Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. (Proverbs 3:10)

What distractions do you allow to get in the way of giving the firstfruits of your TIME to Jesus each morning?

Yesterday morning I sent out my first YDB devotional in more than 3 weeks. That was prompted by an inspirational email received from Renato Amato, from Bracciano Italy. In my message I shared briefly about Renato, one of my top connections for 2009.

Yesterday afternoon, Renato and I had our our weekly coaching call over the Internet. Wow!!! While I’m supposedly the one doing the coaching, it seems I’m the one receiving the most coaching as I learn so many valuable life lessons. I’m coming to appreciate the tremendous UNITY (oneness) that Renato and his wife Patrizia enjoy. Those are the kinds of people I want to hang around.

Renato’s blog has quickly become my favorite one ever. That says a lot. Renato is the only person in the world I know who is posting his two-way journal entries daily on his blog. He calls his daily messages WFJ = Words From Jesus.

Renato’s message this morning titled “The first fruits of your time” is outstanding and reminds us of fundamental truths of tithing the best of our time each day in relationship with Jesus. It’s so easy to make excuses and start days doing things for Jesus instead of listening to Him.

CLICK HERE to read Jesus’ message to Renato this morning.

Incidentally, I highly, highly recommend subscribing to Renato’s blog. This will bless you, your marriage, and your family. And while your at it, why not let your friends know about Renato’s blog too?

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, throughout history and the Bible, You have desired an intimate relationship with Your children in which they prioritize their time spent with You and with ears trained to listen to Your voice. Thank You that Renato is modeling this intimate relationship for others via the web. May Renato’s example be contagious. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

“I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” – John 10:11

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your practice of STILLNESS?

In December 2006, I stepped away from the highest paying, easiest, most enjoyable anesthesia job of my career in obedience to the Holy Spirit to make 2007 a sabbatical year.

On December 30, 2006 the LORD gave me my theme verse for 2007 – “BE STILL … and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10a).

On January 1, 2007, I began a 21 day fast. On the very first day of that fast (and sabbatical year), the LORD gave me a song — “BE STILL.” That was the only song I received from the LORD that year, so I figure it’s quite significant.

Also on January 1, 2007, I sent a YDB devotional to my followers titled “Be Still.” In that I wrote: “Today begins day #1 of my sabbatical year – a year of rest. Each year since 2003, I have chosen a theme verse for the year. Until just two days ago, I was asking God to let me know His choice for a theme verse for 2007. After watching the “Be Still” DVD on December 30, I immediately knew my theme verse for 2007 is “Be still and know.” That is God’s message for the entire world!!!”

CLICK HERE  to read the rest of that profound message.

This morning (May 26, 2009) while I was journaling, Jesus told me to record the song “BE STILL” and post it online. So I did. Enjoy!

Prayer Power
Jesus, we praise You as the God of stillness. Thank You for my practice of being still to know You – the great I AM.

Blessings to be still and know!

“You shall love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.” (Mark 12:31)

How would you rate your health in each of these four areas — spiritual, physical, emotional, relational — from 1 (terrible) to 10 (fantasic)?

Today is Day 5 in our 30 days series titled “One Month To Live,” based on Kerry and Chris Shook’s book by that same title. “One Month To Live empowers you to focus on being who God created you to be – passionate, fully alive, living without regrets.”

If you’ve flown before on a commercial airline, you probably are familiar with this routine airline safety announcement, “In the event that our cabin pressure should change, an oxygen mask will be released from the overhead compartment. Please place the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping small children or others who may need assistance.”

While it may seem obvious that you can’t help anyone if you have passed out from lack of oxygen yourself, I’ve been guilty over the past few years of putting the oxygen mask on many others without taking in enough oxygen myself.

I confess that I have grossly undervalued my time and made poor choices that have allowed numerous Christians and Christian organizations to soak up my time and financial resources to the point where my income and business has become cachectic. Julia and I have sown every last penny we own into God’s Kingdom work.

We’ve reached the point where we must be STRATEGIC in business and ministry. We can no longer afford to offer free services to any businesses or organizations.

It’s not that we don’t care. We simply don’t have any more money or time to give away.

