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

[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 - Escaping from the Curse
In seeking the release from a curse, one main requirement is to confess any known sins committed by yourself or your ancestors, for it may be that it was the sin of your ancestors that exposed you, as one of their descendants, to the curse. Even though you do not bear the guilt of their sin, you do suffer the consequences of their sin. To escape from the curse, you need to deal with the sin that exposed you or your ancestors to the curse. You do this by confessing the sin and asking God to forgive and blot it out. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” If you cover sin, you will not prosper or be blessed. However, if you confess your sin and forsake it, then you will have God’s mercy and redemption from the curse. Again, you must also forgive all other persons. Jesus said,
 
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions.   (Mark 11:25 NASB)
 
This is very important. Jesus makes it clear that if we hold unforgiveness, bitterness, or resentment in our hearts when we pray, we erect barriers to the answer to our prayers. It will keep us under the curse. By a decision of our wills, when we pray, we must lay down any kind of resentment, bitterness, or unforgiveness against any person. In the measure in which we forgive others, God forgives us. If we want total forgiveness from God, we must offer total forgiveness to others. This is not being super-spiritual; forgiving other people means that you’re exercising what I call “enlightened self-interest.”

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me. I proclaim that by taking these steps, I am released from any curse, because Jesus was punished that I might be forgiven. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was wounded that we might be healed.

TODAY's VERSE
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 53:5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Total Salvation
Being born again is an experience of unique importance. Unless you are born again, you cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. (See John 3:3–5.) But it is not a one-time experience; rather, salvation is an ongoing process. Part of salvation is being baptized. I don’t want to stir up controversy, but you can be born again without being baptized. If you want to be saved, however, baptism is a key part of the process, for “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16).
 
Being saved means much more than just getting your soul ready for heaven. Someone once said, “The evangelical concept of salvation is to get souls prepackaged for heaven.” That may be so, to a degree, but salvation includes a lot more than being prepackaged for heaven.
 
I want to examine a passage from the New Testament in which the writer used the Greek word for “to save,” which is sozo. If we look at where this word appears in the Scriptures, it will give us an idea of what is included in salvation.
 
The book of Matthew speaks about Jesus’ ministry to the sick, saying, “They…brought to Him all who were sick….And as many as touched it [His garment] were made perfectly well [“whole” KJV]” (Matthew 14:35–36). The verb used for “well” or “whole” is sozo, but it is preceded by a Greek preposition that means “thoroughly.” To be “thoroughly saved” is to be perfectly healed. This passage is not talking solely about the condition of the soul; it is also talking about those who are sick. And as many as touched Jesus were totally saved. How total is our salvation?

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that for me to be thoroughly saved is to be perfectly healed and that Jesus was wounded that I might be healed. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was wounded that we might be healed.

TODAY's VERSE
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 53:5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Healing and Salvation
Let’s look at some places in Scripture where the Greek word sozo - meaning “salvation” - is used. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus met a blind man named Bartimaeus on the road to Jericho. (See Mark 10:46–52.) “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ The blind man said to Him, ‘Rabboni, that I may receive my sight’” (Mark 10:51).
 
The blind beggar, Bartimaeus, had a one-track mind. All he wanted was to get his sight, and get it he did. “Then, Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road” (verse 52). The literal Greek translation of Jesus’ words reads, “Your faith has saved you.” That’s salvation.
 
In Luke 8:43–48, we read about the woman with the issue of blood who came behind Jesus and touched Him. She did not want to be recognized, however, because according to Jewish law, anyone with an issue of blood was unclean and was not free to touch anybody. This woman was embarrassed, but she was so desperate for healing that she defied the Law.
 
Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He [Jesus] said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well [sozo]. Go in peace.”   (verses 47–48)

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross and that my healing is a part of salvation. I proclaim that Jesus was wounded that I might be healed. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was wounded that we might be healed.

TODAY's VERSE
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 53:5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Give Thanks
There is tremendous potential in giving thanks. Not only does it release the miracle-working power of God, but also after God’s miracle-working power has been set in operation, giving thanks sets the seal on the blessings received.
 
As he [Jesus] was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him - and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”   (Luke 17:12–19 NIV)
 
All ten lepers were healed physically. But something extra happened to the one who returned to give thanks. Jesus said, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” The word for “well” in Greek is sozo, meaning “to save.” Again, it nearly always indicates something more than mere physical or temporary provision from God. It is the all-inclusive word for salvation.
 
There was one important difference between the lepers. Nine were healed in an exclusively physical sense. The tenth, who came back to give thanks to God, was healed not only physically, but also spiritually - his soul was saved. He was brought into a right, eternal relationship with God. The nine others received a partial, temporary blessing; the tenth received total, permanent blessing. The difference was the giving of thanks.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that giving thanks brings total, permanent blessing and that Jesus was wounded that I might be healed. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was wounded that we might be healed.

