Jim Wilson Ministries

Meditate on the Word

"Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed" (Joshua 1:8)

To meditate on something simply means to think about it and let the meaning of it sink deep down into your heart. Meditation is a spiritual practice that's encouraged throughout the Bible. The key is to draw on God's wisdom found in the Scriptures, which are filled with the blessings and benefits of meditating on its principles. For example, meditating on God's Word will give you spiritual success. That's exactly what God told Joshua as Israel got ready to enter the Promised Land. God's definition of success in life is to know Him better. One way you can do that is to read and understand His Word. Another benefit of meditating on God's Word is that it will help you keep your heart right before Him. The Bible is like a mirror that accurately shows you where your heart really is.

God, You have said that Your Word is living and active. Today I will spend time allowing this living Word to search my heart, and make sure I am right before You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Take Time to Reflect

"He leads me beside quiet waters." (Psalm 23:2)

If you've ever said to yourself, "I don't even have time to think," then you know how hard it is to concentrate when you're being bombarded from all sides. It's even harder to focus on God and His Word when we can't take time to renew our minds and refresh our spirits through quiet reflection. God doesn't often shout to get our attention. Instead, the Bible says that He speaks in "a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12) - which means we need to be listening! So, what can you do to put yourself in a position to hear God's voice? It requires making time in your daily routine to become still and quiet in God's presence. Find a room in your house, outside under the trees, or some other place where you can shut out the distractions of the world for a few precious minutes each day.

God, I want to find those quiet waters of peace where I can get alone with You every day and meditate on You. Thank You for wanting to speak to my heart and show me Your will. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Do Everything with Excellence

"Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward." (Colossians 3:23-24)

Striving to live a life of excellence is possible when you begin to understand and act out today's passage. Don't work just for your boss or for a paycheck. Instead, work for God. When you love your family and show true friendship and kindness to others, it's as if you are doing that for Jesus too! When your focus is on God in whatever you do, you are living out His exciting purpose for you. That's why God wants you to put your whole heart into everything you do . . . every day. And when you give your best effort for God, He promises to reward you. Your life can be transformed by practicing this very basic principle of seeking to please and honor God in all you do.

God, help me become a person who, through Your power, chooses to live my best life now and refuses to settle for second best. Thank you for being so generous as to reward me for those things I do for Your sake. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

A Brand New Future

"Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; this very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you." (Zechariah 9:12)

Isn't it interesting that the Bible says that we should be prisoners of hope? A prisoner of hope is someone who has an attitude of faith and expectancy even when things are bad, because God has promised to restore what was lost . . . and far more. That's a great word of hope you can hold on to! It means your health, your job situation, and your finances may not be what you want them to be today, but they are all subject to change! God wants to restore these things to you - not just the way they were before - but with more so that you are better off than when you began. No matter where you are today, or what happened to you yesterday, God wants to give you a new future filled with joy, fulfillment and abundance.

God, please give me the courage and faith to hold on to Your hope no matter what may come my way today. I claim Your promise of restoration. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Hang in There!

"Our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!" (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Does there seem to be a problem waiting for you no matter where you turn? Do you sometimes wonder if your dreams are ever going to come to pass? Maybe you've asked why God would allow you to struggle in your job, your relationships, your health, or some other area of life. God allows you to go through challenges because He knows it's the struggle of life that builds strength in you. If God simply delivered you from every struggle every time, then you may not continue to grow and learn to trust Him. When you persevere through difficult times, you'll begin to realize a greater level of joy, peace, victory, and abundance than you ever dreamed possible. Remember, God loves you too much to leave you where you are. He's preparing you for something better!

God, thank You for giving me what You know I need. Help me to learn and grow through my struggles as I trust You to bring me out stronger than ever. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

A Champion's Legacy

"I will open up the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won't have room enough to take it in!" (Malachi 3:10)

Did you know that you have the legacy and heritage of a champion? You have a just need to believe for and expect the great things that God has in store for you. You have to expect God's favor, abundance, and blessing in every area of your life, because He wants to give you victory in each and every situation and circumstance. You probably have many things in your past that you are thankful for, but even greater things are in the near future for you! The Bible says you won't even have enough room to hold everything that God wants to pour out on you. It is impossible to out-give God, and you should be thankful for that, because He continues to give you His victorious legacy.

God, thank You for giving me part of Your champion's legacy. Strengthen me as I seek to live victoriously in Your power. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Don't Be Afraid to be Different

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." (1 Peter 2:11)

Christians are supposed to stand out in a crowd. You should be able to tell a Christian by their actions and how they differ from the world. Rather than be part of the constantly lost flock, you should soar like an eagle higher and higher above the earth! Follow God with conviction, and you might find yourself acting much more strangely compared to earthly standards. But God will promote you to a new level of blessing and victory when you commit yourself fully to Him. Don't live a life of mediocrity and regularity, live a life of excellence for God! Don't be afraid to be different and stand out. Remember, Jesus was considered different!

