For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Phil 2:13

Romans 8:28 is the scripture my wife Cynthia and I have relied upon since we were married over 16 years ago. It says, “All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose.” It doesn’t say all things necessarily look or feel good; nonetheless, from God’s perspective, we believe that all things are working together for our benefit… as long as we love God and trust His word. Our choice in this is twofold: one, we can react to challenging circumstances in our lives as victims, merely complaining and surrendering as quitters; or secondly, we can see these same challenges as divine opportunities, helping us mature as thankful and hopeful problem-solvers in the name of our awesome Creator.

It’s one thing to know something deeply; it’s another to have the understanding to draw it out and to be able to apply it. Using scripture as the balanced authority, I have been talking to myself in a serious way lately and repeating this God-focused down to earth sentence–“Whether it be rain, pain or gain,” I will love, be free, and have faith in Christ. Perhaps you can personalize and meditate on a divinely focused, motivating and hopeful statement of your own.

May the following personal prayer help us further, and resound with a confident, relevant, and influential Message of Hope–a launch pad for a stronger reality and the practical truth we all need for this coming week!

Dear Father in Heaven,

I choose to celebrate a level of victory every waking moment this week. In Christ, I can do all things. With Him, all things are possible. Under Your protection, I am safe. Being about Your business is my profitable lifestyle. During my time on earth (including this week), the Lord is my Shepherd. After my temporal journey, I will spend eternity with You, my Father, in the Kingdom of Heaven. Your assurance that we can celebrate never-ending victory in Christ is a promise that is as good as it gets. I receive Your awesome gift of ultimate victory; I cherish it, I set it deep in my heart, and I commit to exercising it from this very moment–no matter what comes across my path! In Jesus’s name I obediently pray… Amen!

Family and friends, our victory is in His will. Have a great week marching in the procession of Christ’s triumphs!

2 Cor 2:14-15; 2 Cor 10:5; Rom 8:37; Gal 2:20; Phil 4:13