TODAY's VERSE
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 53:5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - He Bore Our Sickness
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)
 
This translation is not literal, and it has consequently deprived millions of English-speaking believers of their physical rights in Christ. Still, there is no doubt as to the correct meaning of these words. “Griefs” should be “sicknesses”; “sorrows” should be “pains.” They are basic Hebrew root words, used with these meanings in the days of Moses and having the same meanings today. This is stated clearly in Scripture:
 
[Jesus] cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”   (Matthew 8:16–17)
 
[He] 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)
 
We see that Matthew and Peter, Jews alike who knew Hebrew and were inspired by the Holy Spirit, gave the correct meanings to those words of Isaiah. If you combine these passages from Matthew and Peter, you get three statements taken from Isaiah 53:4–5 about the physical and spiritual realms. Physical realm: He took our infir-mities; He bore our sicknesses; we are healed. Spiritual realm: He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the punishment that procured our peace was upon Him.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. Jesus took my infirmities - my sicknesses - and healed me. Jesus was wounded that I might be healed. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was wounded that we might be healed.

TODAY's VERSE
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 53:5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Removing Barriers to Healing
Often, issues within the hearts and lives of God’s people act as barriers to healing. Seven common such barriers are: (1) ignorance of God’s Word (see Isaiah 5:13; Hosea 4:6); (2) unbelief (see Hebrews 3:12–13); (3) unconfessed sin (see Proverbs 28:13); (4) resentment and unforgiveness toward others (see Mark 11:25–26); (5) occult involvement (see Exodus 23:24–26); (6) unscriptural covenants, i.e., Freemasonry (see Exodus 23:31–33); and (7) the effects of a curse (see Deuteronomy 28:15–68). Sometimes sicknesses are caused by, or associated with, the presence of evil spirits. Let’s look at just one example from the gospel of Luke.
 
When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons [evil spirits] also came out of many, crying out.   (Luke 4:40–41)
 
When the supernatural power of God comes into operation, evil spirits cannot stand it any longer; they have to come out.
 
There are different ways in which evil spirits are associated with sickness. There are spirits of infirmity, pain, crippling, and death, to name only four. Jesus encountered a woman who was bent double and could not stand up straight. Rather than treat her condition as a physical ailment, He said that she had been bound by a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. Then, He loosed her from the spirit, and she immediately straightened up. (See Luke 13:11–13.)

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that when God’s supernatural power comes into operation, all barriers to healing fall because Jesus was wounded that I might be healed. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was wounded that we might be healed.

TODAY's VERSE
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 53:5

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Healing for All
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our in-firmities and bore our sicknesses.”   (Matthew 8:16–17)
 
Matthew used two words for physical problems: “infirmities” and “sicknesses.” To distinguish between them, we could define infirmities as weaknesses - the things we are liable to, such as allergic reactions and bee stings; sicknesses we could define as actual diseases, such as cholera or influenza.
 
Matthew wrote that the healing ministry of Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah 53, emphasizing that Jesus “healed all.” Why? Because in the eternal counsel of God, He had already taken our sicknesses and borne our pains. That is good news! If the church really believed that, evangelism would be pretty simple.
 
Going to Pakistan was a revealing experience for me because the population is 98 percent Muslim. We had as many as 16,000 people in our meetings without much advertising. Why? Because we prayed for the sick - and they were healed. Not all of them, more like just a few of them. The blind saw, the deaf heard, the lame walked. Believe me, there is no problem getting a crowd when healings occur. It is the number one method in the New Testament to attract people.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that by Jesus’ sacrifice, God’s healing is available to all, myself included, because Jesus was wounded that I might be healed. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with His righteousness.

TODAY's VERSE
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

TODAY'S MESSAGE - A Clear Exchange
He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.    (2 Corinthians 5:21)
 
God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Jesus. The exchange there is very clear: Jesus was made sin so that we might become righteousness. Notice that it is not by our own righteousness that we are made righteous, but by the righteousness of God. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
 
The only righteousness acceptable in heaven is the righteousness of God received through faith in Jesus Christ. Isaiah 64:6 reads, “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.” This verse does not say that all our sins are like filthy rags, but that all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. Even the best efforts we make to be religious - to please God and serve Him in our own strength - are but filthy rags. These filthy rags do not fit us for the courts of heaven. God requires that we put away those filthy rags of our own righteousness. We must cease from relying on our own good works and religious activities, acknowledging that we are sinful. We must believe that Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness on the cross so that we, in turn, might be made righteous with His righteousness.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I put away my own righteousness and seek God’s righteousness instead, because Jesus was made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with His righteousness. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with His righteousness.

TODAY's VERSE
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

TODAY'S MESSAGE - The Lord’s Decision
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him [Jesus]; He has put Him to grief.   (Isaiah 53:10)
 
There is nothing wrong with the translation of this verse, but the word “pleased” does not accurately represent our modern usage of the term. It means it was the Lord’s decision, or purpose. For instance, a criminal in Britain is sentenced by the judge to be detained “for the queen’s pleasure.” It’s not that the queen takes pleasure in the detention of the criminal, but that she considers it necessary. Historically, this phrase goes back to the Elizabethan period in England. So, when Scripture says “it pleased the LORD,” it does not mean the Lord took pleasure in bruising His Son, but rather that it was the Lord’s decision, it was His purpose. He saw fit to do it; He saw that it was necessary.
 
