“When the Lord takes daily attendance in life’s classroom, could He mark you “present”?

That question captured my imagination this morning. You can probably remember days in school in which you were present in the classroom, but you weren’t there.

Your mind was somewhere else. Perhaps you were looking out the window. Or maybe you were daydreaming. Maybe you decided to skip class altogether.

But you weren’t fully engaged.

Is that same habit robbing you of abundant life? Ephesians 5:15-16 says:

“See then that you walk carefully (or circumspectly), not as fools, but as wise men, making the most of the time because the days are evil.”

In my meditation upon this Scripture, I had a mental image of the Lord giving each of His people a golden ticket at the start of the day, much like a raffle or lottery ticket.

But there is one catch: Each day, you get a new golden ticket. You can’t redeem yesterday’s ticket today. You can only redeem today’s ticket on the day it is given.

If you don’t redeem each day’s ticket, you forfeit that day’s rewards.

That golden ticket represents your daily time. Your golden ticket represents unlimited potential. How will you redeem your day today?

Options could include:

• Sharing your testimony about what Jesus has done for you
• Performing an act of kindness to help someone else
• Giving an extra kiss to your spouse
• Running around the backyard with your children
• Singing badly as you clean up the house
• Praying for a stranger
• Building a habit that makes you healthier and stronger

The possibilities are endless! The origin of the word circumspect means to “look around.” This is the opposite of going through your life in a brain fog.

This Scripture urges you to live in a way that “looks around.” You seek daily opportunities to make a positive difference in your life and others’.

The Lord has a purpose and a plan for you. Your purpose is far greater than any pain you might have experienced in the past. If you don’t know your purpose, then make that a point of diligent, daily prayer.

Most importantly, don’t wait until you know the entire plan before taking action. At the minimum, use your spiritual gifts daily. Act upon what you know today.

Redeem your daily golden ticket so that it multiplies into golden blessings, both for yourself and others.

How will you redeem your golden ticket today? {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website . Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

For the original article, visit .

Over these 15 years of marriage, I’ve realized that loving my wife and liking my wife aren’t necessarily a pair that always fit together.

This is especially the case when I feel my wife doesn’t respect my simple requests. One such request is to dry clean my shirts rather than washing them. This topic has been discussed several times over the years. One time, she ruined one of my favorite shirts after I’d told her I prefer to dry clean this shirt versus wash it. Instead of listening, she decided to throw it in with our regular laundry. Unfortunately, my shirt did not survive the wash and came out with bleach spots.

With my ruined shirt in hand, I realized I really didn’t like my wife in that moment. But I still must love her. Love is more than a feeling; it is a choice. We have the ability to choose love.

Here are four ways to choose to love your spouse when you don’t even like her.

1. Treat her better than you treat yourself. Think about how you react when you mess up. You still do everything in your best interest. You don’t say discouraging things about your mistakes; you don’t feel guilty constantly. Instead, you try to move on. Do the same for your wife even when she’s messed up or is not enjoyable.

2. Think of how life would be without her. My wife is going back to work after 12 years of working from home and being a stay-at-home homeschooling mom. To say the dynamics of our household will change is the understatement of the year. And this isn’t death or sickness, just eight hours away from home per day. I could only imagine if this were permanent, like death. I’d sleep alone each night, my kids couldn’t get those hugs they love from her, I wouldn’t have her perspective when dealing with teenage daughter things. Not to mention the logistics of having multiple kids and schedules that sometimes require two parents to pull off successfully. The list could go on and on.

3. Sacrifice through serving her. There is something great about giving up things for yourself to help, encourage or benefit someone else—it is fulfilling. Skip times with the fellas to cook dinner for her. Miss the game to watch Lifetime or Hallmark with her. Do the laundry so she doesn’t have to. Miss your lunch break, so you can bring her food after she forgot her lunch. Allow your service in love to get past the parts or times when you don’t like her.

4. Set her apart. When speaking of my wife to other people, I typically refer to her as “my wife.” I rarely refer to her as Stephana. I do this because I’m the only one who can do that. Nobody else can call her “my wife.” It sets her apart and shows her and everyone around that she is special. Additionally, even when I don’t necessarily like her, I speak well of her to others.

