2025 In Focus (Day 4)

Job 1:6-12

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Many people live their entire lives, attempting to be trusted with large things. We pursue excellence in so many different areas of life, hoping that people will notice our capacity to do great things. Yet, many people are unprepared to handle trouble.

Why are we afraid to handle trouble? The truth is no human being desires to deal with troubling issues. Honesty compels me to suggest that human beings are more content with comfort than difficulty. The measure of a person is not how they handle prosperity. The measure of a person is the ability to deal with challenges.

Yes, I want God to trust me with wonderful things. I want to be blessed with every good thing that I can possibly possess. However, I will take it as a badge of honor when I know that God can trust me with difficulty. It is the sign that God knows I can navigate anything because I’ve been prepared for everything.

2025 In Focus (Day 3)

Ecclesiastes 3:1

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

Unseasonable temperatures in the winter are a sign that the atmosphere has changed significantly. When I was a child, winter would bring all the elements to demonstrate what winter was all about. Yet, we live in a time where winter seems to come later and later in the season. Nevertheless, winter always comes at the same time every year, whether the signs of it are there or not. 

Seasons cannot always be measured by the signs associated with it. Seasons are always moments in time that let us know change is on the horizon. Our issue is not if we are in a season. However, we must be prepared for change at any given moments. God already knows each moment that we enter. 

We must prepare ourselves for change. We must prepare for the opportunity to see new things at all times. We must recognize that the atmosphere may never show us what we think a season might look like. Yet, we must be ready when change comes. Why? Because God appoints the times to shift us into a new gear. Be prepared. Change is coming. 

2025 In Focus (Day 2)

James 5:13-18

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

The power of prayer is an amazing phenomenon. Most of the time, we look at prayer as strictly a communication between us and God. I don’t think we really take the time to witness how powerful prayer can be in many situations.

Prayer has the capacity to do many things for an individual. First, it provides the opportunity for us to experience a peaceful setting between us and the divine. Second, we are given the opportunity to express our joy, pain, happiness, or sadness to a power greater than ourselves. Third, prayer grants us access to power that can literally move the impossible.

In this season, prayer should not be used strictly as a communication tool. Prayer is a multifaceted element that can lift us from various places in our spirit and even our emotions. I can no longer pray. Prayers with shallow intentions. My prayer life should be such that it can move all types of mountains pertaining to my life. No matter the obstacle, no matter the difficulty, prayer is my method of choice to alter my atmosphere.