The Hebrew language is so condensed that it is almost impossible to translate it completely and accurately into another language. There are only about four Hebrew words in the first two lines of that verse. Where it says “It pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief,” the best translation I can find is “unto sickness” or “to make Him sickness by bruising Him.” The word translated “put Him to grief” (chalah) occurs also in Micah 6:13. God was speaking to rebellious, stubborn Israel, saying, “Therefore also I will make you sick [chalah] by striking you.” There, the New King James Version has translated it by the correct, literal word.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that the Lord made Jesus sickness by smiting Him and that Jesus was made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with His righteousness. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with His righteousness.

TODAY's VERSE
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

TODAY'S MESSAGE - The Perfect Offering
It was the Lord’s “pleasure” to make Jesus sick, or “to make Him sickness by bruising Him.” Jesus was bruised unto sickness, physically. His body was crushed, marred, mutilated - whatever word you want to use. He became total sickness on the cross.
 
When You [God] make His [Jesus’] soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed.   (Isaiah 53:10)
 
Where the English says “an offering for sin,” the Hebrew uses only one word, asham, which means “guilt,” “sin,” or “sin offering.” In the language of the Old Testament, the same word was used for both guilt and guilt offering. Why? Because under the Levitical law, when the sacrificial animal was brought as a sin offering, the man whose sin was being atoned for laid his hands on the head of the animal and confessed his sin over that animal, thereby symbolically transferring his sin to the animal. In that way, the sin offering became sin with the man’s sin. Then, the animal was dealt with; instead of the man being killed, the animal was.
 
All this, of course, is representative of the death of Christ. The writer of Hebrews said it was not possible for the blood of bulls or goats to take away sins. (See Hebrews 10:4.) The sacrificial system was just a picture leading up to the transaction that was fulfilled on the cross. But here, speaking about the actual event, the Scripture says that God made the soul of Jesus to be sin. That is the real meaning of “make His soul an offering for sin.” The apostle Paul confirmed this point when he quoted Isaiah 53:10 in this passage: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that Jesus was made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with His righteousness. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with His righteousness.

TODAY's VERSE
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Complete Provision
God, through the cross, has dealt with the problem of guilt. He has made complete provision for the past; “He forgave us all our sins” (Co-lossians 2:13 NIV). Through the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf - through our Representative, who carried our guilt and paid our penalty - God is able to forgive every one of our sinful acts without compromising His own justice, because His justice has been satisfied by the death of Christ. We need to understand that all our past sinful acts, no matter how numerous or how serious, have been forgiven when we put our faith in Jesus.
 
God not only has made complete provision for the past, but also has made complete provision for the future, “having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (verse 14 NIV).
 
The written code is the law of Moses. On the cross, Jesus did away with the law of Moses as a means of obtaining righteousness with God. As long as the law was the requirement for righteousness, every time we broke even one of the most minor requirements, we were guilty before God. But when the law was taken out of the way, provision was made for us to live free from guilt because our faith is now reckoned to us as righteousness. As Paul wrote, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4 NASB). Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes - Jew or Gentile, Catholic or Protestant, it makes no difference. He is the end of the law as a means to achieve righteousness with God. We are not required to keep the law in order to be righteous.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that God has made complete provision for past, present, and future sins, because Jesus was made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with His righteousness. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with His righteousness.

TODAY's VERSE
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

TODAY'S MESSAGE - “Romans Recipe”
Let’s now look at the “Romans Recipe” of Romans 6. The word recipe evokes the image of a cookbook. If we Christians used the Bible in the same simple, practical way that chefs use cookbooks, we would find that God’s recipes always work. The Romans Recipe is God’s way of making the truths of the gospel work in our lives.
 
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.    (Romans 6:1–10 NIV)
 
The outcome of this “recipe” is tremendous: “sin shall not be your master” - sin will no longer dominate or control you. Deliverance from sin and all its evil consequences comes through our identification with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that sin shall not be my master - because Jesus was made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with His righteousness. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with His righteousness.

TODAY's VERSE
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Entering into Life
Today, we will look more closely at the ingredients of the “Romans Recipe.” Romans 6 (NIV) presents successive points of identification. First, “we died to sin” (verse 1) when Jesus died, and we identify our-selves with His death. When Jesus was crucified, our “old self” (verse 6), the rebel nature we inherited from Adam, was also crucified. Second, “we were…buried with him” (verse 4). By baptism into His death, we died and were buried with Him. Third, we are “united with him in his resurrection” (verse 5). Following Him through death and burial, we move out into His resurrection life, sharing His life with Him. The practical, successive consequences of this identification with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection are as follows:
 
1.   “The body of sin [is] done away with” (verse 6). The corrupt, evil nature that enslaved us and made us do wrong even when we desired to do right is rendered powerless. It has been put to death.
2.   Consequently, we are “no longer…slaves to sin” (verse 6). Sin no longer compels us to do harmful, destructive things that will ul-timately bring disaster upon us, on earth and in eternity.
3.   Then, we are “freed from sin” (verse 7). We are literally justified, or acquitted. Jesus paid the final penalty for our sin; there is no more to pay. Having been released from the power and guilt of sin, we now have good consciences and can stand before the throne of almighty God without fear.
 
