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What good is it, my brothers, if someone says hehas faith but does not have works? Can that faithsave him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothedand lacking in daily food, and one of you saysto them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,”without giving them the things needed for thebody, what good is that? So also faith by itself, ifit does not have works, is dead. But someone willsay, “You have faith and I have works.” Show meyour faith apart from your works, and I will showyou my faith by my works.10JAMES 2:14-17Works.Faith without works is dead. We areGod workmanship created to do goodworks. We have a purpose. A resultof our faith is that purpose fulfilled inreaching the needs of those aroundus. James give us an example ofsomeone in need, who experiencedthe ‘faith’ of a Christian with outthe works. The need is still unmet.James encourages us that true faithis always accompanied by works.What areas of your life are youbelieving for today? What is yourcorresponding action as a result ofthat faith? Faith and action are greatdance partners because true faith isalways accompanied by action. Forexample, your need may be for afamily member who does not knowJesus. Why not write down a list ofactions stirred by your faith to wit-ness, encourage and lead them toJesus? Whatever your declaration istoday, write down the action in 2021that is going to change in your lifebecause you and I have a God whowants to meet your need throughyour faith and action.Lord, thank you that we can showour faith by our works. Show me anyareas of my life where my actionsare not lined up to my faith. Give meclear insight into where you wantme to grow my faith, by exercisingmy action. For every faith goal in mylife I ask you to reveal to me areasin which my thinking, my actionshave not lined up to what you desireof me. Give me to the courage toovercome and move forward despiteobstacles. Amen

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the newcreation has come: The old has gone,the new is here!112 CORINTHIANS 5:17New.Confession: I am a new creature inChrist: old things have passed away,behold, all things are new.There is power in your confession.A confession is declaring what webelieve about who God is and whathas done for us. Its is a tool to remind us of our identity and power inChrist and can be used every minuteof the day. 2 Corinthians tells us thatwe are new creations in Christ. Thisis powerful. Your history, your pastand your guilt no longer matter toGod. It may matter to you but he hasmade all things new in your life. Areyou living out of that today?It can be easy to read scripture andpass over the power of it in our ownlives. Faith is the ability to believewhat God says about you. It is theability to bring what he has done forus through Jesus into our presentreality. Often we can forget that weare new creations in Christ Jesus.We live out of our broken problems,identity and flaws. Today God hasmade you a new creation, it’s a newday full of glorious possibilities. Youdo not need to live out of the past. Allthings are new in Jesus. The past isbehind you and a bright future aheadof you today.Jesus Thank you for making my lifenew. Thank you that you are the restorer of my past and my brokenness.I am a new creation. I do not need tolive or think the way that I used to.You have made my life, my mind andmy heart new. Thank you Jesus.

Cast all your anxiety on him becausehe cares for you.121 PETER 5:7Care.Confession: I cast all my care onthe Lord for He cares for me.God cares for you today. Deeply. Heloves you so much that he died foryou. In fact, God loved you and I somuch that he sent his son Jesus notonly to take your sin but also to takeeach and every burden, care, worry,fear, disappointment and discouragement. There is nothing that you havethat he cannot carry. Whatever situations you face he knows about it andhe cares about it.we can no longer control it. What isgoing on in your life or in your worldthat is too heavy for you to carry? Today, you can give it to God. You canplace it in his hands. Often times Iwill write in my journal what is goingon in my life and I literally hand eachand every care and worry to you.Thank you Jesus that you care for meand my family. Thank you that youknow my needs and my fears. TodayI give each an every worry (namethem) to you. I place them in yourcare. I ask you to take any heavinessand anxiety from me because I trustCasting you care on the lord isyou with them. I thank you that yousaying ‘Lord, I give this situation toyou, you are in control of it now, not are now in control because I haveme’’. When something is to big for us given it to you. Amen.to carry we become anxious because

You will be blessed when you come in andblessed when you go out.13DEUTERONOMY 28:6Blessed.Confession: All my household areblessed in all we do: we’re blessedwhen we come in and when we goout.In everything we do, in our comingand going, our workplaces, oursocial activities and our day to daylives we are blessed. We can confessthat over our children, our familiesand our households. Blessing isfavor bestowed on the life of a Christian by God the Father. As childrenof God we receive the blessing of thefather each and every day. When wedeclare or confess his blessing overour lives, by faith we are choosingto trust him and live in his favor andstrength.Faith is the key to receiving theblessing of God in your life. Faith un-locked the spiritual doors of blessingover you and your family. One of thefirst incidences of blessing in theBible is in Genesis, 12:1–2 whereAbraham is told by the God to leavehis country and is told: “I will blessyou, I will make your name great.’’Abraham trusted God through hisobedience and therefore experiencedblessing. When you have faith andtrust God he will open doors that noman can shut and will always make away in the wilderness.Lord, today I receive your blessingover my life. I thank you that as achild of God I have an inheritance ofblessing and favor of my life. TodayI walk in that blessing. It is mine andmy families in Jesus name. Amen.

