by Lynne Hammond | Apr 30, 2026 | Devotions for the Praying Heart
But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him.
(2 Cor. 5:18 Amp)
How easy it is to slip into the mindset that our sole purpose on earth is to have a happy life and enjoy God’s blessings! How easy it is to get so content in our own salvation that we forget that’s not all God has in mind for us. If it were, He would have taken us straight to heaven the moment we were born again. He would have caught us up to His throne room as soon as we received Jesus as Lord so we could live happily ever after in His presence.
But He didn’t do that.
He left us here on this sin-ridden planet because He has a job for us to do. He has a ministry for each one of us to carry out. He left us here on planet earth so that we could live in such a way that—by word and deed—we bring others into relationship with Him.
In other words, He left us here to finish the ministry of reconciliation that Jesus began.
That’s a staggering thought, isn’t it? It almost makes us want to throw our hands in the air and say, “I can’t do it! I don’t have what it takes!”
And it’s true. On our own, we don’t.
Oh sure, we can roll up our spiritual sleeves and go to work trying to win the world for Jesus. But we won’t get very far, because in ourselves, we don’t have the resources to get the job done. We don’t know what to pray, what to say, where to go, or what to do to effectively reach the billions that are still living in spiritual darkness. It’s an overwhelming task!
How, then, are we supposed to do it?
Second Corinthians 5:15 reveals the secret. It says that Jesus “died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him…” (Amp). Notice, we’re supposed to live to God (or in fellowship with Him) before endeavoring to live for Him. To succeed in our ministry of reconciliation, we must go to Him before we reach out to others because He alone has the wisdom and divine might to light up this whole planet with the Gospel. He alone can generate the life-giving power the nations so desperately need.
That’s why He has invited us to come boldly every day to His throne of grace. That’s why He has promised that as we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. In those times of fellowship, His life-generating power flows into us in abundance and equips us to go forth and—by words and deeds—light up the world with His life.
As we fellowship with Him, we receive what we need to live for Him. In His presence, we find the power to finish the work He has called us to do.
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14–21
Source: Devotions for the Praying Heart by Lynne Hammond.
Excerpt permission granted by Lynne Hammond Ministries
by Kenneth Copeland | Apr 30, 2026 | Pursuit of His Presence
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim. 2:20-21).
You are destined for greatness! God’s plan and desire is for you to be so full of His anointing, that it overflows to others, changing their lives forever!
“Well, now, Brother Copeland, you know not everyone is destined for greatness in the kingdom of God. As the Bible says, some vessels are gold and silver…others are soil and earth. I guess I’m just one of those little mud vessels.”
If you are, it’s your own fault! God isn’t the one who decides if we’re to be vessels of honor or not. We make the decision ourselves.
If you want to be a vessel of honor in the house of God, you can be. According to 2 Timothy 2:19-21, you simply have to purge yourself from iniquity and dishonor. Notice I said purge yourself. God won’t do it for you.
He cleansed you from sin the moment you were born again, but it’s your responsibility to keep yourself pure. It’s up to you to confess your sins and walk in holiness day by day. God will give you power, certainly, but you’re the one who must put that power to work.
The Bible doesn’t say Jesus will drag you away from iniquity, it says you are to depart from it. You are to cleanse yourself from sin as well as to cleanse yourself from the phony faith tactics and other subtle dishonorable practices many believers use.
Don’t ever be like the fellow who went down to the altar and knelt down right next to the richest man in the church and began praying in his finest Elizabethan English: “Oh, God, Thou knowest how we’ve suffered in our house with no washing machine. You know, Lord, how my little babies have to wear dirty diapers because I don’t have any way to wash them. Oh, God, You know I’ve given away all I have for You….”
When the rich man yielded to the pressure and gave him a washing machine, that fellow said he got it by faith. That wasn’t faith! It was a religious con and that’s the worst kind of con there is.
We must back away from such dishonorable ways. We need to be a people of honor who would rather wash our clothes out by hand than do something like that. We need to be the kind of people who get off in a corner where no one can hear us and pray to our Heavenly Father in secret, believing He will reward us openly!
Then, we can fulfill all of His plans for greatness, plans for us to overflow into other people’s lives with the fullness of His Anointing!