4.   Finally, “we will also live with him [Christ]” (verse . What a tre-mendous promise! We will share His eternal resurrection life. He died once to sin; He cannot die again. He lives forever to God, and we enter into that eternal life.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that by my identification with Jesus, I am no longer a slave to sin. Jesus was made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with His righteousness. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness that we might be made righteous with His righteousness.

TODAY's VERSE
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

TODAY'S MESSAGE - We Will Be Delivered
The next part of the Romans Recipe, the practical how-to, is found in Romans 6:11–13.
 
First, “count yourselves dead” (verse 11). The Bible says we are dead - believe it! Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Paul saw Christ’s crucifixion and death as his own. He thought that way and talked that way, reckoning it true. We must do the same.
 
Steps two and three are negative admonitions: “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body” (verse 12) and “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin” (verse 13). Before, we could not help yielding to sin; now, we have a choice. There is a power in us greater than sin. We have been liberated, justified. However, we must exercise our wills. When temptation comes, we must firmly and finally say, “No! I will not yield my body or my members! I do not yield to you, Satan; I belong to Jesus.”
 
Step four is positive: “Offer yourselves to God” (verse 13). We cannot be independent agents and remain free from sin. We must choose to serve God rather than Satan, offering ourselves as sacrifices to God, giving all we are and all we have - holding nothing back. Next, Paul said, “Offer the parts of your body to him [God]” (verse 13). Yield every part of your body to God for Him to use as He wants for His glory.
 
The result is that “sin shall not be your master” (verse 14). We are set free from shame, degradation, agony - all the evils sin brings. If we follow the Romans Recipe - working through our identification with Jesus in death, burial, and resurrection - we will be delivered.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that through identification with Jesus, I will be delivered - because Jesus was made sin with my sinfulness that I might be made righteous with His righteousness. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus died our death that we might receive His life.

TODAY's VERSE
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Atonement: The Hub
To illustrate the role of the atonement in the total message of the gospel, consider the structure of a wheel, which has three basic sec-tions: the outer circle, the spokes, and the hub. In this picture, the outer circle represents God’s complete provision for every area of our lives - spiritual, physical, and financial, for time and through eternity. The spokes that support the outermost circle of the wheel are ways in which God makes provision. For instance, He makes pro-vision through forgiveness (peace), healing (health), deliverance (liberty), sanctification (holiness), and so forth. Now, without the central hub, the spokes have nothing to support them. Also, through the hub comes the driving power to turn the wheel. In God’s provision, the atonement is the center hub, supplying the power for the Christian life.
 
From Hebrews 2:9, we learn that by the grace of God, Jesus tasted death for everyone. He took our place; that which was due to us came upon Him. Isaiah 53:6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
 
“Iniquity” also means “rebellion.” The rebellion of the entire human race is summed up in that phrase. We have turned our backs on God and gone our own ways - set our own standards, pleased ourselves, lived for ourselves. We have been rebellious, but the Lord placed on Jesus the rebellion of us all; all of our rebellion was concentrated on Him. As He hung on the cross, all the evil consequences of our rebellion came upon Him: sickness, rejection, pain, agony, and, finally, death. But He did not die for Himself. He died our deaths. He tasted death in our place.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I turn from my rebellion, and that Jesus tasted death in my place - because Jesus died my death that I might receive His life. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus died our death that we might receive His life.

TODAY's VERSE
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - His Suffering for Us
Isaiah 53 gives us a detailed prophetic description of the suffering of Jesus, written more than seven hundred years before it took place.
 
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.   (Isaiah 53:7–9 NASB)
 
These details were accurately fulfilled in the sufferings and death of Jesus. First, the Gospels emphasized several times that Jesus made no attempt to answer His accusers, justify Himself, or plead His own cause. (See, for example, Mark 15:3–5.) Unjust accusation and an unfair trial led to His death, and “He was cut off out of the land of the living.”
 
The details of His burial are also amazingly accurate: “His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death.” We move from the plural “with wicked men” to the singular “a rich man.” Historically, we find that Jesus was taken down for burial with two thieves who were hung on either side of Him, but then He was buried in the tomb of a rich man, Joseph of Arimathea.
 
Isaiah emphasizes that it was not for His own sin or guilt that Jesus died. He was totally innocent, yet He died the death of a criminal.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that You suffered and died for me - that Jesus died my death that I might receive His life. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus died our death that we might receive His life.