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith inGod. I tell you the truth, you can say to thismountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown intothe sea,’ and it will happen. But you must reallybelieve it will happen and have no doubt in yourheart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, andif you believe that you’ve received it, it will beyours.”14MARK 11:22-25Mountains.One of the most incredible sights tobehold is the unmistakable outline ofthe iconic Table Mountain. It can betruly breathtaking to stand at its baseand look up. But can you imagine ifyou were to see this towering table suddenly be detached from thefoundations of the earth, where it hasbeen formed over thousands of years,and be tossed into the sea as if it wasa tiny rock.don’t you take some time today topray in faith, in accordance with theWord of God and BELIEVE that youhave already received the miracle.In this passage Jesus is remindingthe disciples that when we pray infaith, we have the ability to pray themost audacious prayers and trust thatwhat the Lord has said He will dowill be completed.3. Receive it - Whether it happensimmediately or 10 years from nowyou can thank God for the miracleand trust that it is in your possession.Maybe you are facing some bigmountains in your life that you arebelieving God to move. It could be aprayer for a family member to cometo know Jesus, for healing, for Godto restore a broken relationship, forprovision. Whatever it may be, whySteps to Praying in Faith1. Declare it - Speak to the Mountain- What do you want God to do?2. Believe it - Have no doubt in yourheartLord, today I want to see you movethe mountain of . I believewithout doubt or fear that youcan do it in accordance with yourWord. I trust you completely and Ireceive all that you havepromised. Amen

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith inGod. I tell you the truth, you can say to thismountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown intothe sea,’ and it will happen. But you must reallybelieve it will happen and have no doubt in yourheart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and ifyou believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.But when you are praying, first forgive anyone youare holding a grudge against, so that your Fatherin heaven will forgive your sins, too.”15MARK 11:22-25Forgive.Yesterday we unlocked the keys topraying in Faith. But there is one critical step to praying in faith the Jesuscommands his disciples to do - ‘But.first forgive’.Unforgiveness is all consuming,heavy and at times overwhelming. Itfills our hands and heart with burdenand leaves no room for blessing.Imagine if someone was trying tohand you a gift but your hands werefilled with coal. It would be impossible to receive it, try as you might, itwill not be secure until you releasewhat is already there.Today, as you pray in faith, ask theLord to reveal areas in your heart ofunforgiveness that need to be released in order for you to receive Hisblessing.Lord, reveal to me areas in mylife that I have held on to for longenough. Thank you that I canforgive others because you haveforgiven me. I release these areas toyou now and amopen to receiving what you have instore for me. Amen

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him askGod, who gives generously to allwithout reproach, and it will be givenhim. But let him ask in faith, with nodoubting, for the one who doubts islike a wave of the sea that is driven andtossed by the wind. For that person mustnot suppose that he will receive anythingfrom the Lord; he is a double-mindedman, unstable in all his ways.”16JAMES 1:5-8Doubt.Faith is an incredible gift from Godthat unlocks blessings in our lives.Yet often times we can find ourselvesfacing obstacles that hinder our faith.In this scripture James is remindingus that faith and doubt cannot co-exist. The waves of doubt in our livesthat are driven by external circumstances can seem relentless andunstoppable. Where faith provides afirm foundation, doubt destabalisesus.So how can you move doubt fromthe equation? Through praise andthanksgiving. While you wait on yourmiracle you can assume a postureof praise. Thanking God for what Hehas already done will build your faithfor what is to come.Lord, I enter your gates today withthanksgiving in my heart and yourcourts with praise. I thank you for theblessings which you have alreadyplaced in my life. I am full of faithDoubt allows the enemy to sow seeds that if you’ve done it before you Willof untruth into our hearts and spiritdo it again. Amenthat cause us to question the truth ofthe Word of God over our lives.

17When the disciples saw him walking on the lake,they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and criedout in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them:“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’syou,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on thewater.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down outof the boat, walked on the water and came towardJesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and,beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.“You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”HEBREWS 11:1 (NIV)Turn.Many of us will be familiar with thestory of Peter walking on the waterwith Jesus. Here were the disciples,out in a shaky boat, in the middle ofthe night, with waves crashing allaround them. When suddenly , whatlooks like a ghost begins to approachthem. Pretty scary! Jesus immediately recognises their fear and commands the disciples to take courage.Filled with confidence, Peter makesthe brave and bold step to get out ofthe boat. When the waves begin totake his focus, fear creeps in and hebegins to sink.our focus away from Jesus. HelenHowarth Lemmel shares with us inthe well known hymn ‘The Heavenly Vision’ a beautiful reminder thatwhen we keep our eyes fixed on Him,the fears and doubts becomeinsignificant. Take some time toreflect on these lyrics today.‘Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in His wonderful face;And the things of earth will growstrangely dimIn the light of His glory and grace.’Lord, thank you for the courage youAs we continue on our journey ofhave given me. Reveal to me areasfaith there will be many times that we in my life where you are calling meencounter moments of fear; fear ofto step out in Faith. When fear seeksfailure, fear of disappointment, fear of to steal my focus help me to give myembarrassment, fear of loss. Theseeyes fully fixed on you. Amenmoments have the potential to shift

