Topic: ADD FOR TODAY - A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
My members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory.

TODAY's VERSE
Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Romans 6:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Release from Torment
For several years, while I was a pastor in London, I had a tremendous struggle against depression that would come over me, weigh upon me, and shut me in. It gave me a sense of hopelessness and failure. Maybe you can identify with this. I fought this situation in every way that I knew, but I made no progress. Then, I came across Isaiah 61:3: “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”
 
As I read those words, the Holy Spirit showed me, “That’s your problem!” It was like a flood of light coming in. I realized I was not fighting against myself but another being - an evil spirit that was tormenting and oppressing me. When I realized that, I was probably 80 percent of the way to victory. I actually needed only one other Scripture: “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved [“delivered” KJV]” (Joel 2:32).
 
Putting those two Scriptures together, I prayed, “God, You’ve shown me that I’m oppressed by a spirit of heaviness. I come to You now, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. Deliver me.” He liberated my mind from that oppressing spirit.
 
Now, it was up to me to reprogram my own mind. I had habitually negative thought patterns, which God showed me to be a denial of my faith in Jesus. It was up to me to retrain my mind. Over a period of several years, every time a negative, pessimistic thought came to me, I would reject it, replacing it with a positive confession from Scripture. Several years later, my whole inner working had changed completely. I was a totally different person.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I proclaim that I have been released from all torment, and that my members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
My members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory.

TODAY's VERSE
Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Romans 6:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Yielded to God
Paul said, “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:12–13 NASB). We have been set free. Sin must not control our hands, our feet, or our tongues. On the contrary, Paul said, we should yield ourselves to God and our members as instruments of righteousness to God. There’s a double yielding.
 
First, we yield our wills to God by saying, “Not my will, but Yours, be done.” In the Lord’s Prayer, the second petition is, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). When we pray “Your will be done,” it begins with the will of the one who is praying - one who wills for God’s will to be done.
 
Once we have yielded our wills, we then yield our physical members to God as instruments of righteousness. In Greek, the word “instruments” literally means “weapons,” implying spiritual conflict. These are not just any instruments, like a hoe or plow - they are fighting instruments, like a sword.
 
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is key because in that experience we first yield our wills to God; we then yield the one unruly member that we are powerless to control: the tongue. When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we actually fulfill the instruction to yield our members to God as instruments (weapons) of righteousness. Certainly, when the tongue has been yielded to God and taken over by the Holy Spirit, it becomes a weapon: in prayer, in testimony, and in preaching.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I yield myself and my will to God, proclaiming that my members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
My members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory.

TODAY's VERSE
Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Romans 6:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Moving Forward
We have a choice to make. Something is going to control us. Which will it be: sin or righteousness? If we say righteousness, we can believe we will be tested! The devil will not give up as long as he thinks he has a chance of succeeding.
 
When an individual is tested and tempted, the devil will go on until that person has come to the place where the temptation just doesn’t affect him. He does not even entertain the thought. The devil is clever enough not to waste his time on people like that. But if any double-mindedness exists in us, the devil will exploit it. We must make a firm decision.
 
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For…you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness.    (Romans 6:19 NASB)
 
If we choose lawlessness, it will increase. We will become more and more lawless. Many of us can trace that reality in our lives.
 
Instead of increasing in lawlessness, “now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification [holiness]” (verse 19 NASB).
 
It is almost impossible to stand still in the spiritual life. We are either going to go forward or backward. We are either going to progress in holiness or go further into rebellion.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I present myself as a slave to righteousness and proclaim that my members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
My members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory.

TODAY's VERSE
Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Romans 6:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Choosing Grace
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.   (Romans 12:1)
 
It is a question of setting our wills, then yielding - in that order. If we don’t will, then, by habit, we will yield to the wrong thing. We must stop presenting our bodies, our members, to sin. When we were still unbelievers, we did just that for a long while. But we have to stop and say, “That’s the end of that!” Once we yield our wills to God, we don’t have to yield our members to Satan.
 
“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). The implications of this statement are farreaching. Paul said that we are not under law but under grace. It is either one or the other - it cannot be both at the same time. If we are under law, we are not under grace. If we are under grace, we are not under law.
 
Moreover, Paul said that sin shall not have dominion over us, for we are not under the law. The corollary is that if we are under the law, sin will have dominion over us. That is a shocking statement to many people, but that is what the Bible consistently says.
 
We are not governed by a set of rules. We have become sons of God, and we obey Him because we love Him. From now on, love, not fear, is our motivation for obedience. God does not make us slaves; the Law does that. God makes us His sons and daughters. We have to choose the Law or God’s grace.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I choose grace and yield my will to God, proclaiming that my members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
My members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory.