Here are some excerpts from Chapter 5 of Kerry and Chris’ book.

Jesus indicates that before we can really love others and make a difference in their lives, we have to first love ourselves. You have to first take time to get healthy so you can impact the world around you.

Get Physical: Whether you have thirty days or thirty years left, you should realize that how you treat your body has a direct and lasting impact on the quality of life you enjoy. Our bodies require sleep, exercise, clean air, water, and quality nourishment. To be healthy physically, we must be healthy spiritually and listen to what God says about our bodies. Check out the daily exercise and diet plan at www.OneMonthToLive.com.

How Do You Feel: The next crucial area where we must breathe first is in our emotional lives. So many people function according to how they feel. A huge part of maturing, of growing up, is learning to acknowledge and experience our emotions without being controlled by them. “For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and of love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7, RSV).

Relationally Connected: The whole reason we put the oxygen mask on ourselves first is so we can breathe in and get healthy and help someone find God’s oxygen. Breathing first is not selfish. It’s essential.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, forgive me for putting the oxygen mask on many others while neglecting myself. Thank You for your wake up call. I finally get it. May I never forget this life lesson. May many others benefit from the hard lesson I have learned. Thank You Jesus. Amen and hallelujah!

Blessings of the Day
1) Make It Last For Life – 3 simple action steps to apply today’s message [see below]

2) UNCOMMON Wellness Coaching course A Hope Filled Future“ free webinar with guest panelist Shelley Grieser
Category: Coaching
Date/Time: Tuesday May 5, 2009, 11 am EDT
Your marriage may have ended, but your life is not over!

3) “A Hope Filled Future” free webinar with guest panelist Shelley Grieser
Category: Coaching
Date/Time: Tuesday May 5, 2009, 11 am EDT
Your marriage may have ended, but your life is not over!

4) “The Crisis Of Belief“ free webinar with guest panelist Rev. Nasir Iqbal
Subtitle: Experiencing God Through Journaling (EGTJ) – Week 7
Date/Time: Tuesday May 5, 2009, 8 pm EST
Rev. Nasir Iqbal is a Palelstinian with an amazing story of salvation and miraculous healing from coma, near-death, and paralysis after beign robbed and beaten over the head with a metal rod.

5) The Grand Opening Of The Journaling Cafe
Date/Time: Thursday May 7, 2009, 3 pm EST
Finally! Finally! Finally! The Journaling Cafe is opening. Jesus has taught me how to hear His voice through two-way journaling and now He’s inviting YOU to learn too. But not only that, the LORD is inviting to be part of this world-wide journaling community.

“If we don’t act on a good idea within 24 hours, we are less than 50% likely to ever act on it. If we haven’t acted on it inside of days, then we are less than 2% likely to ever act on it.” – Bill Gates

Blessings to put the oxygen mask on yourself first!

Randy Peck, M.D.
“Blessed to be a blessing”
The Connector – connecting people, ideas, and resources in Christ through the POWER of the Holy Spirit

P.S. At the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders in the U.K. earlier this year, the primary word received was “no more business as usual.”

Zec 4:6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.

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Make It Last For Life – 3 simple action steps to apply today’s message

1) How would you rate your health in each of these four areas — spiritual, physical, emotional, relational — from 1 (terrible) to 10 (fantasic)? What’s the greatest challenge to improving your health in these areas? What can you do to work through this challenge?

2) Spend time journaling about a specific goal for each of these four areas that you can pursue during the rest of this month. Make sure the goals are practicle and measurable.

3) Connect daily to www.OneMonthToLive.com and spend fifteen to thirty mintues working on your spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational health.

For who has despised the day of small things? (Zechariah 4:10)

What are your favorite “little” things you do each day?
How much satisfaction do you get in doing the “little” things?

During our weekly Marching Through Culpeper (MTC) prayer call yesterday, Virginia Morton gave us “LITTLE” as the our word to focus on this week. She said that God accomplishes great things through us when we obey Him in the little things. It’s the little things in our relationships that make things work. When we ignore those, relationships suffer.