So even when I’m frustrated, confused or hurt by her, she is still my wife, and my love and actions for her is to be different from everybody else. I hold her hand, touch her differently, introduce her first when speaking with someone she doesn’t know and give her my jacket if she’s cold. I challenge you to find ways you can set your wife apart from others and show everyone, especially her, how special she is. {eoa}

Jackie Bledsoe is an author, blogger, and speaker but first and foremost a husband and father of three, who helps men better lead and love the ones who matter most.

Fear is an enemy that torments the soul and seeks to steal our lives. Conquering it is not something that we do in one day, or even in 1,000 days. It is something that we conquer one day at a time with God’s help.

Fear can show up unexpectedly. One of our goals should be to recognize it so we can deal with it right away.

Recently, I was waking up at about 2 or 3 in the morning and then having difficulty going back to sleep. After two nights of that, I found myself going to bed with a vague sort of fear that it would happen again, and sure enough, it did. After about three nights of the same thing, God reminded me that I could pray and resist Satan, the source of all fear.

According to God’s Word, the sleep of the righteous should be sweet (Prov. 3:24). I prayed immediately and went back to sleep and have not had any problems since then.

We have power and authority over the enemy, but authority is useless if it is not exercised.

Being free from fear doesn’t mean that we will never experience it or be confronted by it. It means that we are committed to not allowing it to rule our lives, and when necessary we will do what we need to do, even if we have to do it afraid.

Each time you feel fear and decide to “do it afraid,” you will enjoy your new freedom so much that you will soon be totally unwilling to do without it. You will become determined to end your days of slavery to fear. That does not mean that you won’t still need to confront your fears, but it does mean that you will be more and more willing to keep confronting them.

Galatians 5:1 (AMPC) says, “In [this] freedom Christ has made us free [and completely liberated us]; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery [which you have once put off].” This Scripture is very clear that even though we have been completely liberated from a yoke of bondage, we will need at times to “stand fast,” and not allow ourselves to be entrapped by it again.

Satan is very shrewd, and he doesn’t give up easily. I guess we can say that he never completely gives up the hope of drawing us back into bondage. We must live watchfully, ready to recognize and immediately confront the things that steal our liberty in Christ.

The Bible says that the righteous man falls seven times and gets up again (Prov. 24:16). I love that Scripture and I am greatly encouraged by it. Even the most righteous person fails to do everything he knows to do all the time, but he is committed to not giving up.

If you have a weak moment, that doesn’t mean you have lost your victory. But if we give up, we won’t be in a position to get help from God, because we receive His help through faith, not through hopelessness. We need to stay positive, hopeful and filled with faith, and when we do, we can overcome anything with God’s help. I often say that anyone can succeed if they refuse to give up!

Some fears are more deeply rooted in us than other ones, and for that reason, they may be ones we have to resist more aggressively. Mine is the fear of making people angry. My father was always angry, and I never really knew if I had done something to make him that way or not. I would like to be able to say that after all of these years of teaching others, I no longer have to deal with this fear, but that’s not the case. However, the good news is now I recognize it and I deal with it, so I still have the victory.

Being able to recognize the lies, deceit and strategies of the devil is so important. We should always be ready to resist him at the onset of his attacks, because the longer we let a fear remain, the more difficult it is to get rid of. So make a decision to be a person of action. You have what it takes to win! 

The Word of God says that we are more than conquerors through Christ who loves us (Rom. 8:37). God has given us all that we could ever need to overcome our fears through Christ. He has blessed us with every blessing in the spiritual realm (Eph. 1:3). He has given us power and authority over all the power the devil possesses (Luke 10:19). We have what it takes, but we must be active in our faith and never give up.

Don’t be impatient! Possessing the full freedom that is yours in Christ is a journey. It is something we gain and then need to maintain. Always enjoy your progress instead of merely looking at how far you have to go. Today is a new day, and every day you can be one step closer to conquering your fears! {eoa}

The ministry of angels is evident throughout Scripture, which says angels are “ministering spirits sent out to minister to those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14). As Christians, we should rejoice like the angels when people give their lives to Him and appreciate that there are “innumerable” angels in heaven, and each has an assignment from God (Heb. 12:22).