TODAY's VERSE
Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Romans 6:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Whom Will We Serve?
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?    (Romans 6:16)
 
Paul said that when we yield ourselves to someone, we become slaves of the one we obey. If we yield to, let’s say, immorality, we become slaves of immorality. We cannot yield to sin without becoming its slaves. Thus, we must decide to whom and to what we want to yield. Some of us don’t like choices, but in the spiritual life, we cannot avoid them.
 
At the end of his career, Joshua gave Israel a choice:
 
Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth….And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.   (Joshua 24:14–15)
 
Joshua challenged the Israelites to make a choice, and this choice has never changed. It is not whether we will serve; it is whom we will serve. Serve we will. Before we were redeemed, we had no choice. We could not keep from sinning; there was no other option but to be slaves to sin and servants of Satan. After we experience redemption through faith in Jesus Christ, though, we have another option: we can choose to serve God and be “slaves” to righteousness.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I choose to serve the Lord, and I proclaim that my members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
My members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory.

TODAY's VERSE
Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Romans 6:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - My Body Is for the Lord
Present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.   (Romans 6:13)
 
We give our physical members to God and say, “God, You use them.” Then, we also have to keep the temple holy. Paul wrote, “Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body” (1 Corinthians 6:13). Today, we call sexual immorality “premarital sex.” But God has not changed His estimate of this sin. The body is not for premarital sex; the body is for the Lord. And then, “the Lord [is] for the body,” too. Isn’t that wonderful? If we give our bodies to the Lord, then the Lord is for our bodies.
 
Paul was a down-to-earth man who talked to people about things that really concerned them. He continued, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (verse 18).
 
Many people interpret this passage as a warning about sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV, gonorrhea, or syphilis. These may certainly be consequences of sexual immorality, but Paul’s teaching means much more than that. We endanger the health of our bodies when we commit any kind of immorality. Many times when Christians seek healing and do not receive it, the root cause is immorality. In most cases, God demands that we go to the root cause, repent of it, and set it aright before we can receive healing from Him.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your victory on the cross. I give my body to the Lord, proclaiming that my members, the parts of my body, are instruments of righteousness, yielded to God for His service and for His glory. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death.

TODAY's VERSE
They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Resurrection Life
Leviticus 17:11 says, “The life of the flesh is in the blood.” When Jesus poured out His blood, He poured out His life. As I understand it, the life of God was released into the universe. And no mind can really comprehend the fullness of what that means.
 
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly [of utmost importance], I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”   (John 6:53–54)
 
Bear in mind that our redemption is not complete until the resurrection. In Philippians 3:12, Paul said, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me,” which is “the resurrection from the dead” (verse 11).
 
Some people have the impression that their bodies are not very important. But God says our bodies are very important - they are temples for the Holy Spirit. They are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). And God is not going to leave our bodies in a state of decay. He is going to resurrect them with glory like that of Jesus. Redemption is the full outworking of Jesus’ sacrifice, and it is consummated by the resurrection.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. Like Paul, “I press on…that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” I proclaim that I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death.

TODAY's VERSE
They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

TODAY'S MESSAGE - The Glory to Be Revealed
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us [at the resurrection]. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.   (Romans 8:18–19)
 
Many Christians do not seem to grasp the significance of Christ’s resurrection for us. The sons of God are revealed at the resurrection; all of creation is waiting expectantly for it on tiptoe. The trees, seas, rivers, and mountains are all waiting. It is extraordinary that creation has so much excitement - and that much of the church has so little.
 
For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.   (verses 20–21)
 
The entirety of creation suffered because of man’s sin. Before man sinned, there were no thorns and thistles; nothing ever died or rotted. And we see that we’re not the only ones who are going to come into a glorious resurrection; creation is, too. However, God has assigned this priority: creation does not come in until we come in. As Paul wrote, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (verse 22).
 
Paul often used the phrase “we know,” yet most contemporary Christians don’t know. Do we know that the whole creation is in labor pains, waiting for the revelation of the sons of God, the birth of a new age, and deliverance from corruption?

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. I proclaim that I am coming into the glory destined for the sons of God. I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death.

TODAY's VERSE
They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

TODAY'S MESSAGE - The Blood of Jesus
Four times in John 6, Jesus said about the believer, “I will raise him up at the last day.” (See verses 39, 40, 44, and 54.) Resurrection is a part of salvation.
 
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed [true food], and My blood is drink indeed [true drink]. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.   (John 6:54–56)
 
The words eats, drinks, and abides are in the continuing present tense: “He who continually feeds on My flesh, and continually drinks My blood, continually abides in Me and I in him.”
 
 It is very clear that the Lord attaches tremendous importance to feeding on His flesh and drinking His blood. I am not the final authority, but I really believe He is talking about the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, or Communion.
 