Speak the Word: I am a vessel of honor, sanctified, and fit for the Master’s use. (2 Tim. 2:21)
For Further Study: Matthew 6:5-8
Daily Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 12-14; 1 Corinthians 4-5
Excerpt permission granted by
Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries
by Vikki Burke | Apr 30, 2026 | Enriching Life Daily
When we become Christians, God deposits in our hearts forces the Bible calls the fruit of the spirit. Notice what these fruit consist of:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self -control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
(Gal. 5:22- 25)
Just like fruit originates from within a tree, so the force of peace is generated from within our recreated human spirits. It’s our job to learn to yield to these forces instead of continuing to lean on our own understanding and reasoning. Instead of living by the impulses of the flesh, we must learn to live by the spirit.
Drawing on the force of peace from within our spirits doesn’t happen automatically ? it takes practice. When we sense the urge to succumb to the flesh, we must choose instead to yield to the force of peace.
This process is accelerated when we begin to recognize and guard our hearts from intruders that would steal our peace. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (NKJV). What are some of the major intruders that try to steal our peace?
One intruder that threatens our peace is the emphasis the world puts on outward appearance. Many people give more attention to their appearance than to the well-being of their inward life, their heart. We must resist the lure the world places on outward appearance.
The focus on outward appearance has created deep-seated feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness for many. It causes people to compare themselves with others in order to determine whether they “measure up.” That feeling can steal joy from an otherwise good life. When appearance is the focus, important inward issues of the heart are left unattended and peace is sacrificed.
This problem will be solved when we begin seeing ourselves from God’s perspective instead of man’s. When God sent Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as king, He said,
Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
(1 Sam. 16:7 NAS)
The Apostle Peter reveals God’s attitude toward outward appearance when he said:
Let not yours be the [merely] external adorning with [elaborate] interweaving and knotting of the hair, the wearing of jewelry, or changes of clothes; but let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God.
(1 Peter 3:3-4 AMP)
Peter was prompting us to look beyond the shallow issues of appearance to the more important “inward adorning.” He said that a gentle, peaceful heart is very precious in the sight of God. And if it’s precious to God, then let’s be sure it’s precious to us.
Dennis Burke Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
by Marcia Malzahn | Apr 30, 2026 | Devotions for Working Women
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.
God wants each one of us to do something. He has a plan and a purpose for every person. But He doesn’t expect us to go figure it out on our own. He provided us with a manual full of instructions, wisdom, and revelation to prepare us and equip us.
He gave us the Word to use on a daily basis as our guide. The Bible provides us direction for every area of our lives, including business.
It teaches us what’s right and wrong and how God expects us to behave and perform in the business world. Let’s use it, spend time in it, and meditate on it day and night. We need it, and God knew it.
Source: Devotions for Working Women by Marcia Malzahn.
Excerpt permission granted by Marcia Malzahn.
by Gloria Copeland | Apr 30, 2026 | From Faith to Faith
“Let each one give as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (that is, He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, prompt-to-do-it) giver. And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance” (2 Cor. 9:7-8).
Some people say you need to “give till it hurts.” Don’t you believe it. God doesn’t want gifts given in pain. He wants gifts given in joy! In fact, those are the only kinds of gifts that please Him.
That’s why He tacked His promise of abundance onto His command about cheerful giving. The two are connected.
Cheerful, full of faith, even hilarious, giving – that is the key that unlocks the treasure house of God. Have you ever seen a group of people give that way? I have. I’ll never forget it.
I was at a camp meeting years ago when offering time turned into a spontaneous, supernatural celebration. Ken was singing “Cast your bread upon the waters,” and the people were just dancing their way down the aisles to give their money. The joy in that place was wonderful. Great healings and miracles were done that night.
But what stood out to me above all was how joyously and hilariously the people brought their offerings to God. The offering wasn’t extracted from them like a dentist extracts teeth. It was brought forth gladly.
Listen, the concept of “giving till it hurts” didn’t come from God. He’d rather you give $10 with that kind of joy than $20 grudgingly. In 2 Corinthians 8:11-12, the Apostle Paul urges the church in Corinth to give with eager willingness. Eager willingness. That’s what God looks for!
If you haven’t given that way in the past, make a firm commitment to start. Repent for the times you’ve given grudgingly. Then spend some serious time with God and His Word in your prayer closet, so when you give again, you can give from a willing heart.
Put the “pain” of giving behind. Become a cheerful, joyous, prompt-to-do-it giver and, believe me, your blessings will abound!
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
Source: From Faith to Faith Devotional by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland
Excerpt permission granted by
Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries
