admin, Author at The Abundant Life Center

Friday, May 18, 2018

Posted on May 18, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Friday, May 18, 2018

“Wisdom For the Journey”

By Dona Hake

“Heavenly wisdom centers on purity, peace,

gentleness, deference, mercy, and other

good fruits untainted by hypocrisy.” James 3:17 (The Voice)

God‘s wisdom proceeds from His heart, and we are so blessed that He desires to generously give us this wisdom from above. It is a never ending well of many good fruits. All we have to do when we need wisdom is to humbly ask. May we desire to make wise godly decisions in the midst of difficult circumstances as well as simple decisions that are before us.

What a blessing it is to know that we never have to stumble around in the darkness when trials come, we can know exactly what to do for His wisdom is a light that will go before us.

“If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey,

then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant

all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.”
James 1:5. (THE VOICE)

Lord, we ask that you guide our choices and decisions by Your wisdom. We thank You that Your wisdom helps us to grow in the discernment and good judgement to live life’s journey.

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Posted on May 17, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Thursday, May 17, 2018

“Living By Faith”

by Dona Hake

“The path we walk is charted by faith,

not by what we see with our eyes.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 – the Voice

This is the course the Lord has set before us, we are to walk by faith and not by sight. Oh how tempting it is at times to be moved by what we see or do not see, and what we feel. One evening while we were visiting in North Wales with Brother Arthur Burt there was a precious blind couple that was present in the meeting. They shared a parable with us that evening, and it exhorted us all in our faith. This was the parable they shared:

“There was a guide dog leading a blind man. If he was to override the guidance of the seeing eye dog, and go off course, who takes the blame??? It is necessary for us to entrust our eyes to the eyes of the our dog. So it is, we need to be blind (or deny our senses in the natural) that the Holy Spirit can lead us as we totally yield to His eyes and direction.“

As I read this once again from the notes I took many years ago, I was reminded how easy it is to think that I am walking in faith yet I may be depending too much on my feelings and emotions. I pray this will encourage your heart to seek Him for an even deeper walk of faith as you totally yield to His eyes and direction.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Posted on May 16, 2018 in Devotions |

DEVOTIONAL FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018

“Do You Know What the Father Is Doing?”

by Dona Hake

“Jesus always knew what the Father was doing.

Do I know what the Father is doing in my life?“ Authur Burt

It is sad but sometimes we can be our own worst critics. While it is good to know our weaknesses, we must make sure we are giving those weaknesses to Him so He can continue to help us grow, and strengthen those areas of our life.

May we never grow weary with ourselves and just accept our faults, but rather let us press in, and go about the Father’s business and watch and see His wonderful hand at work in us.

As I share today’s quote, I am hoping to provoke your thoughts about what God is doing in your life. Has he spoken something to you, and you may not have given it the prayerful attention it has needed? Maybe you started something that He spoke for you to do, and you never finished it because you grew weary and disappointed in well doing.

Our Lord never grows weary nor does He ever get disappointed while He is at work within us. He is watching for you to keep your heart humble that His hand can continue to mold you. He is ready to give you His grace in exchange for your lack and inabilities.

My friend, let the Lord your God show you everything within you…the progress you have made, those areas that are weak and need attention, and the new paths He has paved ahead just for you! My prayer for you today….

“Now may the God of peace, who brought the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, back from the dead through the blood of the new everlasting covenant, perfect you in every good work as you work God’s will. May God do in you only those things that are pleasing in His sight through Jesus the Anointed, our Liberating King, to whom we give glory always and forever. Amen.”

Hebrews 13:20-21 THE VOICE-

Monday, May 14, 2018

Posted on May 15, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Tuesday, May 15, 2018

“The Bread We Need For Today”

by Dona Hake

Matthew 6:11 (CEB)

“Give us the bread we need for today.”

“…the bread we need today.“ These words are a reminder to live one day at a time. They remind me that I serve a faithful God that knows exactly what I need today, and He will provide it. It is so easy to become preoccupied with tomorrow and its needs. Our Lord instructed us in His Word in Matthew 6:11 to simply ask. We need to believe Him to give us the nourishment our spirit man needs to thrive and grow. May we desire the bread from heaven for it is truly our sustenance. As He faithfully sustained us today, He will surely sustain the needs of our tomorrows.

Physical hunger will prompt us to eat, and of course we need to feed our bodies that we be healthy and have energy for this life. Therefore, let us also understand that our spirit man needs to be kept fed from the Bread of Heaven that it be strong and healthy. Let us not be deceived to think that we can live on the fumes of yesterday’s faith and testimonies. May we be diligent to read His Word and meditate upon it daily in order that our spirit, soul and mind are thriving on the nourishment of this Bread of Life.