At one time, I lived in an Arab town with Arab Christians. When they took the Lord’s Supper, they said, “Let us drink the blood of Jesus.” I believe those Arab Christians got the right picture. Drinking the blood of Jesus is Communion.
 
Something in us says, “I don’t like the thought of drinking blood.” I remember that it took me years to come to grips with this statement. But to have eternal life, we have to drink Jesus’ blood and feed on His flesh.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. I partake of His eternal life by drinking His blood and feeding on His flesh, and I proclaim that I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death.

TODAY's VERSE
They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Laying Down Our Lives
In order to experience the full effects of the blood of Jesus, we need to know how to appropriate His blood. Today’s Scripture and our confession for this week refer to a great end-time conflict that involves both heaven and earth - the angels of God, Satan and his angels, and God’s believing people on earth. The statement is made by God’s angels: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death” (Revelation 12:11).
 
“They” were people like you and me, believers in Jesus Christ. “Him” refers to Satan. There is a direct conflict between us and Satan; there is no one in between. This verse tells us how the believers overcame him, further describing them as committed - totally committed. A committed Christian is the only kind that frightens Satan. When it says “they did not love not their lives to the death,” it means that staying alive was not their first priority. Priority number one was to be faithful to the Lord and to do His will.
 
When talking about “soldiers in the Lord’s army,” many of us have a vague and sentimental idea about what that means. When I was a soldier in the British army, I did not receive a certificate from the commanding officer guaranteeing that I would not lose my life. Any soldier knows he may be killed; serving may cost his life. It is the same in the Lord’s army. There is no guarantee that we will not have to lay down our lives. The people Satan fears are those who are not afraid to lay down their lives. After all, life on earth is brief compared with life eternal in heaven.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. I partake of His eternal life by drinking His blood and feeding on His flesh, and I proclaim that I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death.

TODAY's VERSE
They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Confessing Faith
The Lord has showed me that many Christians, if they looked back on their pasts, would admit to having made a series of negative confessions. You may have talked about what you couldn’t do or discussed your failures and disappointments. But, you see, our confessions determine where we go.
 
There is a vivid example of this truth in the story of the twelve spies Moses sent into the Promised Land. Two came back with positive confessions, ten with negative ones. The majority of the Israelites believed the negative confession, “We cannot.” The positive confession was, “We are well able.” All the Israelites settled their destinies by their confession. Those who said, “We cannot” could not. And those who said, “We are well able” were well able.
 
You may have uttered some negative words, spoken statements that did not glorify Jesus, or dwelled on disappointments that only tied you to impotence or failure. If we confess failure, failure will be our portion. If we confess faith, God will be our portion. Just confess to God, “Lord, I’m sorry. I’ve tied Your hands; because of my unbelief and negative thinking, I have limited what You could do in my life.” Scripture says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
 
When you’ve rejected negative confessions, thank God that you’ve come out of that dark, lonely valley. Say, “I can do all things through Christ who empowers me within,” which is the literal tranlation of Philippians 4:13.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for the blood of the Lamb. I proclaim that “I can do all things through Christ who empowers me within,” and that I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death.

TODAY's VERSE
They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

TODAY'S MESSAGE - A Personal God
I was once a professor at Britain’s largest university, and I held vari-ous degrees and academic distinctions. In many ways, I was quite sophisticated - intellectually. But I do not feel in any way intellectually inferior to say I believe the Bible’s record of creation. Prior to believing the Bible, I studied many other sources that attempted to explain man’s origin, but I found them unsatisfying. In many cases, they contradicted one another. I then turned to study the Bible - not as a believer but as a professional philosopher. I thought to myself, At least it can’t be any sillier than some of the other things I’ve heard! To my astonishment, I discovered that the Bible had the answer.
 
In Genesis, we read a short, simple statement. It begins, “The LORD God” - that is, “Jehovah God” - God’s personal name. This term tells us that a personal God formed a personal man for personal fellowship.
 
The LORD God formed [molded] man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [soul].   (Genesis 2:7)
 
Here we see the union of God’s divine, eternal breath from above with the body of clay from beneath, molded by the hands of the Creator. The union of spirit from above and clay from beneath produced a living human personality - one that can have fellowship with the living, personal God.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I proclaim that a personal God created me for personal fellowship - and that my body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death.

TODAY's VERSE
They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

TODAY'S MESSAGE - A Miraculous Creation
We know about the inner personality of man - his spirit and soul - but let us not be blind to the fact that man’s body is also a miraculous and marvelous creation of God. Many believers do not sufficiently value or care for their own bodies. Until the breath of God entered that clay form, it was just clay - nothing more. It became a living, functioning physical body with all its organisms, parts, and members through the miraculous operation of the Spirit of God.
 
