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

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I am a child of God.

TODAY's VERSES
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. John 1:12

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Accepted!
I like the way the King James Version translates Ephesians 1:6, because of one word in particular: “accepted.” “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (KJV).
 
Again, when God says we are accepted, it does not mean we are just tolerated. It means we are much favored. We are the objects of His particular, loving care and attention. We are number one on His list of things to take care of in the universe. He does not push us off in a corner and say, “Wait, I’m busy,” or “I don’t have time for you now,” or “Don’t make a noise; Daddy is sleeping.” He says, “I’m interested in you. I want you. You’re welcome. Come in; I’ve been waiting a long time for you.”
 
It is like the father in the story of the prodigal son. He was out there looking for the boy to come home. Others did not have to say, “You know, your son is coming home.” The first one to know it was the father. He knew it before all the rest of the family. God’s attitude to us in Christ is like that. We are not rejects. We are not second-class citizens. And we are not servants.
 
When the prodigal came back, he was willing to be a servant. He said, “Father, just make me one of your hired servants.” But if you read the story carefully, you will notice that when the son confessed his sins, his father interrupted him - he didn’t allow him to finish speaking. He never allowed him to say, “Make me as one of your hired servants.” On the contrary, he said, “Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:22–24). Praise God!

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that by the grace of God, I am “accepted in the beloved.” I proclaim that I am a child of God. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I am a child of God.

TODAY's VERSES
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. John 1:12

TODAY'S MESSAGE - In the Father’s Arms
Picture a little child held securely by his father’s arm, with his face pressed against the father’s shoulder. There may be great confusion and distress all around. The world may seem to be falling apart. But the little child is totally at peace, not at all concerned by the events taking place around him. He is secure in his father’s arms.
 
We, too, are held securely by our Father. Jesus has assured us that our Father is greater than all who may surround us and that no one is able to snatch us out of His hand.
 
Jesus also gave this assurance to His disciples: “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). We may be just a little flock, surrounded by wild beasts of all kinds. But if our Father has committed Himself to giving us the kingdom, no power in the universe can withhold it from us.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that I am secure in the Father’s arms. I am a child of God. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I am a child of God.

TODAY's VERSES
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. John 1:12

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Pleasing the Father
In Philippians 2:3, Paul warned us servants of the Lord, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit.”
 
Over the years, I have observed that one persistent, pervasive problem in the church is personal ambition and competition among leaders, specifically ministers. Lest I sound judgmental, let me add that I observed this tendency first and foremost in my own life.
 
We often make the mistake of equating security with success. We think, If I build the biggest church or hold the largest meeting or amass the most names on my mailing list, I will be secure. But this is a delusion. In actual fact, the more we aim at personal success, the less secure we become. We are continually threatened by the possibility that someone else might build a bigger church or hold a larger meeting or amass more names on his mailing list.
 
As for me, I have found my perfect pattern in Jesus, who said, “The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29). I am no longer motivated by personal ambition. I have discovered a sweeter, purer motive: simply to please my Father.
 
I am training myself to approach every situation and decision with a single, simple question: How can I please my Father? In times of frustration or apparent failure, I seek to turn my focus from trying to solve the problem to maintaining an attitude that is pleasing to my Father. As servants of Christ, there will be no competition among us if we are motivated by the simple desire to please our Father. Harmony and mutual concern take the place of striving and self-seeking.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that my motive in life is to please my Father - because I am a child of God. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I am a child of God.

TODAY's VERSES
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. John 1:12

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Our True Home
Once when I was really concerned about my own spiritual condition, I asked God to make heaven more real to me. I believe heaven is the home of every child of God.
 
I have never met a child who did not have a rather clear idea about his own home. A child might not know the street outside, but he knows his own home. I think one of the marks of us, as God’s children, is that we feel at home in relationship to heaven. This earth is beautiful; this life is exciting. But this world is not our final resting place.
 
