The Fingerprint of God: A Year's Daily Devotion

By Christopher C. Smith

This Daily Devotional was inspired by God to build the reader on a daily basis. Written for the influencers of the world, this book will inspire readers with the messages of faith and hope so that everyday they are quipped for higher living.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9780997009095

Book preview

Strong

PREFACE

This daily devotional was inspired by God. He once asked me, Where can I find your fingerprints in the earth realm? Immediately, I knew exactly what God was asking of me. He was asking who are the people I am influencing on a daily basis for Him. First, I started sending what I thought would be an encouraging scripture to my children, but that was just the beginning. Soon, the recipients turned into a large percentage of my family, church leaders, and eventually, the congregation. From there, I can’t tell you who received the devotions. Now, it has reached your fingertips to influence your life for the better.

This is a word for influencers in the world who will influence others with the message of faith and hope. I would like to ask you the same question that God asked me, Where can God look in the earth realm and find your fingerprints? Using the Word of God to influence, in whose lives did God call you to make a difference? Maybe, just maybe, you know within your heart that God has called you to influence the lives of others for the better, but you don’t have the right tools to do so. Whether you know whom you are to influence in this earth realm and/or are seeking encouragement for yourself, may this daily devotional equip you with the tools you need to influence and be encouraged at the start of every day.

Chapter 1

The Kingdom

Day 1

Matthew 6:33 (AMP)

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His Kingdom and His righteousness His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

There is nothing more important than seeking God first every morning. We all have things we are aiming for in life. In order to aim and hit your target, you need to be focused. When you seek first God and His Kingdom, He will help you focus your aim on the things that are most important in life. When you seek first the Kingdom of God, you are giving the Word of God first place in your lives. What are you aiming for in life? Are you aiming to please yourself, or are you aiming to please God? When you put God first, God puts you first!

People today are seeking so many things in life to find fulfillment. They seek it through having the right occupation, relationships, and materialistic goods, only to end up right back where they started, in search of the one thing that will bring fulfillment and purpose into their lives. For the believer, seeking the Kingdom of God is the very essence of life. It is life transforming. It gives real meaning and purpose to living the Christian life. In fact, it is the core purpose of the believer’s existence. Today, make it your aim to put the Kingdom of God first and let the King add all things to you!

Day 2

Isaiah 55:6 (AMP)

Seek, inquire for, and require the Lord while He may be found [claiming Him by necessity and by right]; call upon Him while He is near.

Have you ever wondered how to seek first the Kingdom of God? We discover the Kingdom of God by searching and seeking after God. There is only one place that we can search to find the truth of who God is, and it is in the Word of God. Many people do not seek God; they seek after the benefits that only God can provide. Are you seeking the benefits God can give you or seeking after God alone? Today, seek His heart, and He will extend to you His hand!

Day 3

John 10:10 (AMP)

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Many believers are so fixated about being born again with Jesus as their Savior that as soon as they are inside of the doors of the Kingdom, they camp out on the doorstep, never to go any further to experience what God has prepared for them. Jesus is the doorway to the Kingdom but believe me, there is a whole new world and a whole new life to live that awaits you inside the doors of the Kingdom. Camping at the doors only hinders us from learning who we are and having a greater understanding of the things God has made available to us. When we limit ourselves in understanding, it gives the enemy access to our lives to steal, kill, and destroy us through the condemnation of our past. But Jesus has come to give us access into the Kingdom, which opens the doors to life. He offers the best life and the highest degree of life known to man. It causes us to live life to the fullest, till it overflows. No child goes to their parent’s house, drops their bags at the doorstep, and says, I’m home, never to go any further. Once they are at home, they go in to enjoy all of the amenities that are made available to them in the house. Today, let’s move past the doorstep and explore this whole new world that awaits us called the Kingdom of God, so that we may live life to the max!