Consider the human eye. On one particular telecast, the American Society of Ophthalmologists presented some fascinating information. If I remember correctly, they said one human eye contains more than three million working parts. What brought that into being? The breath of God. All our muscles, nerves, and glands - all the functions of our physical bodies - owe their origin to the inbreathed breath of God. That is what transformed the clay into a marvelous physical organism. When you grasp that truth, the miracles of divine healing become logical. Who can better repair, restore, and, if need be, recreate the body than the same Agent who initially formed it? The Spirit of God is the Creator and Healer.
 
I have been privileged to witness creative miracles of God whereby missing bones were restored. I once asked for prayer on behalf of a little girl in San Jose, California, whose elder sister was born with a bone missing from the upper part of both legs. As a result of prayer, God created the bones. I don’t claim that it’s simple, but it is fathomable when you understand the origin of the human body. It was just a clay form until the Spirit of God moved upon it and produced a complex organism that its Creator can heal.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I am a miraculous and marvelous creation of God, and I proclaim that my body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony, and I do not love my life to the death.

TODAY's VERSE
They overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Revelation 12:11

TODAY'S MESSAGE - An Intricate Unity
Looking at the book of Job, we see some tremendous revelations about the body. In many ways, there’s a wonderful interrelationship between the books of Genesis and Job. Job 10:8–12 is a beautiful summation of God’s creative work in our bodies. Verse 8 reads, “Your hands have made me and fashioned me, an intricate unity.”
 
As in Genesis 2:7, where the word “formed” indicates a skillful work that results from great care, so the book of Job emphasizes the immeasurable skill and care that God devoted to forming the human body:
 
Your hands have made me and fashioned me, an intricate unity; yet You would destroy me. Remember, I pray, that You have made me like clay. And will You turn me into dust again? Did You not pour me out like milk, and curdle me like cheese, clothe me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews?   (Job 10:8–11)
 
What a vivid expression! What a beautiful picture of the interrelationship of the various primary parts of the body. We read on in verse 12, “You have granted me life and favor, and Your care [“visitation” KJV] has preserved my spirit.”
 
Later on in Job, we have the other aspect - the spiritual part - of man’s nature: “But there is a spirit in man, and the breath [“inspiration” KJV] of the Almighty gives him understanding” (Job 32:.
 
These words from Job are in perfect accord with those from Genesis. It is the union of the breath of God from above with the clay from beneath that brings into being a total human personality.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I am the union of the breath of God from above with the clay from beneath - and I proclaim that my body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
My body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body.

TODAY's VERSE
Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 1 Corinthians 6:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - God's Blueprint
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.    (Psalm 139:13–15)
 
When I consider the physical body, I am filled with a sense of awe. The substance that eventually became my body was planned and formed by God in the earth long before it ever entered my body. God had appointed the substance that would one day constitute my body.
 
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they [“my members” KJV] all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.   (verse 16)
 
God had a blueprint for our bodies before they ever came into being. Compare this verse to what Jesus said in Luke 12:7: “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” This statement shows the depth of God’s concern for our physical bodies - He has even numbered the hairs on our heads. When we realize this, we must acknowledge that God also has a purpose for this marvelous workmanship, which is revealed in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I will glorify God in my body, and I proclaim that my body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
My body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body.

TODAY's VERSE
Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 1 Corinthians 6:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - A Living Sacrifice
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.   (Romans 12:1 NASB)
 
In the early chapters of Romans, we are confronted with tremendous theology. The application starts with our bodies: we are to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice.
 
We might think, The body isn’t so important; it’s really the soul that is important. But let’s use a practical analogy: If I asked for a glass of water, I would get both the vessel and its contents. I could not get the water without the glass. That is what God is saying. He wants the vessel, the body - and its contents, the soul. We cannot give the contents without the vessel.
 
What does it mean to make our bodies “a living…sacrifice”? The sacrifices of the Old Testament were animals that were killed, then placed on the altar. God says, “I want your body just as completely as the Old Testament sacrifices, but with one difference. I don’t want your body dead but living. When I have your body, I have you.”
 
In Matthew 23, Jesus was talking to the Pharisees, explaining what things really mattered in their service to God. They said the offering was more important than the altar. Jesus said, “You blind men, which is more important, the offering or the altar that sanctifies the offering?” (Matthew 23:19 NASB). The altar sanctifies the offering that is placed upon it. The offering is made holy by being placed upon God’s altar. That is how it is with our bodies. When we place our bodies on God’s altar, they become holy. They are sanctified, set apart to God. It is an act each of us has to make.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I present myself to God as a living sacrifice, and I proclaim that my body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
My body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body.