The great saints of God were looking ahead, out of time and into eternity, and they had some glimpses of what was to come. Physical death was not going to be a jump into the unknown. They had some clear revelation of what they could expect. I am looking forward to the temple. I am looking forward to the angels. And I am looking forward to the four living creatures. There is so much that I am looking forward to. I think that the sea of glass mingled with crystal is going to be very exciting. (See, for example, Revelation 3:5; 4:6–8; 7:15.) There will be no dull moments in heaven.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed us. I proclaim that heaven is the home of every child of God - and that includes me, because I am a child of God. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I am a child of God.

TODAY's VERSES
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. John 1:12

TODAY'S MESSAGE - God’s Standard of Friendship
Alas, in the world today, the word friend has been watered down. It has become a cheap word, and friendship can be a cheap thing. But I want you to know that God’s standard of friendship has not changed. For God, friendship is based on covenant commitment. Through covenant commitment, Abraham became a friend of God. Under the new covenant, Jesus wants to bring us into the same relationship with Him - as His friends - that Abraham entered into under the old covenant.
 
In John 15:15, Jesus said to His disciples,
 
No longer do I call you slaves,…but I have called you friends.   (NASB)
 
That is a promotion, from being a slave to being a friend. But we need to understand that, for us just as much as it was for Abraham, friendship is not cheap. It costs something to be a friend of Jesus. For us, the basis of friendship with Jesus is the same as it was for Abraham. It is covenant commitment. Jesus was about to lay down His life for us when He said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 NASB). But remember, if we are to be Jesus’ friends, we have to lay down our lives for Him. It is a two-way commitment.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that because Jesus laid down His life for me, I will lay down my life for Him, for I am a friend of Christ. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I am a child of God.

TODAY's VERSES
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. John 1:12

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Perfect Fellowship
In his first epistle, John said,
 
What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.   (1 John 1:3 NASB)
 
In other words, the gospel is an invitation from the Godhead for us to share the fellowship that the Father and Son share with one another. The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia. It is an important word in New Testament Greek that literally means, “sharing in common.” So, fellowship is sharing in common. We are invited to share the same relationship that God the Father and God the Son have together. One thing is clear about this relationship: God the Father and God the Son have everything in common. Neither withholds anything from the other.
 
 In John 17:10, Jesus said to His Father,
 
And all [things that are] mine are thine, and thine are mine.    (KJV)
 
That’s perfect koinonia, perfect fellowship - the perfect sharing of all things. It is the perfect pattern of relationship into which God wants to bring us.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that I have been invited to share the same relationship that the Father and Son have together. I enter into that perfect fellowship, because I am a friend of Christ. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I am a friend of Christ.

TODAY's VERSES
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

TODAY'S MESSAGE - The Price of Friendship
Often, the measure of God’s commitment to you is determined by the measure of your commitment to Him. God never makes partial commitments, and He does not want any partial commitments. God has established the price of a relationship with Him. It is everything you have. “He…that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33 KJV).
 
You may say, “That sounds hard.” But it is realistic. Let me tell you two facts about God’s kingdom. First of all, God never has a sale. He never reduces the price on any item. If you want the relationship that Peter, Paul, and John had with the Lord, you must pay what they paid. God has not offered a discount.
 
The second fact is good news: in God’s kingdom, there is no inflation. The price has never gone up, and it has never gone down. It is always the same.
 
The outcome of a commitment to God is peace, security, and joy. Do you want it? You have to make the decision. Jesus said,
 
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.   (Revelation 3:20 KJV)
 
Notice the order Jesus established in this verse. First, you give Jesus your supper, and then He gives you His. As Jesus said to His Father, “All Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine” (John 17:10). Are you willing to make that kind of commitment to God?

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that I am willing to pay the price of total commitment to that relationship, for I am a friend of Christ. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I am a friend of Christ.