Some angels stand in the presence of God at all times (Rev. 8:2), while others protect the children of God (Ps. 91:11). Some have participated in physical battles on earth as 2 Kings 19:35 illustrates. Angels were used by God to slay the Assyrian army. Daniel 10 records the angel that went to Daniel to tell him of his answered prayers during his fast. This angel fought a battle in the heavens and was reinforced by Michael the archangel to go to Daniel and reveal future events.

God used angels to close the mouth of the lions and wage spiritual warfare in the heavens. They can attend to our aid as they did Elijah in 1 Kings 19:5-8 and Jesus in Matthew 4:11 and Luke 23:43.

Angels can also help during deliverance ministry. I became aware of this once while I was in the middle of a deliverance session for a young woman who claimed to be a Satanist. We used every spiritual weapon we could such as praise, worship and Scripture as we took authority over each evil spirit.

As we prayed for her, I would prophetically know the sin that was committed needing repentance. The anointing of the Holy Spirit was evident, and I was aware of what He was doing as well as the angelic realm around us during this spiritual battle.

Leading her in renouncing each sin, we cast the spirits out one by one. But at a certain point, a demon started mocking us and I asked the Lord to have His angels silence and deal with this spirit, and it immediately stopped. This young woman gave her life to Jesus and then received the wonderful baptism with the Holy Spirit that night.

Another time I was aware of angels and their ministry during a deliverance service in which I was about to preach. A young man stomped out of the room during worship and my concerned staff followed him and then came to get me. This young man was agitated during worship and showed threatening behavior. At first I asked if I could pray with him, but the boldness of God fell on me and I commanded him to return to the service and that we would pray over him after the message is preached.

At the end of the service, the young man came up to us and written on his hand were three names combined as one. He said this came to him during the message. My staff member and I immediately knew this name was demonic and under the anointing of the Spirit we prayed over him. He crumpled to the floor as the demons fought for control.

We led him in repentance and renunciation and asked the Lord at several points to have His angels intervene during this time at several points of the deliverance.

At one point, the young man had a childlike voice speak out of him asking for help. We led him in prayer and, after he was completely free, we prayed over him and he was filled with the Spirit.

After this he got up and shared with us how he saw himself like a little child in a dark room, but a door opened and Jesus walked in bringing light to every corner of the room. All he remembered was the vision he received and being filled with the Spirit and we rejoiced with him. It was truly amazing to see what Jesus did and to be aware of the ministry of His angels during this spiritual battle under the anointing of the marvelous Holy Spirit.

We can take joy in knowing that angels can help during deliverance ministry and that at the great end-times harvest, angels will be used by God to “gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do evil and will throw them into a fiery furnace.” (Matt. 13:41-42). {eoa}

Jared Laskey is founder and lead pastor at Destiny Open Bible Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is a Master of Divinity student at Regent University. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of His Holy Spirit. You can follow him on Twitter @jaredalaskey, or contact him through his website .

As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. Do you believe this?

How much influence do you believe your thoughts have on how you experience life and on your health? James Allen, author of As a Man Thinketh, once said, “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” I’m absolutely convinced that we can make significant changes in our life, and in many cases, to our health, by changing the way we think.

What the Research and Science Say

Our thoughts and emotions are represented in the body as electrochemical reactions. These chemicals are constantly floating around in our bodies and are stored in different places. The research is clear that negative thoughts, and the associated harmful chemicals, have detrimental effects on our health. Dwelling on an unpleasant experience increases the release of chemicals that can weaken the immune system over time.

This may hamper someone’s ability to fight illness, says psychologist Nicholas Christenfeld of the University of California-San Diego. He also says increases in the stress hormone cortisol after rumination, or dwelling, on the negative also can hinder the immune system and contribute to cardiovascular disease. Other studies suggest that those who ruminate a lot on the negative may have higher blood pressure and heart rates, less effective immune systems, surges of stress hormones that strain the heart, more depression and perhaps even shorter life spans.