TODAY's VERSE
Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 1 Corinthians 6:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Healing for the Body
Scripture says that Jesus “Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
 
On the cross, Jesus took our sins in His own body, which became the sin offering. He took the curse that we deserved upon Himself in His body on the cross that we might be released from sin. The Scripture also says, “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Matthew 8:17) in His own body, that by His wounds we might be healed. (See 1 Peter 2:24 NASB, NIV.) As far as God is concerned, our release from sin is already accomplished. As far as God is concerned, it is already done.
 
It is interesting to note that the New Testament does not put healing in the future, but in the past. We have been healed ever since the death of Jesus, “by whose stripes you were healed” (emphasis added). Healing has already been provided. Christians sometimes ask me, “How can I know if it’s God’s will for me to be healed?” I usually answer, “If you are a committed Christian, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, I think you’re asking the wrong question. The question is not, ‘How can I know if it’s God’s will for me to be healed?’ The question is, ‘How can I appropriate the healing that God has already provided for me?’” God’s purpose is to preserve the whole of us: spirit, soul, and body, as Paul said, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely [make you completely holy]; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for Your provision for my body. I proclaim that by the death of Jesus on the cross, I was forgiven and healed, and God’s purpose is to preserve the whole of me - spirit, soul, and body. My body is for the Lord, and the Lord is for my body. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
The Lord will not forsake His people.

TODAY's VERSE
The LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. 1 Samuel 12:22

TODAY'S MESSAGE - God Is Present
God promised Abraham and Jacob that their descendants would be like the sand on the seashore. That is such a vivid picture of Israel throughout the last two thousand years of history. The waves have continually beaten upon them. The rage of men and demons - and Satan himself - has unleashed countless onslaughts against the Jewish people in many different areas at many different times. The sea has been stirred up; it has roared, it has tossed to and fro, it has beaten on the sand. And do you know what happens? The sand always wins. Why? Because God said it would. It is God’s Word being worked out.
 
It is so important to understand that the Jews did not choose to be God’s people. It was the Lord who chose them. I believe that every choice God makes is a right choice. No matter how contrary things may appear, the Lord did the right thing. He will not forsake His people - not because they deserve His faithfulness, but for His great name’s sake. God’s name is committed to Israel; His honor is at stake.
 
In the New Testament, Jesus Himself gives us the same assur-ance: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). At times, we may not be in any way conscious of His presence, but by His Holy Spirit, He is with us. No matter where we go, God is present by His Spirit - invisible, often imperceptible, yet inescapable. For the unbeliever, this may be a terrifying thought; but for the believer, it is a comforting, strengthening assurance.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that You are committed to Israel. I intercede for that nation now. I proclaim that just as the Lord is with Israel, He is with me, for the Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
The Lord will not forsake His people.

TODAY's VERSE
The LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. 1 Samuel 12:22

TODAY'S MESSAGE - God Will Protect
I was living in Jerusalem when the State of Israel was born. I remember seeing the Israeli flag go up over the center of Jerusalem. I said to myself, Surely this must be significant!
 
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.”   (Jeremiah 31:10)
 
Twenty-five hundred years ago, God ordained that this particular message should be proclaimed in every nation of the earth. It is being fulfilled before your eyes and in your ears today. Now we can say, “He who scattered Israel is gathering him and will keep him as a shepherd does his flock.”
 
These are days when absolutely no one knows, in the natural, what will happen tomorrow in Israel. A war could break out there within twenty-four hours without any warning. But in the midst of it all, God will protect Israel as a shepherd protects his flock. There is a guarantee that no matter the political pressures and the violence that erupt, God will protect regathered Israel.
 
The Lord gives us the same promise in Psalm 121:7–8: “The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever” (NASB). It is so good to know that God is with you, not only when you begin the journey, but also when you come to the end; not just when you go to work in the morning, but also when you come home again in the evening. God is still with you, and He will protect you and keep you - from this time forth and forever. The Creator is our keeper.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that You are committed to Israel. I intercede for that nation now. I proclaim that just as God is the Protector of Israel, He is my Protector and Keeper, for the Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
The Lord will not forsake His people.

TODAY's VERSE
The LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. 1 Samuel 12:22

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Healer of the Brokenhearted
In Psalm 147:2–3, we read, “The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (NIV). Those are beautiful words, but the most exciting thing about them is that they are being fulfilled in this generation, in our lifetime.
 
I have seen the outworking of those words. Again, I had the privilege to be living in Jewish Jerusalem in May 1948, when the State of Israel was reborn after two thousand years. Today, the Lord is building up Jerusalem. He is gathering the exiles of Israel. He is healing the brokenhearted and binding up their wounds.
 