TODAY's VERSES
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Enjoying God
Right at the beginning of human history, when man first related to God, their relationship was so simple. There were not a lot of religious rituals and paraphernalia. Enoch just “walked with God” (see Genesis 5:22, 24). As we go on further in the Bible, we meet the great father of the faith, Abraham, with his most honorable title, which was “friend of God” (James 2:23). He and God simply enjoyed one another’s company.
 
I sometimes long to get away from all the theology and all the religious formalities and just have a relationship of being God’s friend - walking with Him and enjoying His company. I really believe God loves to be enjoyed by His people.
 
Sometimes, we get so preoccupied with methodology and theology and doctrine that we lose sight of God in the midst of it all. We get into the middle of the forest, where all we can see are trees. We no longer can see the whole picture. Then, we have to back out of the forest, take a fresh look around, and consider adjusting our priorities.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim my desire to walk with God and enjoy His company, for I am a friend of Christ. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I am a friend of Christ.

TODAY's VERSES
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Submitting to God’s Instruction
When God sets out to teach, He chooses His students on the basis of their character - not on their intellectual abilities, academic degrees, or social standing. He looks for an inner attitude of the heart toward Himself, an attitude of reverent submission and respect. Furthermore, God sets the curriculum. He teaches such individuals “in the way that he [God] shall choose” (Psalm 25:12 KJV). Often, the way God chooses is not the way that we would choose for ourselves. We might incline toward themes of prophecy or revelation that seem pro-found, whereas God’s curriculum might focus on what is humble and down-to-earth: service, sacrifice, and faithfulness.
 
For those who submit to God’s instruction, there is a wonderful reward: “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him” (Psalm 25:14 KJV). In human relationships, we share our secrets only with those whom we trust. Likewise, when God shares His secrets with us, it is proof that we have earned His trust. It is our certificate of graduation from His school.
 
This truth is illustrated beautifully in the relationship of Jesus to His disciples. After He had put them through three years of rigorous discipline, He told them, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15 NIV). First, Jesus Himself learned from the Father through perfect submission to Him. Then, Jesus, in turn, passed on all He had learned from the Father to those who submitted in like manner to Him.
 
God still chooses His students on this basis. Neither His requirements nor His curriculum have changed.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim my desire to submit completely to the Lord’s instruction and thereby to become His friend, for I am a friend of Christ. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I am a friend of Christ.

TODAY's VERSES
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Intelligent Partners with God
The first man, Adam, was not a slave, for God called him to intelligent partnership. When God wanted the animals to be named, He said, “Adam, come here and look at these animals. Tell Me what you think they should be named.” In Hebrew, a name is always indicative of one’s nature. So, in naming the animals, Adam had to understand their natures and their relationships to one another. Whatever Adam called an animal, that was its name. God did not name the animals; He told Adam to do that. But God gave Adam the insight and the wisdom that he needed to complete the assignment. Likewise, in our new relationship with God in Jesus Christ, we are not slaves; rather, we are intelligent partners with God.
 
John 15:15 is an astonishing statement:
 
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.   (NIV)
 
Jesus held nothing back. If there is something we do not know, it is because we have not availed ourselves of what is revealed. But the real problem comes in doing what we already know. Jesus acted on everything the Father showed Him; if we would do the same, the same revelation would be made available to us.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, that You have redeemed me. I proclaim that I want to avail myself of all that the Lord reveals, and to follow through on what I already know. I proclaim that I am a friend of Christ. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Made Righteous
We are justified through faith in the blood of Jesus. Let’s read what Paul wrote about this in Romans:
 
Now to him [the religious person] that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.   (Romans 4:4–5 KJV)
 
Notice verse 5. The first thing you have to do is to stop trying to make yourself righteous. Stop trying to be a little better. Call a halt to all that. “To him that worketh not.” What should we do? Let’s look again at the end of that passage: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (verse 5 KJV). Just believe. Is it that simple? If it is not that simple, we will never make it. God makes unrighteous people righteous - that is what the Scripture says, and I believe it.
 