Day 4

Matthew 6:10 (KJV)

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

The will of the Father is to restore His Kingdom in the hearts of men. When Jesus said, Thy Kingdom Come, what did He mean? Jesus was saying that when we pray in this manner, it gives Him the right to sit on the throne of our lives to rule as King. When a King sits on his throne, his Kingdom is defined by the extent and nature of his authority. Wherever Jesus is received as King, the will of the Father can be done in that place. When we receive Him as our King, we yield our will to the will of the Father. We totally submit to His Lordship over our lives, giving Him the right to rule and reign over every area. Either He is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all. Let His will be done in you today!

Day 5

James 1:20 (AMP)

For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires].

Giving place to anger and bitterness doesn’t accomplish the righteousness of God. You aren’t going to accomplish God’s purpose by giving in to the flesh, giving in to anger, or losing your temper. That’s not the way God’s Kingdom works. Never let what the enemy or someone else does get the best of you. Use your authority to always respond positively, no matter how much negativity comes your way. Remember, what you say is having an effect on you.

Day 6

Psalm 75:10 (NLT)

I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly.

As believers, we should never compare ourselves with the wicked. I know it seems as if they have it all together. They’re increasing and prospering, but many got there by much compromise. It also seems as if they have the majority on their side. We, who are Kingdom-minded, know that in the Kingdom the majority doesn’t rule, only the King. As believers, refuse to compromise your righteous stand and, as God promised, you will increase. Declare with me today: this is my season of the comeback. I shall greatly increase in power and favor. This is my year to be balanced!

Day 7

2 Peter 1:3 (KVJ)

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.

Life is a journey, and life in the Kingdom will require you to move beyond your initial experience with God, mature, and grow, as true sons of the Kingdom. Have you ever heard the statement, Knowledge is power? I like to present it this way: applied knowledge is power. What good is it to know something but never reap the benefits of what you know? The knowledge that you apply to your life concerning Jesus and the Kingdom will cause you to reap all of the benefits of the Kingdom. The Bible says, Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32 KJV) Only the truth that you know and apply to your life will make you free, causing you to live the God kind of life. Today, start applying the knowledge of truth that you know, and you will be on your way to living your best life now!

Day 8

Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)

"For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works, which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]."

The Father’s greatest desire is that we, as His children, would live life by divine design. There are many believers that are not living the good life at all. They just exist from day to day. Living the Kingdom lifestyle is to live a life of power and victory. It’s not living a life of defeat or barely making it in life. The moment that we are born again, the plan of God goes into operation in our lives. This is exactly what happens when you change your heart towards Him. A change of heart and a change of mind result in a change of direction. All that He prepared for you is now available to you. The good life is waiting on you. Are you living by divine design, or do you just exist from day to day?

Day 9

Matthew 11:5 (AMP)

The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed (by healing) and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have good news (the Gospel) preached to them.

Wherever Jesus was received, the authority of the Kingdom of God broke forth with the demonstration of power. For this reason, demons were overpowered, sicknesses were healed, and sins were forgiven. As believers, when the gospel of the Kingdom is presented to us, our part is to receive it. As we receive, the breakthroughs that we so desperately need will manifest themselves in our lives. The answer to your situation is the Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom. Jesus said, …and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Good news to a poor man is that he doesn’t have to be poor anymore. The gospel has the power to destroy any level of poverty. Receive Him today, and start living the Kingdom lifestyle you deserve to live!

Day 10

Romans 10:14 (AMP)

But how are people to call upon Him whom they have not believed [in whom they have no faith, on whom they have no reliance]? And how are they to believe in Him [adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him] of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?

If the Kingdom of God is so full of promises, power, and provision, and if it is truly such good news, why aren’t more people rushing to get into it? Everyone wants to know they have the power to overcome the tragedies of life. We all want to discover our destiny and see our dreams come true. The gospel of the Kingdom of God promises us all of that and more. Yet a lot of people haven’t discovered the gospel according to the Kingdom and embraced it. There is a gospel, and there is the gospel according to the Kingdom. Many people have heard a message, but many haven’t heard the message of the Kingdom. If your concepts are wrong, so will be your conclusions. When you hear the message of the Kingdom, faith is planted in your heart to receive the Kingdom. Jesus preached the gospel according to the Kingdom. Which message are you listening to?