As Dr. Caroline Leaf writes in Who Switched Off My Brain?, “Fear triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses and activates more than 30 different hormones and neurotransmitters.” In Deadly Emotions, Don Colbert, M.D., writes, “I’ve worked with countless people who have discovered that once they made a sincere effort to tackle their dysfunctional thought patterns, they had fewer bouts of depression, anxiety, anger, grief, shame, jealousy and all other toxic emotions. It isn’t difficult to replace lies with God’s truth. It just takes intentional and consistent effort. … It takes the time and energy to find statements of God’s truth and apply them to life’s lies.”

What the Bible Says

• “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7).
• “Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth” (Col. 3:2).
• “To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6).
• “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).
• “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2).

What You Can Do

You can control the degree to which harmful chemicals float around in your body by adjusting your thinking patterns. Start by making a deliberate decision to change how you think. Commit to putting a concerted effort into this for a week and see if it doesn’t make a difference in your attitude, emotions and resulting behavior.

Begin to monitor your thinking patterns and identify when you’re thinking or meditating on negative thoughts or thoughts that cause you to be anxious or are connected with some other harmful emotion. Let those thoughts go and replace them with positive thoughts.

Read the Bible and meditate on Scriptures. Believe what you read to be true and tuck these truths into your mind and your heart. Identify Scriptures that are meaningful to you and create personal affirmations and speak them out loud. Here’s an example using Psalm 63:5, “You satisfy me more than the richest of foods.” When reading and meditating on Scripture becomes part of your daily “diet,” you’ll likely see a change in your thinking patterns.

Consider the impact of what you read, watch and listen to. Your mind is a filter for what comes into your body through the five senses. The less “junk” information you are exposed to, the less frequently your mind will have to make a decision whether to continue to think about that “junk” information.

If there is an ongoing struggle with a certain memory that brings you emotional pain, sorrow or anger, prayerfully and humbly ask God to help you forgive yourself or the other person. Consider seeking help from a professional to work through the issue. After you’ve dealt with the strong harmful emotions, deliberately replace thinking about that situation with positive thoughts.

Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear that there is an evil force we are at war with and the primary battlefield is in our minds. The enemy wants to keep us dwelling on the negative and to steal our joy and health. God desires us to be filled with peace, joy and love. The more effort we intentionally put into fighting this battle in our minds, the more likely we’ll enjoy healthier lives.

Like training the muscles of your body to be more physically fit, you can train yourself to feed your mind with healthy thoughts. And as Paul indicates in Romans 12:2, you can be transformed by changing the way you think. I have experienced this in my life. My prayers are that you might experience a similar transformation. Part of the resulting transformation may include improved emotional and physical health. {eoa}

Dale Fletcher is a speaker and wellness coach who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He writes and conducts workshops on the link between the Christian faith and health. Connect with Dale at .

Have you ever known someone who seems drawn to self-pity or constantly faces one crisis after another—often of their own making?

The enemy can deceive these people into thinking they are all alone in their distress. They start to see themselves as helpless, victims of their circumstances.

For people in the world, this may be true. However, it is never true for those of us in Jesus Christ!

The Word of God tells us that we have a built-in Helper—the Holy Spirit. When you accepted Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit came to live in you and to be with you:

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (John 14:26).

It’s important that we know the truth about feeling helpless because the enemy has used that feeling to keep many people in bondage.

Recently, I learned about a psychological condition called “learned helplessness.” When we feel helpless, the brain releases a chemical called ‘beta-endorphin.’ While God created this chemical as a natural painkiller and to create feelings of security, the enemy can twist this emotion.

In their thinking, a person with learned helplessness begins to associate feeling bad with feeling good! So in recreating disastrous situations in their lives or nurturing feelings of self-pity, they are seeking feelings of pleasure or safety subconsciously—the high that beta-endorphin gives!

That is not how the Lord wants His people to live. Thankfully, we can get the good feelings that beta-endorphin gives in healthier ways.

In John 10:10, Jesus says: “The thief does not come, except to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Whenever helpless feelings try to seduce you with their false comfort, you must affirm this truth every time they come calling:

“I am not helpless because the Lord is with me.”