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.    (2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV)
 
I like to change the order of the words in that verse, substituting specific names for the pronouns. “For God has made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Jesus.” There is the complete exchange. Jesus was made sin with our sinfulness so that we might be made righteous with His righteousness. This righteousness is available through faith in His blood. We are made righteous through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that righteousness is available through faith in Your blood. I have been made righteous through faith. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - One Act of Obedience
For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.   (Romans 5:19 NASB)
 
By Adam’s one act of disobedience, many - that is, all - of his descendants were made sinners. But by Jesus’ one act of obedience, all who believe in Him are made righteous.
 
The parallel is important because the people who became sinners as a result of Adam’s sin, including you and me, were not just sinners by label; they were sinners by nature and by act.
 
Correspondingly, when we are made righteous through faith in Jesus, it is not that God just puts a new label on us by taking away the label “sinner” and applying the label “righteous.” Rather, we are actually made righteous, by nature and by act.
 
Just as surely as Adam’s disobedience made us all sinners, in exactly the same way, Christ’s obedience can make us all righteous. Not just in theory, not just in theology, but in the way we live - in the very nature that is in us.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that by one single act of obedience on Your part, I have been made righteous through faith. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Products of Righteousness
Righteousness produces certain immediate and definite observable results. The whole of our lives, including our attitudes, our relationships, and the effectiveness of our acts of Christian service, will depend on how far we realize that we have been made righteous. We read in Proverbs 28:1, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion” (KJV). Few Christians today are bold. Most are timid, apologetic; they back down when confronted with evil. The root cause is a failure to realize that they are righteous in God’s sight - as righteous as Jesus Christ Himself. When we acknowledge and appreciate that fact, it makes us bold.
 
Let’s look at some other results of righteousness. Isaiah 32:17 says, “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever” (KJV). This passage speaks of three products of righteousness: peace, quietness, and assurance, which come when we realize that we have been made righteous with Jesus Christ’s righteousness. Romans 14:17 tells us, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (KJV). Peace, quietness, joy, and assurance are products of righteousness. If we do not receive righteousness by faith, we may struggle to achieve these results, but in vain. It is pathetic to see Christians trying to be joyful, have peace, relax, and have assurance - just because somebody told them they ought to. My experience is that when Christians really receive the assurance of the forgiveness of sin and of righteousness by faith, the results of righteousness follow automatically. The key is getting people to realize that they have been made righteous with the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that by one single act of obedience on Your part, I have been made righteous through faith. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - The Gift of Righteousness
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (KJV). Any other righteousness we might endeavor to seek is on too low a level. The only righteousness that will admit us into heaven is the righteousness of God, which comes only by faith in Jesus Christ. It is received by faith as a gift. Here is the first specific manifestation of God’s grace in the lives of those who come to Him through Jesus Christ: righteousness. God cannot do anything for us until He has made us righteous; it is the first thing He does when we approach Him.
 
You would probably agree that the majority of Christians have never grasped this truth. In fact, I think you will find that much of the church’s liturgy - including our music and our hymns - are designed to leave us sin-conscious. In many cases, we almost feel that it’s presumptuous to consider ourselves anything but sinful. This is a remarkable fact.
 
There is one thing the devil fights against as powerfully as anything else, and that is any person who begins to realize what it is to be made righteous by faith. Satan will keep you, by any means that he can, under some measure of condemnation and guilt, and he’ll keep you feeling very religious about it, too.
 
Many people would feel embarrassed or presumptuous to call themselves “righteous,” for they think that they have to earn righteousness. Scripture, however, emphasizes that, rather than being something we can merit, righteousness is a gift no one deserves. It is a free, unmerited gift. You either receive it as a gift, or you live without it. The choice is yours.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that by one single act of obedience on Your part, I have been made righteous through faith. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Life in the Son
By putting our faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf, by letting Him bear the guilt of our sin, and by receiving, by faith, His righteousness, which is imputed to us, we are justified. In that righteousness, I can face God, death, and eternity without a tremor, without fear.
 