That is good news for all who will turn to God. It is good news for God’s people, Israel. It is also good news for the church of Jesus Christ because the same God who is gathering Israel is gathering the church back to Himself, bringing us into our inheritance, healing our wounds, and binding up our broken hearts.
 
There is an ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit that is very special - a ministry to the brokenhearted. It is a ministry to those whose hearts are wounded. If you carry a wound inside you, turn to God and say, “God, this is a time of restoration. It is a time of regathering. You are healing the brokenhearted. You are binding up their wounds. Lord, You know the wound I have carried so long in my heart. Will You heal me?”
 
And the invisible finger of God, the Holy Spirit, will reach down where no surgeon can reach and touch that wounded place in your life to bring you healing and restoration.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that You are committed to Israel. I intercede for that nation now. I proclaim that just as God is healing the brokenhearted and binding up wounds for Israel, He is bringing healing and restoration to my life, for the Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
The Lord will not forsake His people.

TODAY's VERSE
The LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. 1 Samuel 12:22

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Showing Mercy to Israel
It is important for us all to acknowledge the truth of what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well: “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). Without the Jews, we would have no patriarchs, no prophets, no apostles, no Bible - and no Savior! Without all these, how much salvation would we receive? None! The Bible makes it clear that God requires the Christians of all other nations to acknowledge their debt to the Jews and to do what they can to repay it. In Romans 11:30–31, Paul summed up what he had been saying about the debt and the responsibility of the Gentile Christians toward Israel.
 
For as you [Gentiles] were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their [Israel’s] disobedience, even so these [Israelites] also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you [Gentiles] they [Israel] also may obtain mercy.
 
In other words, because of God’s mercy that has come to us Gentile Christians through Israel, God requires us in our turn to show mercy to Israel. How shall we fulfill this obligation? The following are four practical ways that we may do so.
 
First, we can cultivate and express an attitude of sincere love for Jewish people.
 
Second, we can enjoy and demonstrate the abundance of God’s blessings in Christ in such a way that the Jews may be made jealous and desire what they see us enjoying.
 
Third, we can seek the good of Israel through our prayers and petitions, as the Bible exhorts us to do. (See Romans 10:1.)
 
Fourth, we can seek to repay our debt to Israel by performing practical acts of kindness and mercy.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that You are committed to Israel. I intercede for that nation now. I acknowledge my debt to the Jews, and I proclaim that I will repay it in practical ways, as well as by showing mercy - for the Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
The Lord will not forsake His people.

TODAY's VERSE
The LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. 1 Samuel 12:22

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Favour for Zion
The Lord says that the regathering of Israel in our day is a banner raised by Him for the nations. Events in Israel and the Middle East today are at the center of world attention and media coverage. This period of Israel’s regathering at the end of the age was marked out clearly on God’s great prophetic calendar three thousand years ago. Here is one of the passages that make this clear:
 
You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come. For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory. For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory….Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.    (Psalm 102:13–16, 18 NIV)
 
Now is God’s appointed time to have mercy on Zion and to show favor to her. This is not something that Zion or the Jewish people have earned, but something that comes out of God’s sovereign grace and mercy. One of the main purposes of what God is doing is to bring glory to His own name in the sight of all the nations by fulfilling His promises to Israel. The rebuilding of Zion is one of the great biblical signs that the time is at hand for the Lord to appear in His glory. We have the great privilege of living in the time that the psalmist here foresaw. I believe we are the ones being created as a people in response to what God is doing for one supreme purpose: to bring praise to the Lord.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that You are committed to Israel. I intercede for that nation now. I proclaim that God is bringing glory to His own name by fulfilling His promises to Israel, for the Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
The Lord will not forsake His people.

TODAY's VERSE
The LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. 1 Samuel 12:22

TODAY'S MESSAGE - God of Covenant
In Psalm 89:34, God said, “My covenant I will not violate, nor will I al-ter the utterance of My lips” (NASB). It is of tremendous importance that we grasp the fact that when God makes a covenant, He will never break it. We need to know that.
 
Our Bible consists of two covenants: the old and the new. Therefore, the essence of divine revelation is centered in covenant. If God were to break His covenant, we would have no hope. It is my personal conviction that if God were to break His covenant with Israel, we would have no reason to believe that He would not break His covenant with the church. You may say, “Well, Israel failed God.” Undoubtedly. But can you honestly say that the church has not also failed God?
 
I am not capable of presenting God’s point of view, but in my limited understanding, I see Israel receiving a covenant and failing dismally. I see the church receiving a covenant and failing even worse than Israel. What is God saying to us about the restoration of Israel? I suggest that God is saying at least four things, all of them extremely topical, relevant, and important for the church of Jesus Christ.
 