TODAY's VERSE
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Our Amazing Representative
Let’s look at some Scriptures that speak about how Christ identified Himself with the human race and expiated its guilt.
 
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.    (Hebrews 2:14–15 NIV)
 
When Adam rebelled, instead of being a king, he became a slave - bound by Satan, death, and corruption. He was no longer free. But in order to deliver human beings from that slavery, Jesus took upon Himself the form of humanity, the Adamic nature. He took upon Himself the same flesh and blood that you and I have so that by His death, He might destroy the one who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free all those of us who all our lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the fallen nature of human beings and their sins. This is also stated in 1 Peter 2:24: “He himself [Jesus] bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (NIV).
 
On the cross, Jesus became completely identified with our sin and our guilt. He became the last great guilt offering that took away the sin and guilt of the human race. He bore our sin and our punishment. Our wounds became His wounds, and He died our deaths. He expiated that guilt of rebellion as our representative, the last Adam, hanging on the cross, shedding His lifeblood, giving Himself totally to redeem us.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that You gave Yourself totally to redeem me, and that Jesus died my death that I might receive His life. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus died our death that we might receive His life.

TODAY's VERSE
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Identifying with Jesus
Looking beyond Christ’s identification with us, we find that, in turn, through faith and repentance, we can be identified with Christ - not only in His death, but also in His subsequent exaltation.
 
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.   (Ephesians 2:4–6 NIV)
 
This is the opposite side of identification. First, Jesus identified Himself with us, the fallen race. He took our place, paid our penalty, and died our death. He expiated our guilt. Then, as we identify ourselves with Him and His death in faith, we are also identified with Him in all that follows His death. Three great steps of our identification with Jesus are stated in Ephesians 2:4–6. First, “God…made us alive with Christ.” Second, “God raised us up with Christ.” He resurrected us with Christ. But it doesn’t stop there. Third, “God…seated us with Him in the heavenly realms.” God seated us with Christ on His throne. He enthroned us in Christ.
 
Notice those three upward steps of identification with Jesus: we are made alive with Him, resurrected with Him, and enthroned with Him. The way up is down; from the lowest, we go to the highest. God exalts the lowest to the highest, and this principle runs all through Scripture. It is not just a matter of history but the outworking of a universal law: Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled. (See Matthew 23:12 NIV.)

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I humble myself before God, identifying myself with Jesus to be made alive with Him, resurrected with Him and enthroned with Him - because Jesus died my death that I might receive His life. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus died our death that we might receive His life.

TODAY's VERSE
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Hidden with Christ
When we are first confronted with the cross, we tend to recoil. But the cross of Jesus is the door to a secret place that no animal can find, no bird can see, and all the rest of creation does not know. (See Job 28:7–8.) It is in the spiritual realm. Paul said,
 
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.   (Colossians 3:1–4 NIV)
 
The key phrase, “your life is now hidden with Christ in God,” is not talking about the next world, but the here and now. Being hidden with Christ in God means being in the secret place. The secret is that when Jesus died, He did not die for Himself; He died for us as our representative, taking our guilt and condemnation on Himself.
 
Based on our understanding by faith in Scripture, we know that when Jesus died and was raised, we died and were raised. We passed through death into a realm the senses cannot discern and creatures do not perceive. We are in Christ, and we are in God; nothing can reach us unless it comes through God and through Christ. We are here in the flesh, but our lives are not in this visible world. We may go through many difficulties and pressures in these clay vessels, but we have a life that is eternal, incorruptible, and indestructible. This is total security. No matter what comes, in Christ we are in the secret place of the Most High, protected from all harm and all danger. (See Psalm 91:1–2.) And the door to the secret place is the cross.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that by the cross, I have entered into the secret place of the Most High. I am protected from all harm and danger, because Jesus died my death that I might receive His life. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus died our death that we might receive His life.

TODAY's VERSE
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Abundant, Eternal Life
Jesus called Himself the “good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). The shepherd’s provision, as illustrated in Psalm 23, can be summed up in one tremendous phrase: total security. But remember that all provision is measured by our commitment. When our commitment is total, our security is total. If there are limits to our commitment, then we do not enjoy the total security Jesus offers.
 
We can reinforce this Old Testament illustration by looking at the words of Jesus in the New Testament: “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10 NASB). Jesus was telling us the reason that He came to earth. He summed it up in a simple phrase: that we “might have life.” Not life in a small or limited way, but life “abundantly.” Life overflowing. Life for every area of our being. Life more than sufficient for every challenge and every pressure that comes against us.
 
Then, a little further on, Jesus used the phrase, “eternal life”:
 
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.   (John 10:27–28 NASB)
 
Notice the central phrases: “I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish.” By this passage, we see that Jesus came so that we might have eternal life, a life that stretches beyond this world. A life that goes beyond the grave. A life that lasts for eternity. I once heard somebody make this insightful comment: “I believe that I shall live as long as God lives because God has become my life.” That is the kind of life that Jesus came to offer us. His life - eternally.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. By Your death, I have abundant, eternal life, because Jesus died my death that I might receive His life. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus died our death that we might receive His life.

