Category Archives: Devotionals

Devotionals, False Prophecy, Idolatry

Cars, Houses and Husbands ¦ Devotional

Scripture: The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd. – Zechariah 10:2

A friend of mine once received a prophecy telling her she was going to get married very soon. The ‘prophet’ even told her the name of the guy she was going to marry, which happened to be the name of a guy she’d had her eyes set on and had been praying for some time that one day he would be her husband. Finally, God had given her the confirmation she needed (or so she thought)! Her excitement was bubbling over and her heart was now full of hope and anticipation of the love story that was about to unfold.

The love story never happened. He married someone else. She was utterly bewildered. Had she missed God’s plan for her life? Or if he wasn’t the man for her, how could she have been so deceived? The prophecy seemed so accurate, it answered her heart’s cry and yet she found herself confused and broken-hearted. Did God lead her into a trap? If He really loved her, how could he have let this happen?

Sadly my friend had never learnt the spiritual truth that idolatry can attract false prophecy.

How many times have you heard of a person receiving a specific prophecy that seems like it’s straight out of God’s mouth? It promises that in a specific time period they will receive the very thing they’ve been waiting, hoping and praying for (such as the perfect car, house or husband). It can include the most accurate details that the ‘prophet’ could never have known without some kind of supernatural knowledge.

The only reason we can find in scripture for such a prophecy to occur is if the person receiving the prophecy has an idol in their heart. Ezekiel 14:4 says ‘Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the LORD will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry.’

The lesson is simple, if you want to avoid being deceived by false prophecy, deal with your idols. Make sure that God is number one and that nothing in your life is more important to you than Him.

This kind of prophecy brings false hope and Proverbs 13:12 tells us that ‘hope deferred makes the heart sick’. Satan would love to bring sickness into your heart by filling it with empty promises. Your heart is the wellspring of life, and my advice to you today is exactly the same as King Solomon’s, one of the wisest men who ever lived – guard it.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You love me and want the very best for me. Thank You for reminding me to guard my heart today. I am so sorry for allowing other things to become more important to me than You. I’m sorry for constantly praying for the things that I want, rather than entrusting my future into Your hands and being content with what I have. I want to say sorry for the times I’ve been disappointed with You, when in reality I had set up idols in my heart. Lord Jesus, I offer all my hopes and dreams up to You today, and I place them under Your Lordship. Thank You for being my good shepherd who takes care of every detail of my life. Please help me to guard my heart and to hide Your word there instead. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!

>> More info about David Steele

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

Big Questions, Devotionals, Power & Authority

Who’s In Charge? ¦ Devotional

Scripture: We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. – 1 John 5:19

How many times have you heard someone say “If God is a God of love, why is there so much suffering in the world?”. Sadly, many Christians struggle to answer this question because they don’t understand today’s verse.

Every time we pick up a newspaper or check our news app, we are bombarded by devastating news. Murder, violence, terrorism, wars, famines and the like. Does it sound to you like the God who loves us unconditionally is calling all the shots in this world? The answer is clearly ‘no!’. So who is in charge?!

God is sovereign. That will never change. He is the ultimate authority over the heavens and the earth. In the beginning God gave Adam authority over everything that lives and moves on the earth (Genesis 1:28). Psalm 115:16 confirms this when it says ‘The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind.’ The authority Adam was given was strictly limited to the earth.

Unfortunately the story didn’t end there. Sadly we all know what happened next – Satan came along. Satan was an angelic being (previously named Lucifer), created by god with the necessary power to fulfil the tasks required of him in heaven. When Lucifer rebelled and was kicked out of heaven, he lost his God-given authority and no longer had a place to use his power. You see, power is the ability to do something, but authority is the right to use that power.

(For a full video teaching on this, watch ‘Why Is The World In Such A Mess?‘)

It is so important that you and I understand that we give authority to whom we obey. Satan knew that if he could get Adam and Eve to obey him, he would have their authority. When Adam and Eve obeyed the serpent, they literally handed their God-given authority (over the earth) to him. That’s why Satan could say to Jesus in Luke 4:6 “I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me”. And that’s why today’s verse explains our current situation.

Next time you see something terrible happening in this world and you think ‘God, how could you let that happen?’, just remember that the bible teaches clearly that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. Many people today are angry at God because they have mistakenly attributed the pain and destruction inflicted by the ‘god of this world’ to the God who loves them and wants the best for them. Satan is out to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus Christ came to give us life in abundance (John 10:10).

