Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Asking for a new heart comes with a new way of thinking, a new attitude, and a new purpose in life. It also means that whatever you gave up on before, it will not be able to defeat you again! A new you takes you with God to your next level so remain steadfast!

Proverbs 16:32 Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.

Patience, listening, and compassion go much further than sarcasm, ridicule, and badgering. By allowing yourself to truly hear another person's story, you are showing them interest in helping them solve a problem. Today, allow your reactions towards other people be about problem solving and not about creating more problems.

Isaiah 50:4 He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.

Waking up to the sound of your alarm clock is merely a reaction to noise. Waking up and knowing God was with you through the night forces you to listen to what He has in store for you today. Today, don't just react to noise, but rather, listen carefully to everything being presented to you and you'll see God's lessons for your purpose unfold before your eyes.

Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

All of us were once taught that if we didn't have anything nice to say, not to say it at all. How many of us practice it? We must be careful in choosing our words when talking about people because the same gossip that flows from the mouth is the same gossip that flows from the heart. Don't allow your heart to become filled with so much garbage that there is very little room for love.

Romans 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we are still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

I'm thankful that God's timing is nothing like ours. Think about how we sometimes run late for work, appointments, meetings, and even church.  If God were as careless as we are about timing we would remain weak and lost; but God in His infinite wisdom assures you and I that right at our breaking point, He steps right in and empowers us to soar beyond our own expectations.  You may have woke up weak this morning, but God's plan for your day is not for you to stay that way. In His time, you will be restored.

Romans 8:26 The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Your faith will take you to a new level when you become too weak to help yourself. Even if the words don't come out right, God in His infinite wisdom can still seek the desires of your heart and make you stronger to overcome any obstruction. Can't find the right words? Let God intercede.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

If you've never needed the help of someone else, just live a little longer. When we see our brothers and sisters struggling, we ought not to push them further to the ground, but rather lift them up from discouragement to encouragement.

Proverbs 13:3 “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”

Speaking out of turn or before analyzing a situation can lead you to an embarrassing predicament. Today, before jumping to conclusions or snapping on the person you think has wronged you, stop, breathe and get a full understanding of the problem and who you need to address. You may save yourself from a whole lot of drama.

Deuteronomy 4:9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Never forget where you came from, the people that prayed for you to get to that point, or the struggles you pushed through to reach the finish line. More importantly; share that story with not only your children, but all children so that they may be able to avoid some of the same struggles in their years to come.

Romans 12:12 Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.

Never give up on patience. Never give into tricks which will pull you away from God. No matter how far off your goal may seem, stick with the prayer of patience and obedience and God will be faithful to you.

Psalm 103:2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

A benefits package is an added entity which makes you decide whether or not you want a particular job. Working for Christ works the same way. You either like the benefits of following Him or you think you don't need Him. Try to imagine a life without the benefits of Christ …there is no comparison.

1 Chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Thank you God! For my family...thank you God! For my home...thank you God! For my health...thank you God! And even for my stressful job...thank you God! For all we have and for all we have yet to achieve…thank you God!

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Having trouble getting started in the morning? Dreading to go into another day at work? The problem could be because you're not expecting something great to happen. Before stepping one foot out the door tomorrow morning, ask God to direct your spirit towards achievement. Then, once you have arrived to your destination, pray again and wait for God to show you the unexpected...He could just blow your mind!

Psalm 147:12-13 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! 13For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you.

God will not only enlarge your territory, but He will protect everything within your territory.  The protection you witness when a loved one is healed or when a promotion is granted is God wrapping His arms around your situation.  Hang in there and allow God to heal, protect, and strengthen you.

John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

It IS finished! Your confusion, your heartaches, your anguish…FINISHED! Today's sacrifice is about you and I believing that His life was offered so that we could have life and live in it abundantly. Don't give in to the troubles of life, but give in to the sacrifice and know that it IS finished in Jesus Name!

John 13:1 "It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he new showed them the full extent of His love."

Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday is recognized and celebrated by Christians as the day of The Last Supper. Christ not only broke bread with His disciples, but He also humbled himself in their presence by washing their feet. When you are given the charge of a group of people, it is important to remain humble in your position as a sign to them that you have not risen so far above them that you can't respect their work or their commitment. Even if they continue their plot against you, it won't be because you didn't show love, compassion, or understanding, it will be because they will carry out their plan just because they wanted to.  Allow love to be your only reaction. 

John 13:21 "After He had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me"

Keeping your friends close to you is just as important as keeping your enemies close because sometimes, they are the same person.  Today, the 4th day of Holy Week and Christ begins to vocally let his followers know that He knows there is a trader walking along side of Him.  What patience and restriction Christ had to not jump to wrong conclusions before it was the right time. Could you have waited 4 days without being ready to flip?

Psalm 71:10 "For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together"

Yes, even in our very own tight clicks, a conspiracy to stop you from achieving your goals is right around the corner.  Here it is on the 3rd day of Holy Week and Jesus could already begin to feel the plot to destroy Him among those who were closest to Him.  The great thing about Jesus was that He didn't react immediately, instead He waited until He could identify the real trader.  Without patience, we can sometimes allow our emotions to dictate what our first reaction should be and our first reaction can be way off.  Instead of reacting on fiction, wait until all facts are in.  Your counter attack is more effective when you know who and what you're dealing with.

Welcome to one of the most monumental Christian weeks of the year, Holy week! We began on yesterday with the exchange of the palms singing "Hosanna, Hosanna...His name be praised!" As you read the scriptures for Holy Week, you will see that not only do you & I have to face adversities every day, but so did Jesus. The same crowd that was cheering Him on and throwing palms in His path, is the same crowd who on the very next day began their plot to crucify Him. Even with the plot of destruction in His very near future, Christ continued to carry out His mission. So today, I challenge all of us to not only dismiss the plots that may come up against us this week, but to persevere and strive for excellence in all that we wish to accomplish. After 40 days of praying, fasting and self reflecting, there is no reason to believe that anything can win over you and God!

Isaiah 42:6-7

"I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand.  I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness."

INSPIRATION

Even when you can't physically feel someone holding your hand, you are being lifted.  The covenant you secured when you accepted Christ as your Savior allows your hand to be held when you go to work, when you go to the doctor, and when you face any amount of weakness.  This week, allow God to open your eyes to the unthinkable and you will realize that all you've been praying for has been right in your hand the whole time, Jesus Christ!

Hebrews 11:11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age -- and Sarah herself was barren -- was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

As long as you remain faithful to God, He will be faithful to you and answer your request. Remember, our timing is not God's timing so it will never be too late to get the victory out of a situation. Stay faithful; it's on its way!

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

It's easy to lose things in the dark because you can't see; but knowing where the light it is will always keep you on the right path. If you find that you may have lost your footing on your path, read God's word and let it penetrate into your spirit. Once your spirit is lifted, your path with God will be visible again.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isn't it amazing how we wait on people to fulfill a promise, but grow impatient waiting on God? In spite of our impatience, God still says, don't give up! You're more than likely right at the edge of a breakthrough. If you've made it this far, you can go even farther.