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of Godwhich is in you through the laying on of hands.182 TIMOTHY 1:6-7Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,but only one receives the prize? So run that you mayobtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in allthings. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, butwe an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I donot box as one beating the air. But I discipline mybody and keep it under control, lest after preaching toothers I myself should be disqualified.1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27Runners.Life is a race. Each day we are puttingone foot in front of the other. Paul iswriting to the church in Corinthiansand encouraging but also challenging them. He is teaching them to notget complacent in the race of life andthe race of faith. Complacency is ahindrance to faith. Faith equips usand encourages us to keep movingforward with purpose and direction.Complacency tells us we got there in our own strength.circumstance . but over time youhave stopped believing and trustingGod in that area. Complacency mayhave set in. In 2021 what areas ofyour life and faith do you need to stirup and start trusting and believingGod again.God, thank you for the gift of faiththat is in me. Thank you that today Ido need to get complacent but I stirup those areas which I have growncold or still in the race. I ask you toPaul reminds Timothy to stir up thereinvigorate my life and heartgift of God which is in you. Faith is a again. For the areas that I need yourfree gift from God. What areas of your strength and supernatural courage, Ilife has your faith got complacent?ask you for a revelation of your powerMaybe at one stage of your life youso that my faith will continue to growhad great faith for a certain area, for a strong.provision, an open doors, a changed

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,”Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down outof the boat, walked on the water and came towardJesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraidand, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, saveme!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand andcaught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why didyou doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat,the wind died down.19MATTHEW 14:27-32Crisis.What an awesome account in theGospels of Jesus walking on water,which also becomes the story of Peter walking on, then sinking into andfinally being pulled out of the samewater. The story starts of as a picture of God’s absolute authority overeverything, but in this case, nature.Jesus defies gravity as He walks onthe stormy water. But when Peterasks Jesus to call him, too, onto thewater, it becomes a story for humanity of what it looks like when peopleexpress faith in Jesus.It is important to know that the lakethey were on is not a massive bodyof water, and yet they have spentnearly the entire night struggling toget across, which must mean thestorm battered their boat. They werein a crisis! Why on earth would Peterwant to go out there? Even so, hisweird request to walk on water leavesus with some powerful reflections onhow to handle every day, but especially moments of crisis.As Peter steps out of the boat, I don’tthink he’s trying to be Jesus, he’ssimply trying to be with Jesus. To benear the only One who remains unaffected by our circumstances. Peter’smotive isn’t to escape the storm, but

19to get closer to the One who has fullauthority over the storm. In his humanness, he does for a moment takehis eyes off Jesus onto the storm andstarts to sink, and yet, Jesus is rightthere to pull him out. Nearness toChrist is the only way to do life.We can encounter Jesus anywhereand at any time, He is right there inmoments where you and I are overwhelmed by the waves of life, but itis my responsibility to keep my eyesand focus on Him and Who He is. ACrisis in your life can also be a “thinplace,” where our God is waiting tobreak through. It is in the nature ofthose who are filled with a humblebut active faith to throw themselvesinto Jesus in moments of crisis.Even when it’s only “little faith”.Today you and I are invited to do thesame.God, I thank you that you are notdistant God, but that You are a GodWho draws near to us as we drawnear to You, every day, but especiallyin moments when the waves comecrashing! I have faith in Who Youare, help me in those moments whenit is so human to look at the wavesaround me, to lift my gaze to the Onewho is unshakable! Amen

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and followsit is wise, like a person who builds a house onsolid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents andthe floodwaters rise and the winds beat againstthat house, it won’t collapse because it is builton bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a personwho builds a house on sand. When the rainsand floods come and the winds beat against thathouse, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”20MATTHEW 7:24-27 (NLT)Standing.The people Jesus was speaking toin during this teaching would haveknown exactly what He meant. Palestine was, to an extent, a land ofhills and mountains and was subjectto sudden and violent rains. Whenthis happened, the Jordan and itsstreams would become rapid andfurious and everything in the way ofthese torrents would be swept off.Even houses, but especially if founded on sand or on any unsolid basis,would not stand in the wake of thesetorrents. Rocks in Palestine werecommon, and it was easy to secure asolid foundation for their houses towithstand these torrents. From thisverse

“Now faith is confidence in what we 02 hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” HEBREWS 11:1 (NIV) This verse is taken out of a chapter in the book of Hebrews that outlines all of the great men and women of faith in the Bible. The author says 2 things about faith: 1. Faith is the