The apostle John wrote in his first epistle,
 
And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11–13 NASB)
 
God has given a testimony to the whole human race that He has offered to us eternal life. This life is in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. If we receive Jesus Christ, in Him we have received eternal life.
 
Notice, this is stated in the present tense: “He who has the Son has the life.” It is not something that is going to happen after death. It is something that happens now, in this time-space world. If you wait until after death to accept His life, you will have waited too long; it will be too late. Settle that issue now! He who has the Son has life. Make sure that you, too, have life!

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. I proclaim that I have life now, because I have the Son. I proclaim that I have been made righteous through faith. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - United with God
It is so important to understand the distinction between the human spirit and the soul. It is not the soul that is united with God, but the spirit - for the spirit was created for union with God; indeed, it cannot live out of union with God. As a result of regeneration, the spirit of the born-again believer is able to unite with God.
 
Let us review three simple descriptions of the orientations of spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is God-conscious. The soul is self-conscious. The body is world-conscious.
 
Through our spirits, we are conscious of God. In our souls, we are conscious of ourselves. And through our bodies and their senses, we relate to the world around us.
 
When man’s spirit is reunited with God, the rekindled spirit becomes a lamp. Filled with the Holy Spirit, it illuminates the inward nature of man which was dark and alienated from God up to that time. We need to remember that when the Bible was written, the fuel for every lamp was olive oil, and olive oil is always a type, or symbol, of the Holy Spirit.
 
The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all the innermost parts of his being.   (Proverbs 20:27 NASB)
 
When the spirit of man is brought back into union with God and the Holy Spirit comes in and fills up that lamp, then the lamp inside man - his spirit - is illuminated, shedding light on his entire inner being. He is no longer in darkness.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that in union with the Lord, by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, I am no longer in darkness. I proclaim that I have been united with God and have become one in spirit with Him. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - July 3 - Joined to the Lord
If you have never been shocked by the Bible, you have probably never really read it, because the Bible says some extremely shocking things. Take 1 Corinthians 6:16, for example: “Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot [prostitute] is one body with her? For ‘the two,’ He [God] says, ‘shall become one flesh.’” We all understand what this verse is talking about - sexual immorality, fornication, and being physically united with a prostitute. With that context in mind, look at what Paul said next: “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (verse 17). This verse cannot be taken out of context. As we have seen, in verse 17, Paul was talking about a union that is just as real as the sexual union - not a physical union, but a spiritual union. That is what it means to be married to the One who is risen from the dead. It is not our souls that are united to the Lord; rather, it is our spirits, for “he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.”
 
Your soul is capable of theology, and it is probably overburdened with it, but your spirit knows God. The spirit is the God-inbreathed part of man. That is what brought man into being in the first place in the garden of Eden. The Lord breathed into Adam’s nostrils the spirit of life. (See Genesis 2:7.) And that part of man never finds rest until it is reunited with God. You can chase after all the pleasures and philosophies of the world, but your spirit is not interested in them. Your spirit just wants God, and it is your spirit that can be united with God just as truly as a body of a man can be united with the body of a prostitute. Never separate those two verses. They are totally different, but their analogy is exact and helps us to understand their relationship.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that “he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” - and that this truth applies to me. I have been united with God and have become one in spirit with Him. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - July 3 - Spirit to Spirit
There are many facets of the truths about the Old Testament taber-nacle of God. One essential, basic fact is that it was a triune building. In other words, it was three in one. It was one single place, but there were three areas: the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies.
 
