by Mark Brazee | May 3, 2026 | 365 Days of Healing, Devotions
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
Where does sickness come from? I was taught for years that it came from God. I was told He used sickness to teach us and to make us pious and more “Christ-like.”
However, if we look in the Word, we definitely see that sickness comes from the enemy and not from God. Jesus certainly didn’t get Christ-like through sickness and disease, so I don’t know why we should have to do it that way! Sickness is a satanic force. God called it a curse in Deuteronomy 28:59-61. In Luke 13:16, Jesus called it a bondage. And by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Peter called it satanic oppression in Acts 10:38.
God doesn’t like sickness; He is totally and completely against it. He has done, and is still doing, everything in His power to get healing and health to His children.
The thief – the devil – is the one who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus gives only abundant life (John 10:10).
So where do sickness and disease fit into that equation? Well, do sickness and disease steal, kill, and destroy, or do they give abundant life?
Sickness steals money; it steals families; it steals homes. It steals everything it can steal. Sickness kills and destroys. The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy, and one way he does that is through sickness and disease.
Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” The word life in the Greek is “zoe,” and it refers to life as God has it. Jesus was saying, “I have come that you might have the life of God.”
Was God ever sick? No! Sickness and disease don’t come from God; otherwise, Jesus would have given sickness to us as part of the “abundant life” package. Remember, He was the will of God in action. But Jesus didn’t come to bind us in chains of bondage and oppression. He came to set us free!
Confession:
Jesus gives me abundant life – llife as God has it. God doesn’t get sick, so I don’t allow sickness to stay in my body either. God’s divine health belongs to me!
Source: 365 Days of Healing by Mark Brazee
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
by Vikki Burke | May 3, 2026 | Enriching Life Daily
The Apostle Paul said, “Let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as an umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds]…” (Colossians 3:15 AMP).
Imagine a baseball game played between two highly competitive teams without an umpire. It doesn’t take an avid baseball fan to realize that the game would quickly erupt in chaos. Each team would insist that the questionable plays be decided to their advantage and would stretch the limits of the rules in their favor. It is in the interest of both teams to empower someone impartial to bring order and keep the game moving on toward its goal.
An umpire is one called on when there is a disagreement; to settle a controversy or question between parties — a person selected to decide all disputed points.
As long as we’re on this earth, we will always experience opposition, obstacles, and decisions, but a powerful gift from God can make our responses easier. And when people hurt and oppose us we can allow the supernatural peace make the call in the situation.
The fact is that as long as we live on the earth other people are going to do things that can hurt and disappoint us. But before we ever get hurt or disappointed, we can choose to let peace rule in these situations and we won’t be harmed. Peace will keep hurt at arm’s length.
Sometimes it takes a great deal of effort to keep from being hurt by others. The way to stay protected from hurt is to yield to and draw from the fruit of the spirit: peace. When peace reigns in our hearts it will ensure unbroken companionship with the Lord.
How do we let peace serve as an umpire in times of disappointment? We must choose to forgive and turn the problem over to the Lord. Notice what Jesus said:
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.
(Mark 11:25- 26 NAS)
We know when we have truly forgiven when peace fills our hearts. The writer of Hebrews gives us further instructions: “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14 NAS).
Guarding our hearts from hurt and disappointment may require making a confession like this over and over: “I will not be hurt. I love God’s Word so I won’t be offended. I choose to forgive.” Although this may require some repeated attempts, the effort is well worth it, and the alternative is costly.
We must refuse to give-in to our flesh and forgiving those who have wronged us. Taking the path of unforgiveness may find us rejecting God’s help.
Dennis Burke Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
by Kenneth E. Hagin | May 3, 2026 | Devotions, Featured Devotions
“As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams” (Dan. 1:17).
“God gave them knowledge and skill.”
God gave Daniel and the other three Hebrew children, knowledge and all skill. Eternal life is the nature of God. You’ve got God’s nature in you. Know that! Believe that! Confess that! Then that nature will begin to dominate you!
Learn to walk in the light of life. Learn to put that life into practice in your being. Walking in the light of that life will enhance your entire personality, and will increase your intelligence.
Confession: I am a new creation. I am born again. I am a new creature. I have the life and nature of God in my spirit. That life is the light of men. I purpose to walk in the light of life. God’s life is in me. God’s knowledge is in me. God’s skill is in me. God’s ability is in me. God’s wisdom is in me. He is instructing me. He is leading me. I am a child of God. The Spirit of God in me is leading me. I’ll follow His leading. I’ll walk in the light of life.
Source: Faith Food Devotions by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
by Larry Ollison | May 3, 2026 | The Cutting Edge
I know what it’s like to be determined. Loretta and I lived in Kansas City right after we got married and I needed a job badly. I went to a drafting company and the only opening they had was for an engineer to design reinforcing steel for part of Interstate 70 and five public schools. When they asked me if I could do it, I said, “Yes, I can do it.” They gave me drafting equipment and my own desk between two civil engineers.
I mean it was cool! But I didn’t even know general math. I immediately enrolled in night school where I was learning trigonometry and log rhythm scales. I had the books piled up and every time I needed to know something, I would hit the books.
I was staying just an inch ahead of it all. Then they came to me one day and said, “You’re one of the best draftsmen we’ve ever had here. Your drawings are so precise.” What they didn’t know was I’d already done that drawing twenty-two times while practicing at home, but I was determined to do it right.
If you’re determined to back down the devil and put him where he’s supposed to be, you can do it. You have the tools to do it. Just get determined and decide you’re going to learn as you go. You can stay one step ahead of the devil. You’ve got the manual.
That’s what I did at this steel company. I had the manuals. When a job came up, everybody else may have been doing it without looking at the manuals, but I looked at the manuals. I had to spend extra time because I didn’t know as much as they knew. But it was worth it because I wanted to keep my position.
When the devil comes against you and you don’t know what to do, get out the manual and put in some overtime. Just determine you’re going to do it. The devil may come at you with disappointment, depression, despair, and discouragement. He likes to tell you all kinds of lies because he is a liar, but you don’t have to listen to him.
You are of your father the devil; and it is your will to practice the lusts and gratify the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him; for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false.
(John 8:44 AMP)
I’ve met people in my life who have lied to me. I choose not to listen to them anymore. Yet, I know people who will listen to someone who is a liar. You can’t trust a liar. However, people still listen to them! I see people still listening to the lies of the devil and I think to myself, “Why in the world are they letting the devil convince them that they can be defeated?”
Source: Life is in The Blood by Larry Ollison
Excerpt permission granted by Larry Ollison Ministries
by Kenneth E. Hagin | May 3, 2026 | Health Food
A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
(James 1:8)
As soon as the pastor began praying, I heard the following in my spirit: “Now they’ve taken her out of My hands and she’ll die. Within three days, she’ll be dead.”
I knew it was the voice of the Lord speaking to me.
On the third day, the woman died, just as the Lord said. You see, we had placed her in God’s hands and then we took her out of God’s hands.
What should we have done? Instead of praying for her complete healing again, we should have stood in agreement and said, “We are going to stand up and agree that she is well. We are going to thank God for it.” That way, we would have stayed in faith.
Many times, a whole church places a person in God’s hands and then turns right around and takes him out of God’s hands. God wants to heal the person, but He can’t. Why? God operates on certain laws and principles.
Confession:
I cooperate with God and stay in faith. Instead of praying for my healing over and over, I agree that I am healed and whole. I thank God for it!
Source: Health Food Devotions by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