When you were born, you were born into Satan’s domain. When you were born again, you were born into God’s Kingdom. ‘For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves’ (Colossians 1:13).

Jesus, our King, was never under the authority of Satan. He wasn’t born like you and I, He was born of the Holy Spirit and was therefore the first man (since Adam sinned) to walk the face of this earth with a higher authority than the god of this world. This is why demons had to obey him, the wind and waves obeyed him and people were astonished at the authority he spoke with. He loves you, He has a plan for you and He wants to restore you to be the person He created you to be.

Remember, you give authority to whom you obey. Your choice today is whom you will decide to obey. I know who I’m choosing!

Prayer: Father, thank you for your everlasting and unconditional love for me. I am so sorry for the times that I have attributed the terrible things that happen in this world to you and I’m sorry for when I’ve blamed you for them or been angry at you. I recognise that you are not the one who seeks my destruction but that your desire is for my restoration. Thank you that I have the opportunity to obey you today and to hand the authority over my life back to you. Would you help me to do this, and to experience more and more of your abundant life as I do so. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!

>> More info about David Steele

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

Devotionals, Physical Health

Look After Your Body ¦ Devotional

Scripture: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” – 1 Corinthians 6:19

I was recently teaching in Serbia on ‘Steps to Freedom from Addiction’. As I spoke about the fact that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit I got convicted myself!

How well do you look after your body? Do you exercise regularly and eat healthy foods?

As I was teaching I felt God reminding me that He’s chosen to dwell in my body by His Holy Spirit. He’s chosen to use this physical shell as His vessel, and He wants to glorify Himself through me. If I don’t feed it properly, or keep it strong, I may be inhibiting what He can do through me on the earth.

Some of us don’t exercise because we’re simply lazy, or we over-eat because we’re greedy. We need to recognise that this isn’t looking after our bodies, and we need to exercise more discipline. No amount of friendly encouragement will fix this. We need the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and then to simply respond with repentance!

But for some, discipline is not the answer. Some of us know we’re not looking after our bodies properly, but we’re over-eating because we’re looking for comfort. No amount of discipline, will power or beating ourselves up about this will bring healing. We need a touch from the One who came to heal the broken hearted. Often that healing process starts with forgiving those who’ve hurt us, and with taking our pain to Father God.

It’s interesting that emotional pain is also behind the opposite extreme. The person who over-exercises and is too severe in their dieting is probably also covering pain. We need the Holy Spirit to reveal what’s driving our behaviour, and lead us on a path to freedom, so we can enjoy the abundant life Jesus came to give us!

The people in Serbia responded sincerely to what I was saying, and the Holy Spirit came in a very special way. Some were in tears as they handed their pain over to God and received the healing and comfort that only He can bring. God is the great restorer of broken lives, and He wants to restore yours too.

The morning after I returned to England I went for a run. Well if God speaks to us and we do nothing about it, I don’t need to tell you this: it’s no help at all! Can I encourage you to make an effort to start looking after your body today? There are many people in your life who need you to be strong and healthy, so you can reflect Jesus to them, and fulfil God’s plan for your life.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the body You have given me. I am so sorry for the times I have not looked after it properly. I am also sorry for the moments I have sought comfort in food and others things rather than looking to You. Thank You for choosing to dwell in me by Your Holy Spirit and for turning my ordinary life into an extraordinary existence. This is a tremendous privilege. Please reveal to me any areas of my life that need Your healing touch and help me to trust You to be my source of all comfort. May my body be healthy and strong and ready to be used by You for Your purposes! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

Devotionals, Extraordinary Living

Living Beyond Your Natural Ability ¦ Devotional

Scripture: ‘We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself’. – 2 Corinthians 1:8

Have you ever sensed that God’s calling you to do something that you know full well you don’t have the ability to do? Perhaps as a Christian you’ve found yourself in situations that have been impossible to endure without God’s help?

When I read about the life of the apostle Paul, I sometimes think to myself “HOW ON EARTH did he do that?! How did he go around preaching so boldly to people he knew were very likely to reject his message, and how did he endure such persecution in city after city?” In today’s scripture we even see Paul himself admitting that the trials he faced were too much to bear! So how did he do it?