TODAY's VERSE
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - The Total Exchange
This passage can be summarized in one word: rebellion. It is the common sin of all humanity. The prophet continued, “And the LORD has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all” (verse 6). The word iniquity (Hebrew, avon) means “rebellion,” “the punishment for rebellion,” and “all the evil consequences of rebellion.” On the cross, Jesus - our substitute, the last Adam - became the rebel with our rebellion and endured all the evil consequences of rebellion. This is the door to God’s treasure house, if we can grasp it.
 
This is the exchange: All the evil our rebellion deserved came upon Jesus so that all the good He deserved - because of His perfect obedience - might be offered to us. In whatever way we look at that exchange, it was total. Jesus was punished so that we might be forgiven. He was wounded so that we might be healed. He bore our sin so that we might share His righteousness. He died our death so that we might share His life. He was made a curse so that we might receive the blessing. He endured our poverty so that we might share His abundance. He bore our shame so that we might have His glory. He endured our rejection so that we might have His acceptance.
 
Just picture the rebel on the cross and know that you are that rebel - indeed, you should be hanging there. But Jesus took your place. He not only bore your rebellion, but also bore all its evil consequences so that you might enter into all the blessings of His perfect obedience. That is grace at work. You cannot earn it, you did not deserve it, and you had no claim upon it. There is only one way to receive it, and that is by faith. Just believe.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that Jesus died my death that I might receive His life. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
 Jesus was made a curse that we might enter into the blessing.

TODAY's VERSE
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”). Galatians 3:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - The Reality of Blessings and Curses

Christ was made a curse on the cross so that we might qualify for and receive the blessing. In order to receive this provision God has made for us, it is necessary that we understand the nature of blessings and curses. If we do not understand these two concepts, we will not be able to avail ourselves of God’s provision.
 
Both blessings and curses are major themes of Scripture. The word “bless” or “blessing” occurs more than 410 times in the Bible; the word curse occurs nearly 160 times. In other words, the Bible has a great deal to say about both. Both are absolutely real - so real that Jesus had to be made a curse so that we might be redeemed from the curse and receive the blessing.
 
Some people are inclined to think that blessings are real but curses are imaginary, or hypothetical. That is an illogical idea. If we consider any pair of opposites, it stands to reason that if one is real, the other must be real. Take day and night, for example. If day is real, then night is also real. Heat and cold - if heat is real, then cold is real. Good and evil - if good is real, then evil is real. We cannot accept one and ignore the other. So it is with blessings and curses. Blessings are real, and so are curses.
 
The Bible has much to teach us about the nature of blessings and curses, how they operate, how to recognize a curse at work in your life, and how to be delivered. If we remain ignorant, it will be to our own cost. We will miss much of the total provision that God has made for us through the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross if we fail to understand His exchange of blessing for curse.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim my belief that blessings are real, and so are curses - so real that Jesus was made a curse that I might enter into the blessing. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
 Jesus was made a curse that we might enter into the blessing.

TODAY's VERSE
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”). Galatians 3:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Common Indications of a Curse
I have compiled a list of seven common manifestations of a curse. Most curses do not concern one individual exclusively; rather, they usually concern families or larger communities. The essential feature of curses and blessings alike in the Bible is that they are passed down from generation to generation unless something happens to cut them off. I have dealt with people whose problems went back hundreds of years in family history.
 
On the basis of my personal observation, here are seven indications that usually signify the presence of a curse over your life or your family. If you experience only one of these, I would not say for sure there is a curse. But if several of them show up in your family, in different areas and in multiple generations, you can be almost sure that a curse is in place. These indications are the following: (1) mental and emotional breakdown; (2) repeated or chronic sicknesses, especially if they are hereditary; (3) repeated miscarriages or related female problems; (4) breakdown of marriage and family alienation, especially a family history of them; (5) financial insufficiency, if it is ongoing; (6)being known as “accident-prone”; and (7) having a family a history of suicides or unnatural deaths.
 
We will not dwell on the problem, but we will affirm the solution. Jesus was made a curse that we might enter into the blessing.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that for every indication of a curse in my life, Jesus’ death was the solution, for Jesus was made a curse that I might enter into the blessing. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
 Jesus was made a curse that we might enter into the blessing.

TODAY's VERSE
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”). Galatians 3:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Administrator of the Blessing
The Holy Spirit is the administrator of all the inheritance of “the blessing of Abraham” (Galatians 3:14). In Genesis 24, we find a beautiful story to illustrate this truth. The story tells how Abraham obtained a bride for his son Isaac. It is a very simple but beautiful parable with four main characters, three of whom are the following: Abraham, who represents God the Father; Isaac, Abraham’s son, who represents God’s only begotten Son, Jesus; and Rebekah, the bride, who represents the church (the bride of Christ). There is one other individual, and he is, in a sense, the main character. That character is the nameless servant, who represents the Holy Spirit. If we read the chapter with those personalities in mind, it will reveal almost limitless truths to us.
 