After sharing 3 scriptures with the MTC prayer team (Zec 4:10, Prov 15:16, and Phil 4:11-13), Virginia prayed first. She thanked God for the little thing of meeting me in Food Lion in early 2005. This led to me interviewing her on my A Life Of Blessing TV show, which turned out to be the first time she ever publicly shared the God story behind MTC. That opened a whole host of other doors for her, many of which are a direct result of her active participation with the Pray Culpeper team.

When Virginia started the weekly MTC prayer calls a year and a half ago, that was a little step of faith. However, on the spiritual Richter scale, it was HUGE. So much fruit has come from these prayer calls. God has knit together the hearts of everyone who participates regularly. And all of us have experienced a significant growth in our faith. By far, these are the most inspirational group prayer times I have ever participated in.

Virginia has learned how to hear God’s voice, speak what she hears, and consistently do the little things to obey God. As a result of her UNCOMMON obedience, I have witnessed God opening progressively larger and larger doors of opportunity for her.

Virginia is one of the most obedient people I have ever met. When she speaks or prays, I often sense the LORD is speaking directly to me through her. I stand amazed at how God is using this ordinary person with a heart to obey to accomplish his extraordinary purposes. I suspect the unfolding of this MTC movie project may be one of the greatest miracles I ever experience in my lifetime.

Let me share with you the first paragraph of Virginia’s recent blog post titled “Meet Linda Seger.” To read the rest of her inspiring message, please see Blessings of the Day. I encourage you to comment on Virginia’s blog if it inspires you.

“I have been working on a screenplay adaptation of “Marching Through Culpeper” for several years. Due to the length of the book, the most likely scenario would be a miniseries. I’ve had the good fortune to collaborate with three talented, aspiring screenplay writers during the process. I feel the next step is to seek the expertise of a professional script consultant. During my long literary journey, I’ve learned that God always shows me the right person at the right time. I recently mailed the first three hours of my screenplay to Dr. Linda Seger, perhaps the top script consultant in the world.”

Prayer Power
Daddy, thank You for the privilege of having a front row seat to watch one of the greatest miracles of this decade unfold. Thank You that Virginia has learned to hear Your voice and obeys You. Thank You for Virginia’s friendship. May You bless and protect Virginia with legions of angels. Thank You that through Your vision for the Marching Through Culpeper movie project, you are “bringing truth, understanding, and reconciliation.” In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Blessings of the Day
1) Meet Linda Seger – blog post by Virginia Morton

2) Kitty Kallen—Little Things Mean A Lot – Lyrics and YouTube video [see below]

Blessings to listen to and obey God in the little things so He can do the big things through you!

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Lyrics from “Little Things Mean A Lot”  by Kitty Kallen

Blow me a kiss from across the room
Say I look nice when I’m not
Touch my hair as you pass my chair
Little things mean a lot

Give me your arm as we cross the street
Call me at six on the dot
A line a day when you’re far away
Little things mean a lot

Don’t have to buy me diamonds or pearls
Champagne, sables, and such
I never cared much for diamonds and pearls
’cause honestly, honey, they just cost money

Give me a hand when I’ve lost the way
Give me your shoulder to cry on
Whether the day is bright or gray
Give me your heart to rely on

Send me the warmth of a secret smile
To show me you haven’t forgot
For now and forever, that’s always and ever
Honey, little things mean a lot

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

How do you clean house with your schedule?
Are you ready to toss out the old and begin anew?

As mentioned yesterday, my series this week is about reducing stress.

Today’s message comes directly from Part 1 of a fantastic 8-part practical article titled “Finding Balance – Valuable Tips For The Stressed and Busy.” The entire article can be found at today’s Link of the Day.

Just as you budget how you spend your money, it’s important to remember that budgeting is vital when you choose how to spend your time as well. This may seem like a no-brainer, but many of us still have trouble saying ‘no’ when someone asks us to commit our time to a worthy cause. All these worthy commitments can add up to a lack of balance and excessive stress for women.

It may be especially difficult to say no to commitments that benefit others, that speak to our ideals, or that may get us ahead in other areas. Indeed, those are often the commitments we should say yes to, but too many of these commitments can cause an excess of stress.