God, thank You that I am made to be different for Your sake. Give me strength to soar like an eagle and stand out in this world around me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Live a Life of Integrity

"Fine!' the king exclaimed. 'You are a good man. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, and as your reward, you shall be governor of ten cities." (Luke 19:17)

Integrity is so important to a Christian that it needs to be a conscious and daily decision for you. Integrity is the foundation that God builds a successful life upon. Integrity and prosperity go hand in hand in the mind of God. Just like the servant in the story of Luke 19, if you are faithful and work at small things with integrity, God can then make you responsible for bigger and better things! The catch is that you have to be faithful and full of integrity even in the small things. God will bless you when you maintain honesty, integrity, and faithfulness to Him in all things you do, whether great or small.

God, help me to live a life of integrity every day. I pray that You build my life successfully upon my foundation of honesty and integrity. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Practice Excellence

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
(Colossians 3:23)

You can probably think of many times in which you simply did not give your best effort, or didn't really try very hard. Every person, because of our human imperfections, sometimes chooses to be lazy and not try. But the example given by Christ, and the one mentioned in Colossians 3, is completely the opposite. Christians are to be the best at whatever they do, because they are do to everything as if they were doing it for God alone! When you put your whole heart into whatever it is you are supposed to do, God will recognize that and bless you for it. You should strive for and pursue excellence in all you do, for the sake of God; He blesses excellence!

God, I want to do my work and everything else with true excellence. Give me Your power to be an example of Christ to those around me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Be Delighted

"Be delighted with the Lord. Then he will give you all your heart's desires."
(Psalm 37:4)

What really makes you happy? Most people in this life are happy and content with trying to find a decent job, getting married, and having a couple of children. There is nothing wrong with any of these, but is that the main point of life? God wants you to delight yourself in the things of Him. Things and people on earth can make you happy, but ultimately your greatest delight and joy should be in God. The reason this is important is because of what today's verse says. When you make Him your delight, He will give you the desires of your heart. So if you really want joy and fulfillment, then make Jesus your delight!

God, thank You for promising me blessings and strength as I serve You. May I rest in and put my joy in You and You alone. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Living in God's Power

"With God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

God promises so many good things for your life, but He wants you to step up and receive them. If you come to Him and claim the blessings and abundance He has offered, then your life will be changed forever. God has all of the power necessary to restore broken families, replace lost trust, and work miraculous acts that no one could expect to see happen. In fact, many families and individuals have been changed by God through this ministry because of seeds of faithfulness and hope that were planted by people like you! All things are possible with God, and if He is in your life, you can plant seeds that will one day grow and give someone the hope of Jesus!

God, I know that You have the ability to change people through me. Thank You for changing me and giving me the ability to trust You for great things. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Giving Back to God

"All tithes from the land, whether the seed from the ground or the fruit from the tree, are the LORD's; they are holy to the LORD." (Leviticus 27:30)

Everything belongs to God, so why not give some back to Him? God has entrusted you with a certain amount of wealth and talent. It may not be as much as someone else's, but that's OK because you are only responsible for what He has entrusted to you. God wants to see if you're going to be faithful to Him in what you have before He decides to give you more. Giving is of utmost importance to the local church and most of all, it is important to God Almighty!

God, thank You for blessing me with what I have. Give me the grace and determination to give back freely to You what You have already given to me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Be Life-Changing

"Whatever it takes, I will be one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead." (Philippians 3:11)

Can you imagine what it must have been like to be sailing on the Mayflower into an unknown and uncharted world? How did Neil Armstrong feel knowing that everyone else was on earth while he was walking on the moon? Those are risky and certainly life-changing events and times in our past, but life-changing doesn't just belong in the past. God still wants you to step out into something great and mysterious for His glory and for your blessing and fulfillment. If your life has not changed much, or if you have a greater desire to impact the lives of those around you, ask God to give you a challenge to undertake that will make an unforgettable impact!

God, I know that You want great things from me. Help me to have the daring faith that You can do anything if I will trust You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

You are Blessed

"How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)

Some blessings in your life are easy to see and you probably are thankful for them each and every day. Your health and your family probably come to mind when you think of what God has blessed you with. But God has also given you talents, fulfillment, favor, and abundance. The Bible says that you are blessed when you come in and when you go out. You are blessed with confidence and assurance that your God is who He says He is. You are kept safe and secure in the hands of God as He divinely protects you and your family. Think about all of the blessings that God has given you and thank Him for them today!

God, I know that You have richly blessed me, and I thank You! Help me to seek Your favor and live abundantly in Your love! In Jesus' Name. Amen.

What is Faith?

"What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead." (Hebrews 11:1)

God wants us to have true faith in Him. According to Hebrews 11, faith is the substance of things hoped for. The word "hope" is also easily misunderstood because it means something entirely different today. Some people think of hope as luck, "I hope I pass this test." God's view of hope is certainty and confidence, a great expectation of what is to come. Having true faith in God means having a confidence that what He says is true, even though you don't see Him and you can't prove the future. Having a hope for a future with God is what drives believers to makes themselves more like Christ each day. You too have this eternal hope in Christ-and hopefully that does drive you!