Notice that at the beginning of the chapter, it says that everything that Abraham owned was under the control of the servant. He was the administrator of the entire estate of Abraham the father and Isaac the son. That is true of the Holy Spirit, too; He is the administrator of the entire wealth of the Godhead. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. But the administrator of our inheritance is the Holy Spirit. Apart from the Holy Spirit, we cannot receive or enjoy our inheritance.
 
When the Bible speaks about our inheritance as the children of Abraham, it refers specifically to receiving the promise of the Spirit, who alone can bring us into all the blessings that are our inheritance. The blessing of Abraham is “in all things” (Genesis 24:1), but the administrator of the blessing is the Holy Spirit. Hence Paul’s specific mention in Galatians of receiving the promise of the Spirit.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that the administrator of my inheritance is the Holy Spirit, and I receive the promise of the Spirit by faith - “the blessing of Abraham” in all things - because Jesus was made a curse that I might enter into the blessing. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
 Jesus was made a curse that we might enter into the blessing.

TODAY's VERSE
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”). Galatians 3:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - “The Promise of My Father”
The believer’s receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit does not depend in any way upon his own merits; it depends solely upon the allsufficiency of Christ’s atonement. It is through faith, not by works, “that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14).
 
This idea agrees with Jesus’ final charge to His disciples just before His ascension: “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Jesus was speaking about the baptism in the Holy Spirit that the disciples would receive at Pentecost.
 
The phrase “the Promise of My Father” gives us wonderful insight into the mind and purpose of God the Father concerning the gift of the Holy Spirit. Someone conservatively estimated that the Bible contains seven thousand distinct promises given by God to His believing people. But among these, Jesus singled out just one from all the rest as being unique: the promise of the Spirit.
 
Paul called this “the blessing of Abraham” (Galatians 3:14), thus linking it with the supreme purpose of God in choosing Abraham for Himself. When God first called Abraham out of Ur, He said, “I will bless you…; and you shall be a blessing.…And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2–3). In subsequent dealings with Abraham, God reaffirmed His purpose many times. “I will bless you….In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 22:17–18). All these promises of God looked forward to Paul’s words: “the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:14). Jesus shed His blood on the cross to purchase this blessing, promised to the seed of Abraham.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that Jesus shed His blood on the cross to purchase the blessing of Abraham - what He called “the Promise of My Father” - and I receive the blessed promise of the Holy Spirit, because Jesus was made a curse that I might enter into the blessing. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
 Jesus was made a curse that we might enter into the blessing.

TODAY's VERSE
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”). Galatians 3:13

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Overtaken by Blessings
Once when I was in Ireland, there was a six-year-old boy whose parents gave him some potatoes to plant. He planted his potatoes, and a week later, he went outside to see if they were growing. There was no sign of growth. Two weeks later, he still saw nothing, so he dug them up to see if they were sprouting at all. In the end, he dug them up three or four times, and they never grew!
 
Some Christians are like that little boy. They plant their potatoes of faith, then dig them up to see if they are growing. The essence of faith is to let God grow us. We meet the conditions, but God fulfills the promise and blesses us. Deuteronomy 28:2 says to those who meet God’s conditions, “All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God.” I love the word “overtake.” It is not for us to run after the blessings; they run after us. We can go to bed at night and ponder what blessings will have caught up with us by the time we wake up in the morning!
 
In the same way, Matthew 6:33 tells us, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” We do not seek the “things”; we seek the kingdom. Then, God adds all the things we need.
 
These, then, are the conditions for receiving God’s abundance: first, our motives and attitudes must be right; second, we must exercise faith; third, we must honor God, our parents, and God’s ministers by giving; fourth, we must practice right thinking, speaking, and acting; and fifth, we must let God add in His way and His time. If we meet these conditions, we can be certain that God’s abundant blessings will overtake us. This is one way that we enter into God’s bless-ing.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that I will seek first the kingdom of God, and, as I do, that His blessings will overtake me - because Jesus was made a curse that I might enter into the blessing. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus endured our poverty that we might share His abundance.

TODAY's VERSE
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Exhausting the Curse
Jesus bore the poverty curse, which is presented in its most absolute form in Deuteronomy 28:48: “Therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything.”

Some years ago, while Derek Prince was preaching on the theme of God’s financial provision, I received a revelation from the Holy Spirit that went beyond anything in the sermon outline I had prepared. While I continued to stand before the people and speak to them, I was having an inner mental vision of Jesus on the cross. I saw Him there in all the stark reality Scripture describes. The Holy Spirit went over the four aspects of the poverty curse for me, one by one, showing me that Jesus totally exhausted the curse in all its aspects.
 
First, He was hungry - when He was taken to be crucified, He had not eaten for nearly twenty-four hours. Second, He was thirsty - “I thirst” was one of His last utterances. Third, He was naked - the Roman soldiers had stripped Him of all His clothing and divided it among themselves. Fourth, He was in want of all things - He had no robe to wear while He died, nor did He own a tomb to be buried in afterward.
 