Here are four additional Scriptures that you have the Lord’s help in whatever situation you are facing:

• “I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who guards Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps. 121:1-4).
• “Why, my soul, are you cast down? Why do you groan within me? Wait for God; I will yet thank Him, for He is my deliverance and my God” (Ps. 42:11).
• “Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and they to whom it was first preached did not enter due to unbelief” (Heb. 4:6).
• “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Is. 41:10).

If the enemy tries to convince you that you are without help and hope, do not believe his lies again. Remind yourself that you have the Lord on your side. If God be for you, then who can be against you?

Your daily choices also determine the level of freedom you experience in this area. You can have more freedom through:

• Solidifying your daily relationship with the Lord (prayer, praise, worship, spending quiet time in the Lord’s presence)
• Renewing your mind to the truth in God’s Word
• Eating to support emotional stability and self-control (see the “Feel Good Meal Plan” in the Take Back Your Temple program)
• Adding at least 30 minutes or more of exercise in your daily routine, which increases the natural release of beta-endorphin in the body
• Doing things daily to build joy into your life in healthy ways

These things close the door to the enemy and will help you to experience abundant life in Christ! So resolve today to be diligent putting them into practice.

Now that you know you are not without help, you will able to declare with confidence in the day of trial:

“I am not helpless because the Lord is with me.” {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website . Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

For the original article, visit .

Many years ago, Major League Baseball pitcher Terry Mulholland was selected as the starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star Game. Mulholland planned to reject the invitation and pass up a chance to pitch in the summer classic.

Why? Terry is also a father. He’s a long-distance dad who saw the three-day break as a chance to catch up with his young son, Tyler. They’d planned a father-son fishing trip, and Terry was determined to keep his word. As it turned out, Mulholland’s manager gave him another day off, so he was able to pitch in the game and then fly to Arizona to take Tyler fishing.

There are such men who are recognized for wanting to be successful in the eyes of their kids, despite the distance. But for many long-distance dads, life is anything but glorious. Sometimes it seems you receive nothing but contempt from society at large. If you are divorced, here’s how to make the most of fathering from a distance.

No Access

The one obstacle all non-custodial fathers must hurdle is access: seeing your children at any time and participating in the daily happenings of their lives. For many single dads, there’s nothing you wouldn’t give to have free access to your children. You must look at the men out there who do live with their children—but aren’t really involved in their lives—and just shake your head. The movie Mrs. Doubtfire helped to surface a lot of these complex, difficult emotions.

And your situation has only been made worse by the unfortunate legacy associated with single fathers. Those men who are irresponsible and inconsistent with their kids, who are bitter and unforgiving toward their ex-wives, and who deserve the moniker “Deadbeat Dad,” have helped to create an atmosphere of distrust toward all single fathers. No matter how committed you may be to your children, you’d be wise to realize from the beginning that it’s going to take time to earn back the trust that other men have squandered, whether you’re dealing with judges, social workers or ex-wives.

Divorce naturally brings distrust between a man and woman. But even though she’s no longer your legal spouse, she’s still your children’s mother. Your kids’ sense of confusion and insecurity will be minimized by a civil, cooperative relationship between their parents.

‘3-Legged Tables’

There’s a simple plan for effective fathering we call the I-CANs: Involvement, Consistency, Awareness and Nurturance. Together they encompass everything strong fathers do. For a divorced or long-distance dad, the problem of no access has placed you at a disadvantage. How can you possibly be highly involved in your kids’ lives?

A four-legged table is sturdy-much more so than one with three legs or two. In the same way, the four I-CANs make for sturdy, confident fathering. But if your situation has taken you away from your kids, losing that one leg (Involvement) may cause your “table” to wobble or even collapse. That’s no reason to give up; it’s a call to work even harder to bolster the other three legs-Consistency, Awareness and Nurturance.

Work especially hard on consistency; be regular and predictable in your emotions, your schedule, and in keeping promises. Your consistency will be most apparent in communication, support payments, and being prompt and reliable during visitation. Maintain an awareness: get feedback as often as you can about your children. Talk to teachers and coaches, and keep track of each child’s individual needs and concerns. Make sure you physically nurture them when you’re with them, but also do it verbally as often as you can. Instead of being lavish with new toys or other gifts, shower them with displays and words of affection. Affirm your kids for who they are and for what they were created to be.

