Beloved in Christ Ministry

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “...Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7, NLT) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria Did you know that the way you treat people has an impact on the effectiveness of your prayers? The Bible says that the prayer of the righteous person is powerful. But if we aren’t treating others with honor, kindness and respect, then we aren’t allowing His righteousness to operate in us. When we don’t treat others the way we should, it closes the door to God’s power and hinders our prayers. This is especially true in a marriage relationship. Marriage isn’t just an agreement between two people to live life together. Marriage is a God-ordained institution that helps us understand love and unity. When two people are married, they become one physically, spiritually and emotionally. This particular passage is directed toward husbands, but it applies to all believers as well. We should all treat others “with understanding,” which means

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3, NKJV) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria Large trees represent power, majesty and stability. Have you ever noticed the difference between a tree planted by the water and a tree far away from water? The tree next to the water is much more healthy and vibrant. Its fruit and blossoms are the most beautiful. In the same way, when you are “planted” in the Word of God, your spirit is fed, and you grow strong just like the tree by the water. You’ll bring forth fruit in the proper season. In other words, you’ll be in the right place and the right time. You’ll be productive and fruitful. And notice, the end of today’s verse says that whatever you do will prosper! Do you want to prosper in your relationships? Seek God’s Word regarding relationships. Do you want to prosper in your

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.” (Zechariah  9:12 , NKJV) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria Are you in an emotional prison today? You may not have thought about it that way, but if you are holding unforgiveness or bitterness toward someone who has wronged you — whether it was five, ten or thirty years ago — that is an emotional prison. God’s Word promises that if you’ll step out of that prison and become a prisoner of hope, He will restore back to you double for your trouble! That means if someone wrongs you, instead of getting negative and bitter, your attitude should be, “They just did me a favor. They just qualified me for double!” That’s the attitude of a prisoner of hope. Lock into the attitude of victory that says, “I will not be defeated! It may look impossible, but I know God can do the impossible. They may have treated me wrongly, but I’m not worried. I know God is my v

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2, NIV) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria God is ready to present you with new opportunities! He wants to open new doors before you. It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the world around you, God’s Word remains true! In an instant, God can bring the right people into your life, the right opportunities, and the right resources to take you to a whole new level. But in order to go to a higher level, you have to have a higher way of thinking. You can’t allow worry and fear to fill your thoughts because fear actually blocks the door of God’s blessing. Instead, fill your mind with the Word of God. Let His truth empower you because His ways are always higher than our ways, and even now He is working behind the scenes on your behalf to open a door of opportunity! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, thank You for opening doors for me that no one can close! I believe that You are faithful,

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria Faith is more than a feeling. Faith is a confidence that comes from knowing God and His promises. When you know a person well, and you know they always keep their word, and they tell you they are coming to your house at  6:00pm , then you have faith that they will come to your house at  6:00pm . You aren’t going to call them at  5:30pm  and ask if they are still coming. No, you trust that they are faithful to do what they said. Faith in God works the same way. When we know God’s character and His promises, faith begins to grow. That’s why Romans says that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. That’s how we get to know Him. Today, I encourage you to build your faith by spending time in God’s Word. Get to know Him and His plans that are for your good. Let faith rise up in your heart and bring to pass all that

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians  4:17 , NLT) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria In this life, God warns that we will have trials and tribulations. The good news is that He also promises to deliver us from them all! Now, He doesn’t necessarily say that He will deliver us instantly, or the way we expect, or on our schedule. It can be tempting to get discouraged when things don’t happen the way you expect. But when you feel like trouble is surrounding you, that’s when you have to dig your heels in and say, “I’m not giving up because God promised me victory!” If you are going through a dark time today, keep moving through it! Remember, it’s always darkest just before the dawn appears. That difficulty didn’t come to stay, it came to pass. Your job is to stay in faith and keep praising and thanking Him for delivering you. Set your hop

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians  2:10 , NASB) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria God has already prepared paths for you to take in your future! When God laid out the plan for your life, He lined up the right people, the right circumstances, and the right breaks. In your future, He’s already released favor, supernatural opportunities, and divine connections. The breaks you need in life have already been preordained to come across your path. If you will stay in faith and go out each day and be a person of excellence, you’ll walk into these appointments of favor. It will be just as if you stumbled into God’s blessings! When you really understand this principle, you’ll begin to get excited about the opportunities in every single day! You’ll have a spring in your step as you think about what blessing is coming next. It could be today. It could be

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.” (Zechariah  9:12 , NKJV) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria Are you in an emotional prison today? You may not have thought about it that way, but if you are holding unforgiveness or bitterness toward someone who has wronged you — whether it was five, ten or thirty years ago — that is an emotional prison. God’s Word promises that if you’ll step out of that prison and become a prisoner of hope, He will restore back to you double for your trouble! That means if someone wrongs you, instead of getting negative and bitter, your attitude should be, “They just did me a favor. They just qualified me for double!” That’s the attitude of a prisoner of hope. Lock into the attitude of victory that says, “I will not be defeated! It may look impossible, but I know God can do the impossible. They may have treated me wrongly, but I’m not worried. I know God is my

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings  19:12 , TLB) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria Do you ever find that when people are talking, your mind is racing so fast thinking about what you are going to say instead of really listening? In scripture, we see God’s voice is not the loudest one out there. Many voices of the world are vying for your attention. You have to be intentional in order to hear His voice. His voice is still and quiet, and so we must be still and quiet in order to hear Him. Make hearing His voice a priority in your life. Set aside time each day to just listen. Develop a hearing heart so that you can know His voice and understand His ways. A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, give me the wisdom and discernment to hear Your still, small voice through the loudness of this world. Today I come to You, and I choose to be still and