Day 11

1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT)

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.

When the Kingdom’s message is preached and received, it should show up in demonstration of power. We have heard messages preached in church, but just because we hear a message preached, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is the message of the Kingdom. I believe for too long we have heard the wrong message preached in our churches. We are living in times in which people need to see more than just talk. They need to see the Kingdom in full manifestation. Jesus proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom. He preached that the Kingdom of God had come to earth once again. It was not a message about a new religion or a new denomination, nor was it a message to make people feel good about themselves. We are not called to make people feel good about our message. We are called to preach the truth of the Kingdom. It has the power to get any job done. It has the power to heal the sick, raise the dead, open blind eyes, restore relationships, and help you overcome any situation in life. The good news of the Kingdom is that we can regain all that Adam lost. Now that’s good news!

Day 12

John 4:13-14 (AMP)

Jesus answered her, ‘All who drink of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually] within him unto (into, for) eternal life.’

Proverbs 25:25 (AMP)

Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far [home] country.

Have you ever been thirsty for something and no matter what you did, you could not quench your thirst? The Samaritan woman had been through five husbands, trying to fill the void in her that only the good news of the Kingdom could fill. For a long time, she had been looking for something to fill this void in her life. Jesus called it a thirst. People who are thirsty for the Kingdom will try one thing after another, only to end up disappointed. People everywhere are looking for the Kingdom to fill the voids they have in their lives, whether they recognize it or not. It’s unfortunate that many are looking for the Kingdom in the wrong people, places, and things. Maybe you are one, like the Samaritan woman, who is thirsty and disappointed. Today, take your drink from the right well and quench your thirst!

Day 13

Galatians 4:4-5 (AMP)

But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law, to purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God’s sons].

When the fullness of time had come, God sent His son to restore humanity back to His original intent. God’s purpose was to restore to us our full status, as His sons and daughters, and bring us back into His Kingdom, not as subjects or citizens, but as sons. God’s purpose was to establish a commonwealth of citizens, not Christians, and to establish relationships, not religion. God cannot restore you to what you were not. He can only restore you to what you were in the beginning. Man fell from glory; therefore, we are restored to glory, freeing us from the bondage of sin. The glory of God is the goodness of God and it is in everyone.

Day 14

Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

When Adam sinned in the garden, he lost so many valuable rights and privileges as mankind. One of the privileges that he lost was the right to come before the presence of God at will. Jesus, our High Priest, came to reinstate us as citizens of the Kingdom and restore to us everything that Adam lost. He won back our right to come boldly to the throne of our gracious Father. It is in His presence where we find mercy for our failures and find grace just when we need it. The Throne of Grace is the place ordained by God that we go to in prayer. It can only be accessed by faith. There we lay before Him our petitions of prayer with confidence, knowing the Father has heard our request. Today, access heaven by exercising your right!

Day 15

I John 3:8 (NKJV)

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Have you ever had a passport and lost it, or let it sit on a shelf to collect dust, never accessing the authority it contains? To understand the loss of Adam’s Kingdom mandate, it is important to realize that you cannot lose what you never had. When Adam fell through his act of treason, he did not only lose his personal relationship with his heavenly Father, he lost a Kingdom. Adam became an ambassador without portfolio, an envoy without official status, a citizen without a country, a King without a Kingdom, and a ruler without a domain. Consider God’s original plan for man. His purpose in the beginning was to establish a family of sons, not servants; a Kingdom, not a religious organization; a Kingdom of Kings, not subjects; a commonwealth of citizens, not religious members; a relationship with man, not a religion; and to establish his heavenly government in earth to influence earth from heaven. When Christ redeemed what Adam lost, He restored purpose to Christians so they