You can’t make up for lost time. Maybe you’re just beginning to realize the power and the rewards of being a good father. Maybe you feel you’ve let them down in the past. It happens to every dad, and it’s natural to want to make it up to them somehow. That’s a good instinct to have. Unfortunately, it’s easy to channel that healthy resolve into wild extravaganzas with your kids to try to make things right.

So maybe you take them to baseball games and amusement parks and load them down with pennants, stuffed animals, junk food, and a lot of confusion. Kids love these activities, but such “blow-outs” are only one side of a huge pendulum swing. A month of not hearing from their father and then POW. It can really shake kids up.

All children need regular and predictable contact with their father (consistency!). An encouraging phone call once a week is more beneficial to them than four trips to Disney World strewn throughout the year. And think of your child’s mother: It’s hard to bring a child back down to Earth after a week with dad filled with amusement parks and Pizza Hut.

What do you want your child to remember about your relationship during these years? A roller coaster ride? A grand slam home run? Or would you rather have him remember many times with you, and none of them really stick out in his mind because the events themselves weren’t important; he simply cherished the chance to spend time getting to know his dad?

How would your kids define fatherhood? Would they say it’s a series of erratic, confusing phone calls? Broken promises? What Mom mutters about Dad under her breath? They desperately need you to redefine fatherhood for them, because someday they may either become a dad or be married to one, and they’ll think of the influential men in their lives. If you’ve done your best to stay involved in their lives, they’ll think of you. And if you’ve been faithful and made the most of a tough situation, they’ll have a wealth of memories which will bring confidence and strength as they grow up, marry and bring up their own children. {eoa}

For the original article, visit .

Almost 60 percent of American adults say they had difficult childhoods featuring abusive or troubled family members or parents who were absent due to separation or divorce.

Nearly 9 percent say that while growing up they underwent five or more “adverse childhood experiences” (ACES) ranging from verbal, physical or sexual abuse to family dysfunction such as domestic violence, drug or alcohol abuse, or the absence of a parent.

This data was reported in the Dec 17, 2010, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the report, Dr. Lee M. Sanders, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine says, “There is a connection of these events to lifelong implications, not just for mental health for adults, but also for physical health.”

Valerie J. Edwards, team lead for the Adverse Childhood Experiences Team at CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, says that a person who has several of these events is more likely to become obese, get cancer or have heart disease. In the report, Edwards said. “This is serious and it’s not just a quirk of statistics. It’s a real relationship.”

The Faith and Health Link

As the experts have indicated, if left unaddressed, issues like these childhood traumas can likely affect one’s emotional health in adulthood. Over time, these emotional issues can affect one’s physical health. Deep-rooted emotions and beliefs associated with such trauma such as anxiety, resentment, shame, low self-worth, rejection and unforgiveness can play havoc with one’s endocrine, cardiovascular and immune system, resulting in a host of chronic diseases.

In general, medical practitioners do not care for these issues of the soul that are at the root of these diseases. This is where faith in the healing power of God and his Son Jesus comes into play. Jesus’ compassion, love and power expressed through his followers and accompanied with prayer, can bring inner healing to the soul of these traumatized individuals. This inner soul healing then favors improved physical health.

The sooner a child or young adult can come to experience the deep love and healing power of God, through Jesus, the more likely they will not succumb to these long-term emotional and physical health problems. Healing and restoration is part of the life transformation that God desires His children to experience in this life on Earth.

Such experiences of healing and improved personal wholeness can be a witness and encouragement to others of God’s love, grace and power. It can also enable healed these healed individuals to better give their life away in service to others. In all this, God receives glory.

It’s sad that the statistics in this report are what they are, but it’s good news to know that God is still in the business of healing and restoration of His children. Our role as believers and followers of Christ is to be a conduit of this message and His love.

Related Scriptures

• “A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones” (Prov. 17:22, MEV).
• A sound heart is the life of the flesh, but envy the rottenness of the bones” (Prov. 14:30, MEV).
• “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, MEV).
• “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 14:18-19, MEV).
• “Immediately he rose, picked up the bed, and went out in front of them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this“ (Mark 2:12, MEV). {eoa}

For the original article, visit .

