Journal Of Hope

By Tina L Pressley

The Journal of Hope is filled with collections of encouragement and prayer made into one inspirational book. Each entry can be easily read in under 5 minutes and used to help anyone kick start a conversation with God. The Journal of Hope is a tool that helps both teens and adults facilitate a life of daily prayer and bible reading.

• Language: English
• Publisher: 5 Stones Online
• Release date: Jun 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781734596519

Book preview

Journal of Hope

A devotional

Scriptural foundation: Psalm 23:5

A table prepared

Enemies, who needs them? The answer is us. We need them. We need them to challenge our humility and patience. We need them to define our character and faith because left unchallenged, it is untrustworthy. You never know how strong you are until you must carry a load and realize that you can or cannot. The special thing to know about our enemies is that they can give us an opportunity to show unconditional love. Then we find out we are who we proport to others to be. To show unconditional love is to show the love of Christ, which is a ministry all by itself. It’s hard to love someone who betrayed me, hates me or has no intention of doing the right thing towards me, you might say.

Truly, it is hard when you do not know the word of God and easily forget that you had the victory from the very beginning. When you know without a doubt that God’s word will come alive you gain strength along the way. You get strength in knowing God is letting all things, even your enemies that conspire to do evil towards you, work out in your favor, (see Romans 8:28). There is a blessing in letting God fight the battle. There is a blessing in maintaining your spiritual integrity and not letting the enemy convince you to come down to his level. We are the church and God wants someone to serve him by showing others his love, but that means denying ourselves the pleasure to seek revenge.

Psalm 23:5 says, Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. God will allow the adversary to come into the life of a believer. What will end up happening is that enemy will miserably watch God make even their attempt to destroy you set you up for the win. Good things will begin to happen in favor of the believer because God said that he would bless those who bless his children, and curse those who curse his children. You enemy did not even see that coming.

Prayer: Lord, the enemy will try and stop believers from shining their light. Your word says, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  (1 John 4:4) You brought yourself down so that you could be lifted. You have all power and because you are in me, so do I. Help me to release the word of God in situations where my enemies are against me so that we can have the victory. In Jesus name, it is so!

Scriptural foundation: Genesis 1:26, Matthew 28:18, Proverbs 18:21, Luke 22: 41-42

God’s will over man’s authority

To not do God’s will is to exercise disobedience. A lot of times we get authority mixed up with will, in a sense as to say free will trumps God’s law. The truth of the matter is that God’s will should be our command.  Matthew 28:18 says, And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Jesus could have saved himself but would have missed out on saving the world in that moment.

We have been given the authority, which also comes with power to do what is the acceptable will of the Lord. This power comes with the ability to speak life and death into the lives of our friends, family members, and ourselves. Proverbs 18:21 says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. When we are sick, we have the authority to speak healing into existence and be well. When we are hungry, we can remind God that he is our shepherd and because of that, we shall not want. We have to know that we will never see the righteous forsaken.

When Jesus came into the Earth, it gave him the opportunity to have dominion, just as man received it in the beginning. Genesis 1:26 says, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Jesus received a new level of authority when he conquered death and hell when he gained dominion in places, where man could not. Matthew 28:18 says, And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have all power. Because you live in me, I have authority. I want to use my authority to do the perfect will of the father. Help me to not be in direct conflict of your will for my life. In Jesus name, it is so!

Scriptural foundation: Philippians 4: 11-13; 19

A balancing act: Not being imprisoned by wealth or poverty

Lots of times we see success stories of those who went from rags to riches. There are also those who find out what moving from riches to rags feels like. In a high paced, fast moving society that places all its emphasis on valuables and possessions, it’s easy to forget about the things that really matter. An individual’s perception of happiness tends to be subjected to what their society’s social norms project.  The culture shows us poverty is just as subjective as wealth. It produces a false sense of need and belonging in the individual who may be comparing themselves with the elite of their society.

