Question of the Day

First things first. Make your relationship with God your first priority. Here are three ways you can stay connected to God every day.1. Stop all compromise.Refuse to allow the things of the world—material possessions, career position, sinful pursuits, ungodly relationships or social standing—to eat away at your time with God. Get His Word into your heart so deeply that no one else’s opinion is important.

Everyone faces difficult people at some time—the auto mechanic who overcharges you, the doctor who lacks a good bedside manner, even the waiter who can’t seem to get your order right and frankly, doesn’t care. But what happens when those difficult people inhabit your workplace? When your workplace becomes hostile, you need to stand in faith by standing on the Word.

Forgiveness is a powerful principle of God. God’s Word is clear that we are to forgive, but if you are struggling to forgive someone who has wronged you, begin reading and thinking about these six scriptures. Then make the quality decision to forgive that person. Your emotional and spiritual well-being depend on it. Ephesians 4:32: Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Have you ever wondered what faith and love have to do with one another? Galatians 5:6 says, “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.”Faith works by love. It is energized by love. Faith is put into motion by love. Why is that? Well, most of us are probably familiar with the Apostle Paul’s teaching on love in 1 Corinthians 13. But as we read verses 1-3 in The Amplified Bible, I want us to focus on the faith-love connection.

Now more than ever before, we must pay attention to God’s instructions. We must take hold of the Word of God and refuse to let go—especially in difficult times. We must be like the writer of Psalm 119 who said: “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.... The wicked have set their traps for me, but I will not turn from your commandments. Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.” (verses 105-106, 110-111).

You made it! As a new college graduate, now is the time to put a strong financial plan together. Here are some smart financial steps to ensure you have the success you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

“Lord, help my finances!”If you are like 40 percent of American families who spend more than they earn, you have probably spoken those words. And Americans aren’t alone. Consider this:

Are you tired of living the same old way? Jesus didn’t redeem you so that you could be sad, depressed, sick and broke. He came so you could have “life, and...have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).Kenneth and Gloria Copeland have been living that reality for more than 45 years, and they’ve taught others how to live it, too. Start enjoying life more at any age, whether you’re 18 or 81. Continue to Grow

Work pressures. Family commitments. Church outreaches. All these things are well and good. They may even be God-ordained, but if you find yourself feeling the effects of too many commitments, then it’s time to de-stress your life. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Don’t let stress keep you from having an abundant life. Implement these five steps and get your life moving in the right direction!          Make Time for the Word

Becoming debt-free is something every Christian can—and should—accomplish. The Bible tells us in Romans 13:8 to “keep out of debt and owe no many anything, except to love one another....”  In fact, as believers, we should be the lender, not the borrower (Deuteronomy 28:12).Getting out of debt basically requires some decisions on your part.

Jealousy is a sense of uneasiness or anxiety stemming from fear of preference being given to another, or fear of loss of position or affection.Actually, you can’t handle jealousy. You can, however, confirm your love by acts of attention and affection and by words of admiration and appreciation. But only God can resolve jealousy in a spouse.You can participate with Him by consistently walking in love toward your spouse. Ask the Lord to help you walk in love according to 1 Corinthians 13:

Remember: As the Body of Christ, we don’t have a lack of money! God has provided every dollar we will ever need not only to have all our needs met, but also to bless others.When you’re feeling lack, what you need is to get hold of God’s Word about your finances and have a renewing of your mind concerning money in your life. The devil would like to keep you thinking you will never have an abundance of money. That’s a lie!

We maintain our healing the same way we received our healing…by the power of God’s Word and by our taking hold of the finished work of Jesus.Once we have been healed of an ailment or disease, we should continue to declare God’s Word over the situation, giving thanks for the manifestation of healing in our body. When asked about it, we should give the credit where it’s due—to the Word and to the Lord Jesus.

Your business decisions should always be made after you have heard clearly from the Lord that you are walking in His will for your life. Then you’ll know that each decision that lines up with that vision will be a step in the right direction.Hear from Him according to His Word. Get involved in those ventures that will glorify Him and bring Him honor. As you consider your business decisions, keep in mind Philippians 4:8—always make sure your decisions are based on honesty, justness, truth, purity, loveliness, virtue, praiseworthiness and a good report.

Here are Brother Copeland’s steps to withdrawing from your heavenly account based on Paul’s teaching in Philippians 4:15-17.Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5). That’s the key to parenting your children—regardless of their stage in life!In other words, all your parenting should be led by the Spirit.You will do well to recognize and respect their differences. They are not you! They will do things differently than you did. Give them the opportunity to find their own way as you trust God to guide them.

When you allow the Holy Spirit within you to be your guide, you can say “no” without explanation.You would be wise to discuss this with your friends to whom you may have to say “no.” Let them know you trust the Lord to help you make decisions about certain (or all) areas of your life.Help them to understand that He knows what lies ahead in every decision and you can’t just strike out doing your own thing without getting His OK!

The key to living continually in divine health is simply to take your prescription! Here it is:Proverbs 4:20-23: “My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it spring the issues of life.”Go to your Bible and find the scriptures that deal with healing and long life. Use God’s Word like a daily dose of medicine and see your health thrive.

When God created man He gave him authority on the earth, which included dominion over the fish, birds and animals (Genesis 1:26-28). Likewise, Jesus has given the believer authority in the spirit realm and the empowerment to do mighty works (Matthew 16:19; Mark 16:15-18). But at no time has God ever given us dominion over other people. God did not create us to rule or control one another, nor did He create us to be ruled or controlled by other people. Jesus set the captives free (Luke 4:18)!

You can’t change unlovable people. You can’t even “deal with” them. But you can develop your love until you can love them just the way they are.Loving people—no matter how badly they act, no matter how rotten their attitude—is something you can do. And you do it by faith. You do it in the same way that you grow anything that comes by faith: You plant the seeds, water them and let God give the increase of love.