Fortunately, he gives us the answer in Colossians 1:29. He says ‘To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me’. The two key words here are ‘his energy’. Paul makes it absolutely clear that he didn’t do any of these things in his own ability, but that God was supplying the physical, emotional and spiritual energy he needed. The result was a man who lived far beyond his natural ability.

There have been times in my life where I’ve not wanted to ask God what He wants me to do in the next season of my life, because I’ve been afraid that I wouldn’t be able to fulfil it. Now I realise that that’s the whole point! In fact, how will God be glorified if I live within my own natural ability?

I’ve come to realise that the Christian life is supposed to be lived in such a way that the people around us have no doubt whatsoever that we’re living with a power that’s not our own. So,if you’re facing situations today that seem beyond your natural ability to endure, perhaps they are! Perhaps that’s the whole point. Perhaps God wants to be glorified as you step forward in His strength and live beyond your natural ability.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You haven’t called me to live the Christian life in my own strength. Sorry for the times when I haven’t asked You to provide the strength and the energy I need to endure the situations I face. I want to humble myself before You now and accept that I can’t do what You’re calling me to do on my own. I need You. I need Your grace, Your strength and Your power to endure. I believe that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, so I ask You right now to clothe me with power from on high, to enable me to carry out all that You ask of me in this life. In the powerful name of Your Son, Jesus, Amen.

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

Devotionals, Extraordinary Living, Miracles

The Pattern of a Miraculous Life ¦ Devotional

Scripture: But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” – Luke 1:30-34

Perhaps you feel very normal as you read this devotional today, not considering that your life is very ‘miraculous`. Mary probably felt exactly the same way until the angel Gabriel appeared and told her that she was going to be used in miraculous ways to fulfil God’s purposes.

When Gabriel had given her the first part of his message, Mary was clearly wondering how on earth such a thing could possibly happen to her, a virgin. “How will this be?” she began to ask, before reminding Gabriel that the suggestion was (humanly speaking) totally impossible, “since I am a virgin”.

I wonder how many Christians stop believing that God will use them in miraculous ways because it seems totally impossible. I read a quote recently that said ‘you don’t always get what you want in life but you always get what you expect’.

I love the fact that Mary didn’t simply state that it was impossible and stop there, but she asked Gabriel “How will this be?” Her ‘mustard seed’ of childlike faith was evident as she allowed herself to wonder how God might do such a thing. She got her answer in the next verse.

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (verse 35). Wow, what a response! Gabriel basically told her not to worry because she wasn’t going to be required to do the impossible bit and that the Holy Spirit would take care of that.

Mary then demonstrated great faith and complete submission to God’s will by saying “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said” (verse 38). Of course we know now that it did happen exactly as God had said and millions of lives have been changed as a result.

In this story I see a pattern for miraculous living. Firstly, God is always the one who initiates – the vision has to come from Him. Secondly He requires us to respond with faith and submission to His will, even if our minds are screaming ‘this is impossible!’. Finally, we are not expected to ‘produce’ the miracles. He is the one who brings about the miracles by the power of His Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Father, I thank You that You have a special and important part for me to play in Your Kingdom purposes on this earth. I want to say sorry for the times I have backed away because I’ve felt that the ideas or visions You were giving me were impossible to achieve. I choose to believe that nothing is impossible for You. Today I want to submit myself to Your will afresh and recognise that Your Holy Spirit can overshadow me and my weaknesses at the time You want to do the miraculous with my life. Help me to hear Your voice and follow Your leading. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!

Devotionals, End Times, Forgiveness, Offence

Many Will Be Offended ¦ Devotional

Scripture: “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” – Matthew 24:10

As well as famines, earthquakes and wars, Jesus said that one of the things that will mark the last days is that many will become offended.

To be offended is to have had an offence committed against you (either actual or perceived) that you have not yet chosen to completely hand over to God and release all judgement to Him. You can recognise it by the way you feel when you think about the person who hurt you, or when you see them in the street.

Offence causes our love to grow cold and it eats away at the very life that God has placed within us. Scripture says that if you allow a bitter root to grow up inside you, it will not only cause trouble and defile you but it will also defile those around you (Hebrews 12:15).

Can I challenge you today to search your heart and see if there is any offence present. Ask yourself: Have I found myself moaning or complaining in my heart about my spouse, my boss, my pastor, one of my family members or one of my friends? Has the thought crossed my mind recently that my life would be much better if a certain person hadn’t done a certain thing?