First, God is saying that the Bible is a true, relevant, up-to-date book.
Second, God is saying that He keeps His covenant.
Third, God is saying to us that He is sovereign.
The fourth thing the Lord is saying is that in restoring the Israelites to their land, God has set the stage for the last act of the drama of this age. Every prophecy that relates to the close of this age is predicated on one important factor - the presence of Israel as a sovereign nation within its own borders.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that You are committed to Israel. I intercede for that nation now. I proclaim that God keeps His covenants, for the Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
The Lord will not forsake His people.

TODAY's VERSE
The LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. 1 Samuel 12:22

TODAY'S MESSAGE - God Demands a Response
I believe that God requires a response from His believing people regarding what He is doing in Israel and the Middle East. We are not permitted to remain neutral, apathetic, or indifferent. God demands a response. In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet told us what the Lord commands us to do:
 
Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost [or chief] of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, “O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.”   (Jeremiah 31:7–8 NIV)
 
The New American Standard Bible reads, “Proclaim, give praise, and say” (verse 7). Combining these two versions, I find there are five responses that God requires. In a sense, they are all vocal: sing, shout, praise, proclaim, and say (or pray).
 
What are we responding to? The regathering of the remnant of Jacob. To whom is this command addressed? The church, we who believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that we ought to obey it.
 
God is asking us to intercede for Israel. He is saying, “I am restoring My people. I am regathering them, and I am asking you to unite with Me and My purposes through prayer.” I think we must all face this as one of the mysterious facts about God: when He intends to do something, He will say to His people, “Pray that I will do it.” In other words, He says, “This is My intention, but it will not happen until you pray.”
 
As Christians, we have a tremendous responsibility to be totally committed to the outworking of God’s purposes in history.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that You are committed to Israel. I intercede for that nation now. I proclaim that the Lord is restoring and regathering His people, and I join my prayers with other believers’ prayers. The Lord will not forsake His people. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven.

TODAY's VERSE
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4–5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Punished for Our Peace
I remember once talking to a Jewish man who told me why he didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah: “He couldn’t have been a good man; God would never have let Him suffer like that.” And that is exactly what the prophet Isaiah said: “We esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4). But verse 5 says, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised [“crushed” NIV] for our iniquities; the chastisement [“punishment” NIV] for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes [“wounds” NIV] we are healed.”
 
Two major transactions are mentioned in those verses. The punishment due to our wrongdoing came upon Jesus so that we might be forgiven and have peace. Until the punishment for sin had been inflicted, there was no possibility of peace. Let’s look at another passage in Ephesians where Paul was speaking about what took place on the cross:
 
He Himself is our peace, who has made both [Jew and Gentile] one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.   (Ephesians 2:14–17, emphasis added)
 
Notice the emphasis on the word “peace.” There can be no peace for the sinner until he knows that his sins have been forgiven. Jesus was punished so that we might have peace with God through forgiveness. (See also Colossians 1:19–20.)

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I proclaim that Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven, so I might have peace with God through being forgiven. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven.

TODAY's VERSE
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4–5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Redeemed!
On the cross, Jesus was identified with everything evil that we have ever done. In return, we were totally forgiven and delivered from the power of evil.
 
“In Him [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). When we have forgiveness of sins, we have redemption; we have been redeemed. Redeem means “to buy back,” or “to ransom.” Through the payment of His blood, given as a sacrifice on our behalf, Jesus bought us back from Satan for God.
 
In Romans 7, Paul said something that is not always clear to people who are not familiar with the cultural context of his day: “I am carnal, sold under sin” (verse 14). Remember that the phrase “sold under sin” relates to the Roman slave market. Someone being sold as a slave had to stand on a block, and from a post behind him, a spear was extended over his head. So, Paul said, “I am carnal, sold under the spear of my sin, which is extended over my head. I have no options. I’m for sale.”
 
When a person is a slave, he has no choices. Again, two women may be sold in the same market; the owner makes one a cook, the other a prostitute. The same is true with us as sinners. We may be good, respectable sinners and look down on prostitutes and addicts. But it is the slave owner who determines the slave’s service.
 
The good news is that Jesus walked into the slave market and said, “I’ll buy her; I’ll buy him. Satan, I’ve paid the price. These are now My son and daughter.” That is redemption, and it comes only through the forgiveness of sins.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I proclaim that Jesus bought me back from Satan to God. He was punished that I might be forgiven. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven.

TODAY's VERSE
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4–5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Our Need for Forgiveness
What makes the word forgiveness so special and beautiful? Well, con-sider some of the results that flow from forgiveness: reconciliation, peace, harmony, understanding, fellowship. Or consider some of the consequences that flow from our failure to forgive and be forgiven: bitterness, strife, disharmony, hatred, war. At times, it seems as if the human race is in danger of being overwhelmed by these evil, negative forces. We can escape this terrible fate only as we learn and apply the principles of forgiveness.
 