Jesus had nothing. Why? Because in the divine purpose of God, He exhausted the poverty curse on our behalf. At first, I did not realize the full implication of what the Holy Spirit was showing me. Looking back, however, I would have to say that this revelation has given me the basis for my faith for prosperity. In the absolute finality of the exchange, Jesus took the poverty curse so that we might receive the blessing of Abraham, whom God blessed “in all things” (Genesis 24:1), which is administered by the Holy Spirit.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that You totally exhausted the poverty curse for me in all its aspects because Jesus endured my poverty that I might share His abundance. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus endured our poverty that we might share His abundance.

TODAY's VERSE
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - His Abundance
Many passages of Scripture support the fact that Jesus bore the poverty curse. Let us look at two in particular, starting with 2 Corinthians 8:9: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (KJV). I used to quote the end of that verse as “might become rich”! But the Holy Spirit showed me that it means “might be rich.” We can become rich and then become poor again, but to “be” rich has a sense of permanence. Jesus took the evil - poverty - so that we might have the good - riches. Jesus took our poverty so that we might have His wealth.
 
Some people suggest that Jesus was poor throughout His earthly ministry, but I cannot accept this idea as accurate. We need to keep in mind the distinction between riches and abundance. Jesus was not rich in the sense of having a large bank account or great material possessions, but He certainly had abundance. Any man who can provide food for a crowd of five thousand men (along with women and children) is no pauper! Actually, Jesus had much more left over after feeding about twelve thousand people than He had when He started. (See Matthew 14:15–21.) What a beautiful picture of abundance!
 
Furthermore, Jesus transmitted this abundance to His disciples. When He sent them out to spread the gospel message, He told them to take nothing extra with them. Yet their testimony afterwards was that they had lacked nothing. (See Luke 22:35.) That is not poverty!
 
Jesus was never worried or perplexed. He was calmly and completely in control of every situation. He never doubted that His Father’s goodness would provide everything He needed. And the Father never failed Him.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that You bore the poverty curse for me that I might have Your wealth because Jesus endured my poverty that I might share His abundance. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus endured our poverty that we might share His abundance.

TODAY's VERSE
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - All Grace: Enough and More
Having poverty means having “hunger,…thirst,…nakedness,…and [being] in need of everything” (Deuteronomy 28:48). When exactly did Jesus become poor? He began to become poor the moment He was identified with our sins. From that moment onward, He went deeper and deeper into poverty until, on the cross, He represented the absolute poverty described above.
 
Understand that at the cross, His poverty was not merely spiritual. He was also physically and materially poor. Therefore, by all the laws of logic, our wealth will not be merely spiritual, either. Jesus became absolutely poor in the physical, material sense so that we might become rich, having every physical and material need met - and having something leftover to share with other people.
 
Second Corinthians 9:8 is the second particular verse we will study that supports the fact that Jesus bore the poverty curse: “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every [all] good work.” God is not stingy. He does not give just enough; He gives enough and more. That is abundance. In the verse above, there are two instances of the word abound and four instances of the word all. I don’t know if this language could be any clearer. What does it describe? God’s grace.
 
Interestingly enough, in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, two chapters that deal with money, the key word is grace. It occurs seven times in chapter 8 and twice in chapter 9. It is a grace that operates in the realm of money. However, few professing Christians understand the nature of God’s grace. I have sometimes observed that those who speak the most about “grace” often understand it the least.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that Jesus became absolutely poor so that God’s grace could abound for me - even in the realm of money - because Jesus endured my poverty that I might share His abundance. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
Jesus endured our poverty that we might share His abundance.

TODAY's VERSE
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

TODAY'S MESSAGE - God’s Grace in Finances
There are three basic principles that govern the operation of God’s grace. First, grace can never be earned; conversely, anything that can be earned is not grace:
 
And if by grace, then it is no longer of works [what we earn]; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.   (Romans 11:6)
 
This principle excludes most “religious” people from the grace of God, because they think they can earn it.
 
Second, there is only one channel of grace. “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Any form of grace that comes to us comes solely through Jesus Christ.
 
Third, there is only one means by which we can appropriate God’s grace, and that is faith. This truth is summed up in three successive phrases in Ephesians 2:8–9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith,…not of works [what we earn].”
 
Few Christians realize that this principle applies just as much in the realm of financial and material provision as it does in any other area of our lives. Scripture warns us specifically against irresponsibility (Proverbs 10:4), laziness (Proverbs 24:30–34), and dishonesty (Ephesians 4:28). As long as we are guilty of any of these sinful behaviors, we have no right to expect God’s grace to work in the financial aspect of our lives. Therefore, as Christians, we are obligated to be honest, hard working, and responsible.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your work on the cross. I proclaim that on the cross, Jesus took my poverty and released God’s grace to me in the realm of financial and material provision because Jesus endured my poverty that I might share His abundance. Amen.