If you have been hurt and your heart has been damaged, the key to restoring the life within you is forgiveness. The person who is quick to forgive will not find their love growing cold. Your broken heart can be healed if you are willing to obey the one who heals the broken hearted.

Prayer: Father, thank you that you have extended your unfathomable mercy to me. I am sorry that I have not always been quick to extend that same mercy to others. I come before you humbly today and choose to forgive from my heart everybody who has ever hurt me. I ask that as I walk in forgiveness, you will bring deep healing to my heart and that you would restore my life and my ability to love others, even my enemies. Thank you for coming to heal the broken hearted and for giving us the greatest example of forgiveness the world has ever seen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!

 

Devotionals, Freedom from Fear

Defeating Fear Daily ¦ Devotional

Scripture: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” – Psalm 56:3-4

The producer of a national radio station contacted me recently to ask if I could come on her show to speak about “Freedom from Fear”. “Wow” I thought, “God has provided me with an opportunity to speak His truth to thousands of people”. Almost immediately fear began to speak (rather ironically you may be thinking!). “Who do you think you are?” it said. “Why do you think you have anything to say that will help other people in the area of fear?”. And finally, “There are people much more qualified than you who could do this. Go and ask somebody else to do it”.

Sound familiar? We all know that fear speaks. In my experience the voice of fear usually comes straight after the voice of God. It usually comes as a direct attack on you taking the next step to fulfil your personal calling. You see, I’ve never been afraid to go out to a restaurant with my wife or to take my family to the zoo – it seems that the enemy knows when his work is being threatened and when it is, he uses fear to try to stop us.

In order to walk in victory over fear on a daily basis, we need to understand how it operates. Perhaps the biggest key in this area is recognising that behind almost every fear is a lie. The lie that Satan tried to have me believe in this instance was “You don’t have anything to say about fear that will help anybody”. The effect of this lie was that my confidence was shaken and I began to doubt not only the gift God has placed on my life, but more importantly, God’s ability to empower me for this task. Nothing is impossible for God so I know it was an absolute lie, but it felt very true in the moment.

When you are afraid, first ask God to expose the lie that you are believing. Since God’s Word is the truth, the next step is to ask God to give you a scripture that says the opposite to the lie. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit and so when you know what the truth is, you can take hold of it in the Spirit like a sword. You can then declare it over yourself and the situation you are in, cutting the enemy’s lie to pieces with the sharp blade of truth. It may take perseverance but when the lie has been defeated (i.e. you no longer believe it!) the fear will disappear. Quite literally, the truth will set you free.

With God’s help I overcame the fear and I did speak on national radio. God gave me the words to say and many lives were impacted for His kingdom and His glory. The scripture He gave me was Joshua 1:5. My prayer is that today, you too will defeat fear and walk confidently in the gift and call God has placed on your life.

Prayer: Father, I thank you that your Word is a powerful sword and that it is mighty for the pulling down of strongholds. I pray that you would expose the lies of enemy that I have been believing and that you would enable me to walk in complete freedom from fear as I stand on the truth of your Word. Help me to trust in you so that like king David, I will be able to win tremendous battles that are far beyond my natural ability. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!

Devotionals, Obedience

Keep It Simple ¦ Devotional

Scripture: For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go,” and he goes; and that one, “Come,” and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’ – Matthew 8:9

There are times when God gives us basic instructions and we follow them immediately, just like the soldiers who were under the authority of the centurion soldier that Jesus encountered in Matthew 8.

Then there are other times when we feel God is telling us to go in a direction that is so radical and requires so much change, that our human nature likes to ask lots of questions and over-complicate things!

“How is it all going to work out?” we ask, or “Is God really telling me to do this” (when we know full well He is!). “How on earth will we survive financially?” or “what are people going to think?”. Rather than operating in simple faith, we allow ourselves to over-analyse the potential consequences of the decision. This is obviously not the way God intends us to handle things, since he commands us not to worry or be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6).

At a point in my life when I found my mind full of questions like these, the Holy Spirit gently calmed my thoughts and fears by speaking these three words into my spirit: keep it simple.

