectic lives? When do we allow Him …