The following are some strategies that women can use to find balance, pare down their schedules, and relieve daily stress. (Note: This article is geared more for women because they tend to juggle more roles, but men may find this article helpful as well.)

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, I confess that I often allow my life to get out of balance. May I apply the simple principles shared in today’s Link of the Day. Thank You Jesus. Amen.
 
Link of the Day
Finding Balance – Valuable Tips For The Stressed and Busy – by Elizabeth Scott, M.S.  (see below)

Blessings to find that healthy balance God desires!

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Reference: [http://stress.about.com/od/relationships/ss/balance.htm]

Finding Balance – Valuable Tips For The Stressed and Busy – by Elizabeth Scott, M.S.

Just as you budget how you spend your money, it’s important to remember that budgeting is vital when you choose how to spend your time as well. This may seem like a no-brainer, but many of us still have trouble saying ‘no’ when someone asks us to commit our time to a worthy cause. All these worthy commitments can add up to a lack of balance and excessive stress for women. It may be especially difficult to say no to commitments that benefit others, that speak to our ideals, or that may get us ahead in other areas. Indeed, those are often the commitments we should say yes to, but too many of these commitments can cause an excess of stress. The following are some strategies that women can use to find balance, pare down their schedules, and relieve daily stress. (Note: This article is geared more for women because they tend to juggle more roles, but men may find this article helpful as well.)

De-Clutter Your Life
Have you seen those home makeover shows where they clear out all the clutter in a room, and then reorganize the room by returning only those things that are vital to the happiness of the homeowners? You can use the same process to reorganize your life. In your mind, clear the clutter from your schedule and imagine it empty. Then return only the things that are vital to your survival — your job and sleep, for example. Then bring other things back into your schedule in their order of importance, adding new things that are important as well (like time for exercise), and leaving out things that are draining you or stressing you, like obligations that you’d rather not keep. This exercise can give you a greater idea of what things in your life are feeding you, and what things you may want to eliminate. (Note: Some more popular pieces of ‘schedule clutter’ include mediocre television shows, time spent with people who drain you, time spent doing tasks that could be streamlined.)

Remember The Trade-Offs
Usually when we’re presented with requests on our time, we think about whether we can fit this new activity into our already-packed schedule, and whether or not it’s worth it. This often leads to an even more packed schedule. When deciding what to say yes and no to, I find it extremely helpful to remember that every ‘no’ is a ‘yes’ to something else, and vice versa. If you say yes to taking on a position in the PTA, that means less time for exercise, meditation, time with your children, or something else that’s also important. Perhaps it’s worth it, perhaps it’s not, or perhaps you’d rather cut out something else in your schedule. But, looking at each new commitment as something else that needs to be given up (even a hypothetical something) can make finding balance easier.

Delegate Like A Pro
Good managers know the value of delegating responsibility by pairing people with jobs that they can do well, adding some encouragement, and letting go. Many women, however, get caught up in the ‘If I want it done right, I’ll have to do it myself’ trap, and find themselves doing everything. Don’t forget that other people in the office might be able to handle (or help with) some of the projects you’re doing, and may actually want to do so. Children may be far more capable of doing housework than you are giving them credit for, and may get a sense of pride in being able to do such jobs, if encouraged properly. Even most husbands can be utilized more efficiently than they often are. (One study found that the main difference between dads who were involved with infant care and those who weren’t was the attitude of the mother. Encouraging moms found themselves partnered with more helpful dads!) Even hiring help — housekeepers, gardeners, personal assistants and the like — counts as delegation, and can be extremely helpful and worth the cash. The next time you feel that you are doing too much, look around and see if you can find some help.

Do A Good Enough Job
Sometimes things need to be done with precision and perfection, but more often, they don’t. Although the Martha Stewart types may be quick to point out how special things are when you go the extra mile, and how attention to detail makes all the difference, this type of thinking can also lead to perfectionism, stress, and a lack of balance. If you find yourself already too busy, you may really benefit from giving yourself a break. Take shortcuts, if the end result is still adequate. (Will your guests really care if you used a traditional mop on the floor, or quickly went over it with a Swiffer? Won’t store-bought cupcakes still taste as great for the office party or class picnic?) Live by the 80-20 rule, where you identify the 20% of work that yields 80% of the results, and focus mainly on what’s important, letting the rest slip if necessary. Remember, sometimes focusing on perfection isn’t as important as focusing on speed, especially when you’re looking for balance in your schedule.