Oh Lord, we ask You for the needed bread for this day, and we believe we receive it. We thank You that you are well able to give to us in accordance to our needs. Oh Lord you are the wonderful provision for our life, and for that we are thankful!

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Posted on May 12, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Saturday, May 12, 2018

“Your Life…A Garden of Refreshment!”

by Dona Hake

Isaiah 58:11 (ERV)

“The Lord will always lead you and satisfy your needs in dry lands.

He will give strength to your bones.

You will be like a garden that has plenty of water,

like a spring that never goes dry.”

As we draw upon the living water from abiding in His presence, fellowshipping with Him, and reading His Word, WE WILL be those that are full of strength from above. WE SHALL be as gardens with a plenteous supply of of God’s living water. Are you ready to share that strength and holy spring from above with those around you today? Let us be thankful that the water He gives is the only water that will quench those that are needy and thirsty. I love how this scripture in Isaiah says that we will be “like a garden that has plenty of water, a spring that never goes dry.” No matter how much we draw upon it, those waters will continue to flow toward us to meet our every need! The only requirement is that we continue to seek Him and draw upon that river of life that proceeds from Him.

This type of abundance is likened to the scripture I shared a few days ago. We will have so much falling from above that it will spill over into our laps! This abundance is not just for our survival alone but it is there for us to give. God desires to see us active in doing good for others from a heart of faith and love.

Today I encourage you to think about the abundance in your life. Praise Him for how He meets your needs, and the many testimonies that you carry in your heart of His faithfulness. Seek opportunities to look to be a blessing in someone’s life. I pray that the life of Jesus within will touch someone today. Expect the unexpected opportunities to be part of the greater work He desires to do through us in Jesus Name!

Friday, May 11, 2018

Posted on May 11, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Friday, May 11, 2018

“The Power of Forgiveness”

by Dona Hake

“How happy is the person whose sin the Eternal will not take into account. How happy are those who no longer lie to themselves or others. When I refused to admit my wrongs, I was miserable, moaning and complaining all day long so that even my bones felt brittle. Day and night, Your hand kept pressing on me. My strength dried up like water in the summer heat; You wore me down. [pause] When I finally saw my own lies, I owned up to my sins before You, and I did not try to hide my evil deeds from You. I said to myself, “I’ll admit all my sins to the Eternal,” and You lifted and carried away the guilt of my sin. [pause]
Psalm 32:1-5 – The Voice

While you can hear the sorrow here in David’s words, there is such a precious beauty in the heart of one that desires to be right with God. Yesterday I shared about God‘s hand upon us to lead us, encourage us and even stop us when we are about to get off the path that He desires for us to walk in. Here in this translation David said he was miserable, he moaned and complained until he felt it was affecting his health and the strength of his bones. Then he said, “Day and night, Your hand kept pressing on me.” Once again, we see God’s hand at work. God did not let up on David as He dealt with David in the depths of his heart. David saw his heart with its lies, and he owned up to his sin before God…from there his true repentance and forgiveness happened.

Oh the beauty of admitting when we have sinned and done wrong. As we acknowledge our sin and we do not attempt to cover it up, the Lord is quick to forgive and wash away our sin and its guilt . To confess our sin is to agree with God, acknowledging that His ways are right and to declare what we have done is sinful, and that we are wrong to desire to do it.God loves when we confess to Him anything that would keep us from him in order that we may follow him more faithfully. Oh I am so thankful for the blood of our Lord Jesus that we can walk free from the guilt of our sin. God is so good!

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Posted on May 10, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Thursday, May 10, 2018

“When His Hand Reaches Down”

by Dona Hake

Psalm 63:8 (VOICE)
” My soul clings to You;
Your right hand reaches down and holds me up.”

The work of His Spirit in our life should be met with expectancy every time we pray. There are days that I feel His loving hand give me the push that I need, and it’s called courage. Sometimes I feel Him tugging at my heart because I am about to miss something that is important mainly because I am preoccupied with something else. Sometimes I feel His loving hand holding me back as my soul is insistent on moving forward. It is in those times that He was keeping me from taking a step forward in the wrong direction. I especially love when I can almost sense His hand across my mouth so I do not speak words that would offend or hurt others. His loving and caring hand in our life is so sweet. I hope you too are looking for His loving hand at work in your life! Live in the expectancy of it and He will always meet you where you are and uphold you as your soul clings to Him.