For example, a tv program projecting the lifestyle of basketball housewives may cause the housewife of a janitor to feel undervalued because her husband cannot afford to buy her the same things the professional basketball player can buy his. In our scriptural references, Paul writes to the church in Philippi and advises them about a balanced perspective. Philippians 4:11-13 says Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Do not be imprisoned by either wealth or poverty. Paul had mastered the concept of being abased by not living up to the standard of living portrayed by the elite in his society and he was also acquainted with being abound or having much. Paul had a balanced perspective which allowed him to walk amongst the rich and poor without feeling disconnected or out of touch with their reality. Sometimes the elite cannot empathize with the poor and the poor cannot find sympathy for the wealthy because of skewed perceptions they have about each other. There is a popular scripture often quoted in Philippians 4:13 that says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. The rich and poor can learn to love each other, regardless of what they believe should keep them apart.  We must continually remind God of his promise that he would supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Let us not compare what he supplies us with and stop trying to "keep up with the Jones’.

Prayer: Lord, I live, breathe, move, and exist because of you. I am privileged because you created everything I could ever need, want, or hope to accumulate. Remind me that the privilege comes from your grace and mercy through your son Jesus Christ, and not by any good of my own. Thank you. Do the same for my friends and loved ones. In Jesus name, it is finished.

Scriptural foundation: 1 Peter 3:9

Blessed are the peacemakers

What would you do to avenge yourself against your enemies? What would you do to defend yourself against God? What would you do for a Klondike bar? Okay, forget about the last question, unless it would result in sin but take the first two questions into consideration. Finding the answers to these questions also identifies satan’s choice of weapon against us. Whatever causes us to do that is outside of the character of who God has called us to be is what he seeks. He desires to motivate us to commit sin in the name of justification and we must watch with all diligence that we not fall into the trap.

Today’s scripture focuses on the understanding that we should not seek for revenge and repay our enemies equally for the harm they have caused us. We also must understand that we were not built to think about forgiveness and reconciliation but instead are inclined to fight back. It is not in our human nature to pray for those who despitefully use us (Matt 5:44) but we must realize that peace should be a priority for those who seek to remain sober and vigilant so that they may watch for the thief who comes to destroy everything we worked so hard to build (1 Peter 5:8).

The road less traveled is a path of great humility. It is also the same road Jesus had to take in order to fulfill the will of his father. Humility must be demonstrated when we go through persecution, as our savior Jesus Christ did. In order to attain the promises and blessings that are stored up for us, we must remember the way into the kingdom and choose to travel down that path. Remember Acts 14:22, which says that we must go through much tribulation in order to enter into the kingdom of God. Make peace.

Prayer: Lord your righteousness is what we need to focus on, not anyone else’s. Show us how we can sometimes hold others to a standard so unrealistically high that we ourselves cannot attain it. We are nothing by ourselves alone, neither are our enemies. Teach us how to pray for them while we wait on you to answer. In Jesus name, it is finished.

Scriptural foundation: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Using broken parts

Have you ever tried to use broken parts to fix a broken device? Chances are the device will not work. Unless you replace all dysfunctional parts with parts that work, you’re going to be left with a useless device. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. God does not add in defective, broken parts that don’t fit when he puts us on the potter’s wheel. When we are in Christ, he teaches us a new way of living and leads us away from the old habit of destruction.

He does not allow us to go on as functioning drug dependents and alcoholics, which some try to do when they are not totally set free from the entanglement. When he delivers us, he totally sets us free from the yoke of bondage and gives us the victory. He teaches us through his word that we don’t ever have to be entangled again with things that kept us bound. Galatians 5:1 says, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Because he does not want us to be entangled again, he gives us an upgrade during our personal transformation from sinners into born again sons and daughters, which is the Holy Spirit. Just as a you would not want a mechanic to use old parts on your brand-new vehicle, God does not want old, sinful habits to remain in us. When we receive the upgrade of the Holy Spirit, he convicts our hearts and acts as a spiritual gps, to guide us in the way of truth and light. Out with the old, in with the new.

Prayer: Lord, I am not broken. When you saved me and filled me with your Holy Spirit you totally transformed my mind and gave me a new heart that chases after you. You did not lie when you told me that I was totally free from the yoke of bondage that had me entangled. Help me to see that when I realize that I am living free from those sins and the mindset that led me into them. I believe what you say, not the deceiver. In Jesus name. It is finished!

Scriptural foundation: Matthew 18:3

Bubble wrap

Children are the sincerest human beings on the face of the planet. When we were children, we cared less about people looking at us dig in our noses or whether or not our shoe laces were untied. We loved our friends and when they trespassed against us, we forgave them quickly. Due to our limited, small brains, we did not have the mental capability