I’ve been on a journey with the Lord this past year, wading through some disturbing issues in modern prophetic ministry. Although I see a lot of error and hype, I still believe wholeheartedly in the pure prophetic—and still see plenty of it. The Lord spoke these words to my heart in September, and I’m just now releasing them widely:

I’m about to ignite the prophets. Many have ignored the prophetic voices in this hour, but I’m about to set them on fire so the world can watch them burn with the message that’s on My heart. Many have forsaken My prophetic voices in the season, but I’m about to raise them up in an undeniable way so that all can see that I have a voice, and I have a say, and I have a plan, and I have a purpose for My people and for this nation in the season.

So embrace My fire now as I pour it out upon you and understand that I am doing a new thing in the prophetic ministry. Some of the old ways are no longer working because they were seasonal. The new way will be fire, fire, fire. The new way will be intimacy with Me that demonstrates and manifests My love in the midst of the hard days. 

I will give you hard words, but they will be laced with fire and they will burn through the opposition. Some will still oppose you, yes, but many will begin to hear because as they see and they sense what is happening in the world they will need verbiage and words to understand and describe what it is they are coming into. 

The prophets and prophetic voices in the land will not only give heed to what I’m saying, but they will express it with clarity. They will sound the alarm. They will blow the trumpet. They will understand what is on My mind and what is on My heart because they have spent time in My counsel. I am bringing them out of the wilderness places even now, and I am setting them on a watch tower, and I am setting them in a military formation to go forth and lead an army of prophetic saints into the battlefield to overtake the wicked one in Jesus’ name.

There is so much here to process, but I want to point out five things to consider. 

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1. He is about to set the prophets on fire. God is looking for John the Baptist prophets in this hour who will confront religious demons working to hold back the next great move of God. Jesus called John the Baptist a burning and shining lamp (John 5:35). The word burning in that verse comes from the Greek word kaio, which means “to set on fire, light, burning to burn, consume with fire.”

Isaiah 40:3-5 described John the Baptist this way: “The voice of him who cries out, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord in the wilderness, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low, and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rough places a plain; then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.'”

The fiery prophets will pave the way to the glory of God by confronting the demons that blind people’s eyes and dull their ears. He called the religious Pharisees a brood of vipers! These forerunner prophets will cry out with messages of repentance in the last days that will turn hearts back to the fathers, according to Malachi 4:6. Ask the Lord to set you on fire so the world can watch you burn!

2. Embrace the new fire. He said new fire, not strange fire. There’s a strange fire making its way through prophetic ministry. God wants prophetic people with new fire that comes from intimacy with Him to rise up and demonstrate pure prophecies, legitimate signs and wonders and authentic miracles. The Lord is not looking for one-hit wonders. He’s looking for living signs that point the way to Jesus. The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. 

This also means embracing the refiner’s fire and the making process. Proverbs 17:3 says, “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tries the hearts.” Isaiah 48:10-11 says, “See, I have refined you, but not with silver; I have chosen you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, even for My own sake, I will do it; for how can My name be polluted? And I will not give My glory to another.”

Click here to learn more about Jennifer’s Ignite network to connect prophets and prophetic voices in this hour.

3. The Lord is bringing a clear sound in the true prophetic. There are so many conflicting prophetic voices. Some of them really aren’t conflicting. They are just prophesying their part. We must discern the spirits behind the prophecies. Clarity is one of the tests.

First Corinthians 14:7-9 says, “Even when things without life give sound, whether flute or harp, how will it be known what is played unless they give a distinction in the sounds? If the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare himself for the battle? So also you, unless with the tongue you speak words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you shall speak into the air.”

We don’t need ambiguous prophecies no one can understand in this hour. We don’t need prophets to speak in parables in this hour. We need a clear sound so we can prepare our hearts and war with the prophecies offered. We need accountability in the prophetic. It’s time to set the trumpet to your mouth and blow it with clarity and confidence.