In this trinity, we find many references to eternal truth. For in-stance, God is three in one - Father, Son, and Spirit - three persons in one God. Man is likewise triune; one man is made up of spirit, soul, and body. I believe that heaven is triune, as well. There are three heavens - the visible heaven, which we see; an intermediate heaven, which is the headquarters of Satan’s kingdom; and a third heaven, which is where God dwells; this is the current location of paradise.
 
I also believe that the three areas of the tabernacle correspond to the three areas of human personality. The Outer Court, with its natural light of sun, moon, and stars, corresponds to the physical body with the physical senses, which are the source of understanding or perception. The Holy Place corresponds to man’s soul, and it speaks about revealed truth. And the Holy of Holies corresponds to man’s spirit and speaks about directly apprehended truth. This is truth that is apprehended only by direct, personal contact with God, for it is the spirit of man alone that is united with God. “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17) - not one soul or one body, but one spirit.
 
Direct contact with God is spirit to Spirit, and that is where direct revelation comes.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that my direct, personal contact with God is spirit to Spirit. I proclaim that I have been united with God and have become one in spirit with Him. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Communion with God
Let’s look at some of the functions of the spirit as it relates to the soul and the body. We have seen that the spirit is God-conscious, the soul is self-conscious, and the body is world-conscious. It is very important to understand that the soul is self-conscious. Whenever people are focused on themselves - their own problems and needs - they are operating in the realm of the soul.
 
The primary activity of the spirit is union with God. It is the on-ly part of man that can be directly united with God. In 1 Corinthians 6:17, Paul said, “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” - not one soul, not one body, but one spirit. The great privilege we have with our spirits is union and communion with God. The highest activity of man’s spirit is worship.
 
Man’s soul contains these three elements: will, intellect, and emotions. The will is the part of me that says, “I want”; the intellect is the part that says, “I think”; and the emotions are the part of me that says, “I feel.” Together, these three components make up the soul.
 
The body is world-conscious; through the senses, the body contacts the surrounding time-space world. God’s original purpose was that man’s spirit should direct his soul, and that his soul should direct his body. The spirit can direct the body only through the soul. There is one exception to this, and that is speaking in tongues. That is why speaking in tongues is such a unique experience. When we speak in tongues, our spirits control the physical member, the tongue, without the soul’s involvement. That is why it is such a tremendously important experience.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that I have been united with God and have become one in spirit with Him. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Worship in the Spirit
As we fulfill the Lord’s requirement for our bodies and our souls, our spirits are liberated to enter into a fellowship with God - a fellowship even more wonderful than that which was lost through the fall. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:17, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” The implication is clear. The redeemed spirit can now enjoy a union with God that is close and intimate. It is the spirit alone, however - not the soul or the body - that can experience this direct, intimate union with God.
 
It is primarily through the act of worship that our spirits enter into this union with God. In John 4:23–24, Jesus said, “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth...God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Jesus made it clear that true worship must be an activity of our spirits.
 
In the contemporary church, there is little understanding of the nature of worship, mainly because we do not discern the difference between the spirit and the soul. Worship is not entertainment - that belongs in the theater, not the church. Nor is worship the same as praise. We praise God with our souls, and it is right to do so. Through our praise we have access to God’s presence. But once we are in His presence, it is through worship that we enjoy true spiritual union with Him. To be able to worship God in this way is the goal of salvation - first on earth, then later in heaven. It is the highest and holiest activity of which a human being is capable. Worship, however, is possible only when the soul and the body come into submission to the spirit and in harmony with it. Such worship is often too profound for words. It becomes an intense and silent union with God.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that my highest activity is union with God, to worship in spirit and truth. I have been united with God and have become one in spirit with Him. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been made righteous through faith.

TODAY's VERSES
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Spiritual Fruit
Worship is the act by which we are joined to the Lord as one spirit. That is why worship is the highest activity of human beings. Again, when we are joined to the Lord in worship, we begin to bring forth (or birth) the things that God wants brought forth.
 