Let us remember that two directions of forgiveness are represented in the Bible. They are well portrayed by the symbol of our Christian faith, the cross, which has two beams - one vertical and one horizontal. These beams represent the two directions of forgiveness: the vertical beam represents the forgiveness we need to receive from God; the horizontal beam represents the forgiveness we need to receive from others, as well as the forgiveness we must extend. The grace for this kind of forgiveness comes only through the cross.
 
The kind of forgiveness we need and can receive from God is set forth most beautifully in Psalm 32:1–2, where David said, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit” (NIV).
 
Again, the Bible does not talk about a man who does not need forgiveness. It clearly indicates that all of us need forgiveness from God. There are no exceptions. Other psalms tell us there is no man who does not sin. (See, for example, Psalm 14:1–3; 53:1–3.) We have all sinned. Therefore, we all need forgiveness.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I admit my own need for forgiveness, and I proclaim that Jesus was punished that I might be forgiven. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven.

TODAY's VERSE
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4–5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Forgiven as We Forgive
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts [trespasses], as we forgive our debtors [those who trespass against us]” (Matthew 6:12). This petition says, in other words, “Forgive us as we forgive.” Remember that in the same proportion that you forgive others, God will forgive you. If you totally forgive others, God will totally forgive you. But if you only partly forgive others, God will only partly forgive you.
 
One major reason that many Christians do not receive answers to prayer is their failure to forgive others, usually one specific person. In my experiences with counseling people, I have found unforgiveness to be a common source of blockage in their spiritual lives. I once asked a woman whom I was counseling, “Is there anybody you haven’t forgiven?” She said, “Yes” and went on to specify a distinguished person in the United States Department of Justice. I said, “If you want release, you will have to forgive him. There is no alternative. If you don’t forgive him, God does not forgive you.”
 
Are we willing to forgive? We may think, I don’t know if I can. God may also say, “I don’t know if I can.” We had better make up our minds. Forgiveness is not an emotion; it is a decision. I call this “tearing up the IOU.” Somebody might owe us thirty thousand dollars, but we could owe God six million dollars. If we want Him to tear up His IOU, we must first tear up ours.
 
That is God’s unvarying law. It is built into the Lord’s Prayer. And the last petition in the Lord’s Prayer is a petition for deliverance from the evil one, Satan. We have no right to pray for deliverance until we have forgiven others as we would have God forgive us.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I admit my own need for forgiveness, and I proclaim that Jesus was punished that I might be forgiven. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven.

TODAY's VERSE
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4–5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Healing through Forgiveness
To receive forgiveness, we must be absolutely honest with God - not covering up or excusing our sins or holding anything back. Referring to when he was found guilty of committing adultery and murder in the matter of Bathsheba, David continued in his psalm,
 
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD” - and you forgave the guilt of my sin.   (verses 3–5 NIV)
 
Like many people, David refused to admit his sin and tried to pretend it never happened, covering it up. But all the time he was like a man with a burning fever. His “strength was sapped” and his “bones wasted away.” Unforgiven sin can produce physical results.
 
A psychiatrist related this story to me. While visiting a hospital, he met a woman who was in a hopeless condition. Her kidneys had ceased to function, her skin was discolored, and she was in a coma, simply waiting to die. One day, he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to say, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I remit your sins,” later wondering if he had done something foolish. About a week later, he was amazed to see the woman walking down the street - completely healed. Unforgiven sin had caused her physical condition. When her sins were forgiven through this man’s intercession, her spirit was clear with God and the way was open for her to be healed.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I ask for the physical healing that comes from being forgiven, and I proclaim that Jesus was punished that I might be forgiven. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven.

TODAY's VERSE
Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4–5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Remembering His Benefits
Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.   (Psalm 103:1–2)
 
Here we observe David’s spirit telling his soul what to do. David’s spirit knew what ought to be done, but it could not happen until David’s soul cooperated with his spirit and responded to the challenge.
 
Let’s briefly enumerate the benefits that we are cautioned not to forget. Many Christians do not enjoy these benefits because they fail to remember them. Six specific benefits of God are listed in the next three verses:
 
Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.   (verses 3–5)
 
God forgives all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our lives from destruction, crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, satisfies our mouths with good things, and renews our youth like the eagle’s. I believe there is a close connection between having your mouth filled with good things and having your youth renewed like the eagle’s.
 
I am convinced that it is not the will of God for His people to grow old the way the world grows old. I do not mean that there will not be any change produced by advancing in age, but that aging does not need to be a time of failure, misery, and sickness.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I will remember all Your benefits, and I proclaim that Jesus was punished that I might be forgiven. Amen.