4. We need to stand in His counsel. The new breed of accurate prophets and prophetic people will cultivate intimacy with God and stand in His counsel. Intimacy is one of the markers that is going to distinguish the new breed of prophets. Jeremiah’s words are still prophetic for today.

We are coming into a season where we will see “people fainting from fear and expectation of the [dreadful] things coming on the world” (Luke 21:26, AMP). We’re seeing a foretaste of this even now. We must invest time to cultivate the oil of intimacy so we can oil our shields as we enter escalating end-times warfare amid a Great Falling Away that will see many deceived.

5. God is going to bring unknown voices out of the wilderness and into formation. Prophets who have been hidden in the wilderness will emerge with fresh oil on their shields and fresh revelation in their hearts to declare the uncompromising word of the Lord by faith. Watchman ministry will receive newfound respect in the coming hour as Christians find themselves blindsided by world events. Watchmen and spiritual warriors will connect in new ways, working together in unity to push back the darkness trying to stop the manifestation of the glorious church. {eoa}

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, co-founder of , on the leadership team of the New Breed Revival Network and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening; Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan’s Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter. Jennifer’s Periscope handle is @propheticbooks.

In James 4:14, our lives are described as “a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

There are not enough hours in a day to do everything. There are not enough years in your life to live for everything. There is not enough blood in your veins to bleed for everything. That’s why it is so important that you choose your battles wisely, don’t get distracted and sacrifice what is “best” on the altar of what is “good.”

In 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul encourages us to run the race of our lives “that you may obtain it.” A person who is running to win sets his eyes on the finish line and goes for it with all his might. A person who is running to win has made a choice to lay down everything else for the sake of the prize.

Reinhard Bonnke once told me the story of how a newspaper had spread vicious lies about him. His friends, jealous for his reputation, urged him to respond. But when he prayed, the Lord spoke to him and said, “You are My harvest worker. Don’t stop the combine harvester just to catch a mouse!”

There are a lot of good battles out there to fight, and the devil would be happy if you would get involved in every one of them, because if he can keep you distracted chasing mice, he can rob you of your harvest. John Maxwell wrote, “At age 60, I now look back at my youth and I cringe at my naïveté. My toolbox of experience had only one tool in it: a hammer. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So I pounded and pounded. I fought many battles I shouldn’t have.”

Years ago a friend of mine became fascinated with a particular doctrinal debate. Although it was an issue of little or no real-life consequence, he was so sure he was right that he started an ongoing argument within the church where he was on staff. The pastor, realizing that this debate was causing more harm than good, asked him to drop it. He refused, choosing rather to forfeit his job and ministry.

This story would not be worth sharing if it were the only time I have seen this. But I could point to several people who are out of ministry today because they were derailed by something petty. Somehow they lost sight of the big harvest and started chasing mice.

Paul exhorts us to “avoid foolish debates, genealogies, contentions, and arguments about the law, for they are unprofitable and useless” (Titus 3:9).

Notice that Paul did not call these controversies, arguments and quarrels sinful things; he called them unprofitable and useless things. Even if something is not necessarily a sin, it can still distract us from what is important. That is why Paul was exhorting us not to get distracted but to stay focused on what is useful and profitable.

I’ve seen pastors who spent more time doing construction projects at their church than they spent pastoring their people. I have seen ministries of evangelists whom God called to preach the gospel of salvation transform into humanitarian organizations. I have seen people who have been gifted in particular areas decide to follow more lucrative paths that took them away from their calling.

These are all examples of the ways the enemy can distract us from God’s will for our lives. It’s not that the distractions are necessarily bad things. In fact, sometimes they are wonderful things. But if they keep us from the best thing—doing God’s will—the enemy has succeeded.

We’ve been talking a lot about God’s will for your life, but remember, the devil also has a plan for you, and his plan is to make you ineffective and unfruitful. He would love for you to park your combine harvester to chase mice. If he cannot block you, he will try to derail you. He will try to distract you from your assignment. Ignore him. Keep your eyes on the prize, keep fighting in the middle of your field, and run your race in such a way that you will win! {eoa}

Daniel Kolenda is an evangelist and the president and CEO of Christ for all Nations (CfaN), the worldwide ministry of evangelist Reinhard Bonnke.