Live In The Now, But Keep The Future In Mind
Do you have a plan for the future? Most businesses have a one-year plan, a 5-year plan and a 10-year plan, and plan their daily activities with these goals somewhere in mind. This can be helpful for women, too. I’m not saying that everything you do needs to be part of a supreme master plan for optimal living, but this type of general thinking can help keep balance and perspective. For example, when choosing whether to exercise or watch television, thinking about the long-term benefits that would come from each makes it much easier to skip a moderately entertaining show in favor of getting moving. Both activities can relieve stress, but one contributes to an overall plan for better health, while the other doesn’t. See where you can apply this analogy to your own decisions and find more balance in your life.

Stay Organized
Being organized is vital to finding balance in life. If you have a schedule where everything fits, you’ll be more efficient with your time. And you’ll be able to relax not only in the knowledge that you’ll get things done, but also in that what you’re working on in a given moment is what you’re supposed to be working on. Don’t overlook the value of online time management tools, PDAs and other time management accessories. But also keep in mind that a good plan and a clear budget for your time is invaluable in maintaining balance in your life.

Consult Your Inner Child
Remember when you were a child, and you imagined what your life would be like when you were grown up? You probably only imagined yourself doing exciting things, not some of the minutia you probably get bogged down by right now. Although it’s unrealistic to be only doing things that are ‘fun’ (sometimes we need to take a break from skydiving and going to parties to do a few loads of dishes and pack lunches for the next day), it can be helpful to remember to try to keep fun things in your life and stressful things out of it.

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Are you overscheduled and overstressed?
On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your ability to say “No” to things that don’t belong in your schedule?
What steps will you take to improve that?

This week I’ll be sharing about reducing stress, something many people experience an especially big dose of during the Christmas season.

A few days ago, I received an email from John Miller, founder of QBQ! (Question Behind The Question) titled “QBQ! Boundaries: Saying No.” That title grabbed my attention when I first read it and has continued to grab my attention each time I’ve seen that email in my Inbox.

Like many of you, I struggle with saying “No!” or better yet “No thanks.” The problem with that is it leads to over committing, which results in my “yes” not always being “yes.” And that leads to disappointments and hurt relationships. It also leads to me neglecting simple important daily commitments to myself, such as eating breakfast and exercising.

Here is part of what John Miller shared in his email message:

Drawing boundaries and resisting the temptation to overdo are all about “taking care of me,” and contrary to popular opinion there’s nothing wrong with that. If more of us took care of ourselves, we just might have an abundance of joy, improved mental and physical health, and greater peace of mind during a season that is all about Peace On Earth.

(Disclaimer: So why isn’t this message titled “Saying YES!” and encouraging people to partake in celebratory activities like those listed above? Because that’s not where most of us require strength. The lesson needed for many is not YES but, “No, thanks. Not this time.”)

Sure, it’s fun to revel in the holidays and to give to others, but possibly the best gift I can give myself and those around me this season is the gift of saying NO.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, I confess that I have a problem saying “No” to things that You have not asked me to do or that simply do not fit into my schedule. Please forgive me. Help me to become much more disciplined with my daily and weekly routines and to prayerfully consider the cost of commitments before making them. Thank You Jesus. Amen.
 
Link of the Day
How To Say No to People Making Demands on Your Time – by Elizabeth Scott, M.S. (see below)

Blessings to learn to say no much more often!

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Reference: [http://stress.about.com/od/settingboundaries/ht/say_no.htm]

How To Say No to People Making Demands on Your Time
By Elizabeth Scott, M.S., Updated: September 25, 2007 

Are you overscheduled and overstressed? With today’s busy schedules, you’re not alone. One way to pare down your schedule is to get good at saying no to new commitments. Whether you say “yes” instead of no out of guilt, inner conflict, or a misguided notion that you can “do it all,” learning to say no to more requests can be one of the biggest favors you can do yourself and those you love. It helps reduce stress levels and gives you time for what’s really important.