God, thank You that I can have a confident hope and assurance in You. Let my faith in You be obvious to everyone I meet today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Too Busy

"You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed."
(Luke 10:41-42)

Ephesians 5:16 says to make the most out of every opportunity to do good. It's difficult to believe that someone is making the most of their opportunities for good when they don't even see the opportunities. Today, why not take a few minutes to see where you are in terms of how you're spending your time. Are you making the most of every opportunity God gives you to do good for someone? Do you recognize those opportunities? Many Christians today make the same mistake as Martha did in Luke 10, and concern themselves with tasks instead of sitting at the feet of Jesus. Sit at the feet of Jesus today, and make sure you aren't too busy to share His Word with others.

God, help me not to worry about mundane things, but to be consumed by You. May I have boldness as I share Your Word with others. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Share Your Love

"Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
(John 13:35)

If you know someone who is struggling, just put an arm around them and let them know that you care and that you have been thinking about them. To truly show them the love of God, stand next to them, pray with them and make a difference. That is the kind of life-altering love that Jesus showed as an example in the Bible. Love is a perfectly good word, so don't be afraid to use it. Jesus said that more than anything else, love will be the way that the world knows the disciples of Christ. Go visit an old friend, tell your family that you love them; or do something else for someone to express the love that you have for them.

God, thank You for loving me first. Give me the strength to love others and to display that love for others to see. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Take Time to Really Listen

"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." (2 John1:6)

Sometimes friends give a quick piece of advice or a pat on the back when another person shares a problem or struggle. Sometimes they would even get a verse or two of Scripture, but that's not always what Jesus would do. Jesus demands nothing less from you than to walk in love and be compassionate to others around you. Walking in love and truth demands that you respond to what you have heard. Many times the best thing to do is simply let the other person know that you hear them and that you are concerned for them. Jesus was truly concerned for the people around Him, and showed it by the attentive and caring way He listened to the people who came to Him. That same caring should be a goal for His followers as well.

God, give me a compassionate spirit and willing heart. May I take the time to truly listen to the needs of others. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Open Your Heart

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians 4:29)

Compassion is simply feeling what others feel, and then letting them know that you care about them by the loving way you treat them. It sounds easy enough, but it's usually harder to practice compassion than it is to talk about it. But through Christ, you are more than capable of being a compassionate person each day. All that you have to do is be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit, and follow directions when He prompts you to act towards someone in need. You have that "small voice" inside of you that tells you what you should do. Just listen to it! When you understand what people are going through, then you can understand their needs.

God, I know that I have the ability to be caring and compassionate. Give me understanding and leading so that I can make a difference in other people's lives. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Be Compassionate

"How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?" (1 John 3:17)

You've probably heard the saying that "you may be the only Jesus someone ever sees." There may be a desperate person who is in need of something as small as a smile or a little money, and you might be the best or the only example of Jesus' love to them! With this in mind, look for ways today to live with true compassion and a caring attitude toward others. That's how you can plant seeds of God in someone. You may not be around to see the seeds grow into a large and beautiful plant, but you could make a life-changing impact where you are!

God, I thank You for Your love and compassion for me. Help me to live life in the same spirit. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Experience Satisfaction

"The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; he will not be visited with evil." (Proverbs 19:23)

You can experience satisfaction. That's right; no matter where you're at, what is troubling you today, or what has happened to you in the past, true satisfaction is close at hand. It's found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And along with the satisfaction that God gives you, peace and joy will flood your life to an overwhelming degree! This satisfaction and peace is not temporary, it's not just here until something bad happens. Experiencing true satisfaction in God lasts for an eternity. You can live the way you were born to live, the way God intended for you to live! With God's satisfaction, you can live a healthier, happier, and victorious life for as long as you live.

God, thank You for Your satisfaction that is beyond anything I have ever known. Strengthen me as I seek to serve You and find my joy and satisfaction in You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Worry, or Worship?

"We have no power against this large army that is attacking us. We don't know what to do, so we look to you for help." (2 Chronicles 20:12)

The enemy would love to get you worrying instead of worshiping God. When the devil brings you thoughts of worry, anxiety and fear, let them be a reminder for you to thank God that His answer is on the way. Say, "Devil, thank you for reminding me," and then say, "Father, I thank You that You are at work on my behalf." That's what King Jehoshaphat did. The people of Judah were surrounded by three major armies. It didn't look like they had a chance. This godly king was probably bombarded with thoughts of fear and anxiety. But he gathered the people together, lifted his eyes toward heaven, and prayed the simple prayer in today's verse. Jehoshaphat's prayer was answered. God told the people to march right in to the enemy's camp, singing and shouting praises on their way. Notice, they weren't worrying-they were worshiping-and God delivered them. Do you need a victory in your life? Then learn to worship instead of worry!

God, You are truly the great God who is the Provider of everything we need, and much more. I want to be a worshiper instead of a worrier, so today I claim Your promise of deliverance from thoughts of fear or anxiety. Thank You for giving me the victory. In Jesus' Name. Amen.