Worship is not an appendix to the Christian life; it is not a little addition to services. It is the culmination. It is the confirmation. Once more, if I may put it in this way without offending anyone, it is the consummation of our marriage to the Lord. We are united with Him as one spirit, and when we have that marriage union, it is always for the sake of procreation. That is when spiritual fruit comes out of our lives.
 
You need to know the identity of the husband with whom you are united. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:19–21, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these” (NASB). The deeds of the flesh are all too evident. You can tell people that you are spiritual, but if you are truly fleshly, it will show. Let me ask you this: Do you want your children to act like what is described in the passage from Galatians? Because that is what the flesh brings forth. You cannot find one good thing in that entire list. The flesh cannot produce anything acceptable to God. It is corrupt. Jesus said that a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. (See Matthew 7:18.) It is impossible.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, for joining me to You. I proclaim that my goal of being united with God is to bring forth spiritual fruit. I proclaim that I have been united with God and have become one in spirit with Him. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been bought at a price; I belong to God.

TODAY's VERSES
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. 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Belonging to Jesus
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?   (1 Corinthians 6:19 NASB)
 
Why are you not your own? Because somebody else has bought you. When you have been bought by somebody else, then you no longer belong to yourself.
 
Who bought you? Jesus. With what method of payment? His blood. So, if you have been bought by Jesus, remember, you do not belong to yourself. If you belong to yourself, then you are not bought with the blood of Jesus. Again, you cannot belong to yourself and to the Lord. The Lord wants you for Himself. He has paid the price of His precious blood. If you want to hold on to your own life, then, remember, you have not been bought with a price. You cannot have it both ways. If you belong to God, you do not belong to yourself. If you belong to yourself, you do not belong to God.
 
For you have been bought with a price [the precious blood of Jesus]: therefore [because of the price that has been paid for you] glorify [honor] God in your body.   (verse 20)
 
When Jesus died on the cross, He paid a total price for a total redemption. He did not redeem just a part of you. He redeemed the whole of you - spirit, soul, and body. Jesus died to redeem you. If you have accepted redemption through His blood, then you are not your own; you now belong to Him. Both your spirit and your body are God’s, because Jesus paid the price of His blood to possess you.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that You have purchased me. I proclaim that Jesus paid the total price for my redemption. I have been bought at a price; I belong to God. Amen.

[JT]

ADD FOR TODAY
A Daily Devotional from Derek Prince

TODAY'S DECLARATION
I have been bought at a price; I belong to God.

TODAY's VERSES
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. 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

TODAY'S MESSAGE - Instruments God Uses
The Bible teaches that the physical body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that when Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood, He redeemed our bodies in addition to our spirits and souls. We belong to Him entirely - spirit, soul, and body.
 
God has a sincere interest in, and a specific purpose for, our bodies. The body is to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 6:19.) It is to be the place in man where the Holy Spirit dwells. The Bible tells us that God does not dwell in temples made by hands. (See Acts 7:48.) We can build Him as many churches, synagogues, or tabernacles as we like, but God will not dwell there. God has chosen to dwell in the physical bodies of those who believe in Him. Thus, the believer’s body has an important function as a residence of the Holy Spirit.
 
Furthermore, Paul explained this about our physical members: “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13 KJV). The various members of the physical body are intended to be instruments (or weapons) that God can use. They do not belong to us; they belong to God. We are to yield them to God.
 
It is logical and obvious that God wants His “weapons” in good condition, not feeble or broken-down. He wants our bodies to be healthy and our members to be strong, effective, and active, because they are the members of Christ. In a certain sense, Christ has no body on the earth except ours. Our bodies are the instruments God uses to enact His will on the earth. I have become convinced that God expects us to keep our bodies as strong and as healthy as we can.

TODAY'S PRAYER
Thank You, Lord, that You have purchased me. I proclaim that the members of my physical body are instruments God can use, and I yield them to Him. I have been bought at a price; I belong to God. Amen.