Time Required: Very little. And it will free up time for what’s important!

Here’s How:
Just say, “I’m sorry. I can’t do this right now.” Use a sympathetic, but firm tone. If pressured as to why, reply that it doesn’t fit with your schedule, and change the subject. Most reasonable people will accept this as an answer, so if someone keeps pressuring you, they’re being rude, and it’s OK to just repeat, “I’m sorry, but this just doesn’t fit with my schedule,” and change the subject, or even walk away if you have to.

If you’re uncomfortable being so firm, or are dealing with pushy people, it’s OK to say, “Let me think about it and get back to you.” This gives you a chance to review your schedule, as well as your feelings about saying “yes” to another commitment, do a cost-benefit analysis, and then get back to them with a yes or no. Most importantly, this tactic helps you avoid letting yourself be pressured into overscheduling your life and taking on too much stress.

If you would really like to do what they’re requesting, but don’t have the time (or are having trouble accepting that you don’t), it’s fine to say, “I can’t do this, but I can…” and mention a lesser commitment that you can make. This way you’ll still be partially involved, but it will be on your own terms.

Tips:
Be firm — not defensive or overly apologetic — and polite. This gives the signal that you are sympathetic, but will not easily change your mind if pressured.

If you decide to tell the person you’ll get back to them, be matter-of-fact and not too promising. If you lead people to believe you’ll likely say “yes” later, they’ll be more disappointed with a later “no.”

If asked for an explanation, remember that you really don’t owe anyone one. “It doesn’t fit with my schedule,” is perfectly acceptable.

Remember that there are only so many hours in the day. This means that whatever you choose to take on limits your ability to do other things. So even if you somehow can fit a new commitment into your schedule, if it’s not more important than what you would have to give up to do it (including time for relaxation and self care), you really don’t have the time in your schedule.

This article has more strategies for finding time if you’re too busy.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13)

Do you feel called to be an intercessor for me and this ministry to bless millions of families?

Twelve days ago I experienced the strongest personal spiritual attack since committing my life to Christ 8 years ago. Someone then told me that if I am truly called by God to be a catalyst to save one billion souls, then I am going to need a lot more intercessors.

This was a huge wake up call for me. One of my take home lessons was to increase my time for intercession to at least 1-2 hours per day. Intercession is so much more than prayer. It’s getting the heart of God for people, organizations, and communities. Ephesians 6:10-13 says we are in spiritual battles, not battles against people.

So on October 31, I began assembling a new written prayer list with people and organizations to pray for daily. This week I’m preparing another new prayer list with people and organizations to pray for weekly. As the apostles said in Acts 6:4, “we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

One of the things I wrote down to pray for myself daily was for a large team of intercessors. Then on November 4 (Election Day), when I was at the Transformation Virginia event at City Hill On A Hill Church where Rick Heeren spoke, Butch Mills told me he is “interceding” (not just praying) for me every day. Boy did that bless me. Thank you Butch!

The next day during my peer coaching call with Dr. Jerry Graham, he counseled me to formalize my intercessory team by asking people on my Your Daily Blessing list to volunteer to be intercessors. What’s amazing is that I was thinking the exact same thing shortly before he mentioned that.

My question, for you is, “Are you willing to be an intercessor for me and Your Daily Blessing to bless millions of families?” Before you respond, let me share what’s involved and expected.

I plan to send a separate weekly email just to my intercessory team with personal, ministry, and community things to pray for. This will include what I consider upcoming major community transformational opportunities and events.

For those of you who formally agree to come alongside me as intercessors, I expect you to pray through the list of prayer requests in the weekly email. Ideally, I would like for you to pray daily for these.

So many good and great things are happening and God wants to take this ministry to a much higher level. Therefore we must take our levels of intercession to a much higher level. I need the support from those of you who understand and believe in the power of prayer.