This was His gentle reminder to me that the God of the Universe, who placed the stars in the sky, is quite capable of handling all the little details of our lives, and that worrying about them is not a burden He wants us to carry. I know it’s easier said than done but our responsibility before God is simply to listen to his instructions and obey them.

So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:31-34

Prayer: Father, I want to say sorry for the times I have tried to work things out in my own mind, rather than simply trusting you with the details of my life. I’m sorry for the times I have missed things that you wanted to do in my life because I was too busy worrying about the practicalities. Today I choose to trust you with all my heart, and not to lean on my own understanding. I thank you that you have an incredible plan for my life and I ask you now to empower me by your Holy Spirit to fulfil that plan as I take instructions from you, step by step. In the mighty name of your Son Jesus, Amen.

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!

Devotionals, Godly Boldness & Confidence

Bold as a Lion ¦ Devotional

Scripture: “The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” – Proverbs 28:1

This has to be one of my very favourite scriptures! When I picture a lion and I think of its mighty, thunderous roar, I see a creature that need not be afraid of anything.

The bible says I am righteous because of what Jesus has done for me. However, I don’t exactly have the appearance of a lion! As far as I am aware nobody has ever been threatened by my big sharp teeth, nor have I ever been known to scare anyone away with my ferocious roar!

So what does the scripture mean when it says that the righteous are as bold as a lion?

The boldness of a believer has nothing to do with physical appearance but everything to do with knowing your spiritual position and authority. Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed before they sinned. After they sinned we hear them saying “we were afraid because we were naked so we hid”. Nothing whatsoever had changed in the physical. Adam and Eve were now separated from God and uncovered spiritually. With this, their boldness and confidence was replaced with guilt, shame and fear.

When you gave your life to Jesus Christ, your physical appearance may not have changed much, but your spiritual position changed dramatically. You went from being uncovered and separated from God, to being covered by the blood of the lamb and back in wonderful, intimate relationship with the one who made you. You were clothed with a robe of righteousness which now covers you. Colossians 3:3 says that your life is now “hidden with Christ in God”. The righteousness that will make you as bold as a Lion has is nothing to do with your own good works, though it will produce good works.

The righteous are as bold as a lion because through faith, the Lion of Judah is their righteousness, and they are hidden in him. He has defeated the power of sin and death and is seated “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion” (Eph 1:21). But that’s not all – scripture says that our position is right there with Him! Ephesians 2:6 – “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.”

Wow! We are inside the greatest and most powerful Lion there has ever been! When you’re in that position what could you possibly be afraid of?!

Prayer: Father, I thank you that I am hidden in Christ, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion. I thank you that death has been swallowed up in victory and that I need not fear death nor anything else in this world. When the enemy seeks to make me afraid by lying to me about my spiritual position, I pray that You would expose his lies and bring me back to the truth of Your Word so that I may be as bold as a Lion for the rest of my days. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!

 

Devotionals, Hearing God's Voice

Worth Writing Down! ¦ Devotional

Scripture: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” – Isaiah 30:21

God has a unique race marked out for each one of us and has promised to guide us each step of the way. He speaks to us in many different ways and if the God of the universe is willing to speak to us, then what He says is certainly worth writing down!

A wise man once encouraged me to keep a journal. I decided I would, but I wasn’t sure which details of my life were really worth writing down. He then proceeded to give me five questions that I should ask myself regularly. Why don’t you join me in asking these questions today?

1. When did God last speak to you?

2. What did He say?

3. How did He say it?

4. How do you know it was Him?

5. What did you do with it?

The answers to these five questions are not only worth writing down, but they’re worth revisiting again and again. As you look back over what God has said to you over the years, you can build a strong understanding of the calling and destiny He has for you personally.

Question 4 is vital. We must test everything we hear to check that it’s in line with God’s Word and His character. Doing this will prove to be a safeguard against false ‘prophetic’ words.

You may also find that this exercise is a powerful tool to keep you on track and in God’s perfect will. It’s so easy for us to commit ourselves to all sorts of things that seem like ‘good ideas’, before we’ve consulted God. If, like Jesus, we only do what the Father tells us to do (John 5:19) we can know we’ll bear much fruit in His Kingdom.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You promise to guide me each day into the plans You have for me. Please show me the things that I’m doing that You haven’t told me to do, and give me the grace to stop doing them. Help me to hear Your voice clearly and to be obedient, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

If God has used this teaching to impact you by His Spirit, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it!