Upcoming E

Posted on May 9, 2018 in Uncategorized |

by Dona Hake

Oh that we would consistently reflect the Lord’s ways! The psalmist wrote this, and he spoke his heart’s desire to reflect all that was right and good that he could represent God according to the decrees he knew. We too should desire this. The Amplified version of this scripture shares the secret to doing this in four words. We need to truly hear, receive, love, and obey His Word.

Psalm 119:5Amplified Bible (AMP)

“Oh, that my ways were directed and established

to observe Your statutes

[hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying them]!”

Have you ever heard something, and it went in one ear and out the other? We have all been guilty of that one. Yet, God wants us to be cautious that we do not do that when we hear the living Word of His truth. May we hear it, and take hold of it, and receive to be our very own revelation. As we hold fast to it, love, and obey it, we will indeed reflect His decrees. Let us be faithful to read and study His Word. It is as we meditate and reflect upon the Word that it will grow within our hearts.

“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.”

Psalms 119:15 NLT

Lord, we ask you to help us to remember that as we are here on this earth, you desire to live in and through us. We are your vessels, and we long to radiate and reflect Your life, light, and love in all that we do. Keep us humble Lord, and show us those things that would hinder us from reflecting You fully. We thank you for Your great and awesome works that you plan to do through us. Lord, “You are good and kind and do good; teach me Your statutes.” Psalms 119:68 (Amp.)

Upcoming B

Posted on May 9, 2018 in Uncategorized |

Every Step I Take

I truly believe that the believer that has submitted their will to the Lord and has made a decision to obey Him can truly know that He will direct his paths. Jesus has promised to never leave nor forsake us. He has promised to lead, guide us and direct us with His wisdom at every turn. I am sure you can identify at times where things seemed a bit hard to understand. Maybe things were unfolding totally differently than how you thought it would go. On top of it all, it is making you feel a bit uneasy because you have been bumped out of your comfort zone.

This proverb counsels us not to worry if we do not totally understand everything as it happens. Instead, let us take heart and fear not for God is on our side and He will cause us to rise victoriously and cross the finish line.

Proverbs 20:24 (VOICE)
“Every one of our steps is directed by Him;
so how can we attempt to figure out our own way?”

This scripture exhorts my heart to be reminded to never try to figure things out too far ahead for I do not know all that God has in store for me in my journey. It causes me also to be mindful that I should be casting all my care upon Him because as He cares for me, all will be well with my soul as He works His beautiful plan in my life.

~~~~~♥~~~~~

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Posted on May 9, 2018 in Devotions |

Devotional for Wednesday, May 9, 2018

“He Gives Us Eyes To See What He Sees”

by Dona Hake

Today I would like to share with you a very special testimony of mine. Many years ago we had a Christian school, and we were feeling it was time to add a high school to it. Pastor Bill had asked me if I would be open to teach the typing/computer class to the students. While I did very well in typing when I was in high school, I was apprehensive if I could teach it to students. Deep in my heart I knew I was supposed to do it yet I had so much doubt in myself and my abilities. I struggled deeply with stepping out on this. I had so much fear that I would fail.

One day, a missionary friend of ours stopped by the school before the new school year started. Brother Emma Okorie saw me in the hall of the school,and he asked me how I was doing.I could see that he sensed in his spirit that I was not myself and I was troubled. I began to share with him my apprehensiveness relative to stepping out and teaching. He looked at me with great intensity and I just knew he was going to exhort me. The words he spoke gave me courage to step into God’s perfect will for that appointed time in my life. He looked into my eyes and with great boldness he spoke… “Sister, the Lord wants to unlock and release surprises in you that you are not even aware of!” Wow! The Lord was seeing something in me, and He desired to release it! Once again I will refer to the quote I shared yesterday.

“I saw an angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.“

Michelangelo

The Lord sees the depths of our hearts and He gives us eyes to see what He is seeing and desiring. The Word of God tells us to delight ourselves in Him, and He will place desires within our heart. He will also help us discover gifts and talents that are deep within us. I want to mention that no matter how young or how old you are, God desires to continue to do a great work in you. I have learned that you just never know what the Lord has in store as we continue to move into His will and serve Him all the days of our life.

Lord, give us eyes to see the things in us that we have not yet discovered. There are many gifts in all of us, and they are there for specific and appointed times in Your plan. Give us the courage to step out and do those things that may seem too big for our minds to except, and may we not compare them to our own ability but rather compare them to Your grace. In Jesus Name amen!