To become part of the Intercessory Team for Your Daily Blessing, please click on “Update Profile/Email Address,” then check the “Intercessory Team” box, and finally “Submit.” If you have trouble figuring this out, then suggest send me a reply email stating “Intercessory Team” in the subject. Thank you in advance for those who choose to join our Intercessory Team.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are leading me and a select group of prayer warriors to a much higher level of intercession and prayer to tear down spiritual strongholds. Thank You for Your favor that will be bestowed on each person who chooses to participate. To You be all glory, honor, and praise. Amen and hallelujah!

Blessings for divine breakthroughs and provision!
 
Dr. Randy Peck
The Connector
“Blessed to be a blessing”

About Your Daily Blessing
The purpose of this e-prayer devotional is to bless millions of families to be a blessing to millions more by connecting people, ideas, and resources.

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

How can you empower your life story?
Will you commit to meet with Jesus daily?
When and where are you going to start?
How long are you going to meet with Jesus each day?
What resources do you need to meet with Jesus?

I’ve had a Wow! morning. God is so good! I’ll share part of the story this morning and more tomorrow. If you need encouragement today, read on.

Yesterday at Soul Purpose Church, Pastor Matt preached a message titled “My Life Story Empowered.” He shared that you’ll never know you’re soul purpose until you meet Jesus and then meet with Jesus daily. Key scriptures were Psalm 119:105 and Exodus 33:7-17.

Matt first addressed the question “How do I meet with God?” and then laid out these 4 simple steps

1) Opening prayer – preparation (confess sin) and permission (“Whatever You tell me to do, I’ll do.”)

2) Read (or listen to) Bible. According to Hebrews 4:12, the Word of God is living and active (if you let it be). According to Henry Blackaby, “The Bible is not something that leads to a connection with God; It is the connection with God.” Matt pointed out that while the U.S. Constitution is often referred to a living, breathing document, it’s not really. But contrast this with the Bible.

Matt answered the question “Where do I start in reading through the Bible?” by recommending John, 1 John, Luke, Acts, Romans, then Genesis in that order. What a great suggestion.

Matt’s answer to the question “What am I looking for as I read?” was SPACE PETS = Sin to confess, Promise to claim, Attitude to change, Command to obey, Example to follow, Prayer to pray, Error to avoid, Truth to be believed, Something to thank God for.

3) Journal – meditate and record answers to these questions:
a) What did God say to me? (Which of the SPACE PETS really got my attention today)
b) Why did God say that to me today?
c) What am I going to do today because of what God said to me? (What needs to change?)
d) With whom can I share what God said to me today?

4) Record your response prayer. Commit to follow what He has shown you today. Praise Him for who He is. Thank him for what He has done.

Then Matt did something that every preacher would benefit from. He gave each person 10 minutes to actually practice what he taught using Psalm 1. As I read that Psalm, I underlined “meditates on it (the Word of God) day and night” as my one Command to obey. I made the commitment to spend an hour each morning and night in My Secret Place reading the Bible and praying for specific people on a written list starting that evening.

So yesterday evening before I went to bed, I read all of 1 John out loud in our home. That resulted in a rocket launch this morning. Be sure to catch tomorrow’s message and opportunity.

Prayer Power
Jesus, thank You that every day each of us has the opportunity to meet with You by reading your Word with an open mind and an open heart. Thank You for helping me write today’s message. May those who read it be doers of Your Word, not just hearers. We bless You. Amen and hallelujah!

Link of the Day
Everyone should have a blog. Here’s why

Blessings to empower your life story through a daily meeting with Jesus!

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelations 22:13)

What are your expectations for today and the upcoming year?
What are your expecations for the 2008 Olympic Games?
What are your prayers?

For me, today is an exciting today filled with the expecation of new beginnings. In biblical numerology, the number 8 represents “new beginnings.” According to Wikipedia, “the number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture.” So what will be the significance of today (08-08-08) for you? That depends largely on your expectations and prayers.

08-08-08 is particularly significant to me for 2 reasons. First, the Opening Ceremony for the Beijing Olympics Games takes place tonight. I love the Olympics. Second, today is Virginia Morton’s birthday. Virginia happens to be one of the foremost authorities on the history of Virginia. And God is using her as a catalyst to make the state of Virginia a bright light for the world.

A few days ago, Virginia decided to celebrate her birthday by sending a “Marching Through Culpeper” email to her list of supporters titled “Coalson Plantation and answered prayer.” Her message was so touching, I decided to share it in today’s Link of the Day.

Now back to the Olympics. This morning on TV, Matt Lauer said “Tonight is the most important night in China’s history.” During these Olympics, a record number of attendees are coming – 7 million people. In the past few years, China set aside $2 billion to build the new venues necessary for the Olympics. The nation went all out preparing.

The Olympic games take place August 8-24. 10,500 athletes are expected to compete in 302 events in 28 sports, just one event more than was on the schedule of the 2004 games. Overall 9 new events will be held, which include 2 from the new cycling discipline of BMX. Women will compete in the 3000 meter steeplechase for the first time. A total of 37 venues will be used to host the events including 12 newly constructed venues.

President Bush will be at tonight’s Opening Ceremonies along with many other world leaders. It’s exciting.

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, we praise You as the God of new beginnings. Thank You for the new start each of us gets every day, every week, every month, and ever year. Help each of us to set high expectations for the upcoming year. Please bless the 2008 Olympic Games with UNCOMMON love, joy, peace, and divine protection. Thank You Jesus. Amen and hallelujah!

Link of the Day
“Coalson Plantation and answered prayer” by Virginia B. Morton

Blessings to pray for and expect new beginnings today and in the year that follows!

Now go, write it before them on a tablet, And note it on a scroll, That it may be for time to come, Forever and ever (Isaiah 30:8)

What is the lead domino for YOUR life?

As mentioned in yesterday’s devotional, I have come to the conclusion that God wants me to coach people in groups of 15 and 1,000 to journal in UNCOMMON ways to experience breakthroughs and for LIFE Focus. Dr. Jerry Graham, my top mentor for the past year, has agreed to partner with me in this endeavor.

I’ve shared over and over that journaling is the lead domino for my life. This applies to all areas of my life. When I asked each of my web team members what is the lead domino for their lives, two of the three said journaling, even though that may not have manifested fully yet in their habits. Recently, I came to the realization that journaling may well be the lead domino for most people to experience breakthroughs in their own lives. Therefore, I am starting an entire series about journaling.

Before  my “UNCOMMON Journaling for Breakthroughs” webinar yesterday, I prepared a PowerPoint presentation. That will serve as the basis for my upcoming devotionals. Here is the basic outline of what I cover in my introductory journaling webinar and what I’ll be covering in this series of journaling devotionals:

Why journal? (Benefits)
How do you journal? (Styles)
Why journal ONLINE? (Power)
History of Dr. Peck’s journaling
Demo of Dr. Peck’s journaling
Fruit of journaling
Testimonies
So What? Now What?

It’s amazing how when you take a step in the direction of your destiny, God takes 10 steps toward you. Today, Jeff Bernstein, founder of Gates of Zion, called me out-of-the-blue. He told me that he recently started journaling using outstanding software that he downloaded from the web. There’s a 45 day free demo if you are interested. To learn more, visit today’s Link of the Day.

Take a step toward discovering and fulfilling YOUR destiny and REGISTER TODAY for one of my FREE webinars titled “UNCOMMON Journaling for Breakthroughs!”

Wednesday, June 11, Noon – 1 pm
Wednesday,  June 11, 8 – 9 pm
Thursday,  June 12, 4-5 pm

I like what Bill Gates (Microsoft) says, “If we don’t act on a good idea within 24 hours, we are less than 50% likely to ever act on it. If we haven’t acted on it inside of days, then we are less than 2% likely to ever act on it.”

Prayer Power
Heavenly Father, we praise You as the God of HIStory. You told Your people in the Bible over and over to “Remember!” One of the best ways to remember what You’ve done and to discern what You are doing is to journal. Bless my readers to comprehend the significance of journaling. May many of them choose to learn more by participating in one of my upcoming webinars. May they refer their friends to do likewise. Thank You Jesus. Amen and hallelujah!

Link of the Day
The Journal – a powerful journaling and writing tool that can help you take control of your life

Blessings to explore the topic of journaling in depth!