Dona Hake, Author at The Abundant Life Center

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Posted on Mar 12, 2019 in Devotions |

Devotional for Tuesday, March 12, 2019

“What a Powerful Word”

by Dona Hake

RESTORATION…What a powerful word! It happens when something or someone is returned to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition. Things broken, relationships broken, hearts broken. It happens in this life, yet our Lord is able to restore it all by His love and power.

Let us treasure within us how wonderful it is that the Lord will forgive us when we mess up, and He will always cleanse our hearts. As we humble ourselves to Him admitting our wrongs and shortcomings, He will bring His mercies and forgiveness to you, and bring you back to that place of feeling clean and joyful again. Oh what treasure it is when a relationship is restored by the power of His forgiveness, as we extend it when it is needed.

When one lives in an unrestored state of heart and mind, there can many times be the torment of guilt. Let us look at David in the Psalms. His plea to God was for restoration of his heart in a time in which he majorly messed up, and his heart was heavy with guilt and anguish.

Psalm 51:7, 8, 10

“Remove my sin and make me pure.”
Wash me until I am whiter than snow!
Let me hear sounds of joy and happiness again.
God, create a pure heart in me,
and make my spirit strong again.”

Let us treasure the restoring power of love and forgiveness which will always usher restoration into our life. It is only Him that can bring restoration to our souls. He is the only one who is able to cleanse. I love how verse eight says “Let me hear sounds of joy and happiness again.” This is what restoration is about. When we experience freedom from guilt and the power of restoration we are able to experience the joy that was robbed by our sin, guilt or loss that we may have experienced. Only God is able to create within us a pure heart, pick us back up, heal our broken heart, and cause us to continue on in His will. Thank God for the power of His restoration!

Monday, March 11, 2019

Posted on Mar 11, 2019 in Devotions |

Devotional for Monday, March 11, 2019

“The Power of Self Control”

by Dona Hake

Some things are easier than others, and some things take a lot of patience and time. Some may require more determination and self control in order to go forward. I will never forget hearing a man’s testimony of his extreme weight loss. He weighed over 600 lbs. and over a period of time was able to lose 400 of those pounds. It was amazing to see his before and after, and might I add that his story was such an inspiration. Before he lost the weight, he had basically given up and just stayed at home. All he did was play online video games. He ended up friending a woman on the other side of his gaming world, and they played video games and interacted together. Over the course of time she had come to know his weight situation as they chatted and this is all she said…”You are throwing your life away…” Those six words inspired, and challenged his heart! He made some real tough decisions and it was a slow but sure victory. His decision required him to commit to some tough self discipline.

One can be tempted to fear of failure in such a situation as this gentleman. You know anyone of us could be faced with a situation in which we have to change some things in our life for the sake of our health or other reasons. One thing for sure and that is when we have a solid purpose in any decision to change, know this… as we invite our Lord along to be our Helper we do not have to be afraid of failure. The Holy Spirit will come along side of us and lead us in our journey, and our determination and discipline will cause us to win and not fail!

2 Timothy 1:7

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”

Today I encourage your heart to ponder that God has made it possible that we are able to tap into the power of His way of self control and discipline. He is able to help us accomplish our goals as we purpose our heart to be disciplined for Him in every area of our life. God is able to help us do above and beyond all we dare ask or think! By His power, we can do that which may seem impossible in Jesus Name!

Friday, March 8, 2019

Posted on Mar 8, 2019 in Devotions |

Devotional for Friday, March 8, 2019

“My Unknown Future Is In His Hands”

by Dona Hake

“…but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching
forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

God desires that we look forward into our future with faith in our hearts. What a waste of the time it is if we spend our God given time dwelling on our pasts that have been painful. One can also be guilty of living in that place of “I wished it was how it used to be.” It is like trying to drive with our destination in mind yet our gaze is continually in the rear view mirror. Yes, there are times we need to glance in our rear view mirrors so we can proceed cautiously. Those glances serve us as a good way to proceed with caution that we do not make mistakes or put ourselves in danger. But oh how dangerous it would be if we drove our car with continual gaze in our rear view mirror. So it is in our walk with the Lord.

“The future frightens only those who

prefer living in the past.”

John Mason

God does not want us to be fearful of our future but rather we need to rejoice in the days to come knowing that He is ready to use us as He wills as we give Him our all! I read a really awesome but powerful sentence the other day and it went like this…

“My unknown future is in the hands of an all knowing God.”

We can all have our plans and expectations for our future, and that is good but praise God that He is all knowing, and He can cause our paths to be blessed and prosperous each and every day of our lives. God bless you richly as you serve Him this day!

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Posted on Mar 7, 2019 in Devotions |

Devotional for Thursday, March 7, 2019

“The Word Fitly Spoken”

by Dona Hake

What do you think of when you hear ~~ a word fitly spoken ~~?? When I think of a word fitly spoken, I think of expressing words from my heart to someone, and you just know in your heart of hearts that you have spoken exactly what they needed to hear. Yet, those same words spoken at the wrong time could possibly not be good. Just because you know something to be true does not mean it is the moment to speak it. Today let us ponder and meditate on desiring that our words are spoken in due season…the season that is in God’s plan for the moment.

James had some excellent advice about the handling of words in this life. Words are spoken, words are heard, and words can cause reaction. Words have the ability to build up, tear down, hurt, and even cause one to become angry. Words can create fear, yet they can also create faith. Oh the power of words!

James 1:19 (AMP)

“Understand [this], my beloved brethren.

Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener],

slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.”

I think of how many arguments would be avoided if this simple and profound verse was mastered by us. This verse has a wealth of wisdom in it. It is just as important to listen to another’s heart as well as how much we think our thoughts and words are important. After you have listened, then think thoroughly before you open your mouth. Many times you may feel that you have the right answer for someone’s problem yet it is not the appropriate time for that word to be spoken.

Let us ask the Lord to have sensitive hearts that we will purpose to listen more sensitively to those around us. Many times we may indeed know what that individual may need but we need to ask the Lord for the proper season to share it.

Proverbs 25:11 (AMP)
“A word fitly spoken and in due season is like

apples of gold in settings of silver.”

Listening to someone may be the greatest gift you could give them. Words of faith in someone’s fearful circumstance is the greatest gift. Choice words are a treasure to one that is in need. When you choose to listen carefully you will find the person you are with will be much more apt to hear your heartfelt and choice response. After you have listened carefully you will find they will be much more apt to hear your heartfelt and choice response. I believe the Lord can help us to guard our tongues that our words will be as choice silver and gold, and spoken at the proper time.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Posted on Mar 6, 2019 in Devotions |

Devotional for Wednesday, March 6, 2019

“He Gives Us Power To Live”

by Dona Hake

Acts 17:28 (CEV)

“…and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are.”

He enables us to live this life by His power. He helps us to be the person He desires us to be. Today I want to encourage your heart to just let Him do things through you today. I found one of the definitions for the word ~let~ to be interesting in light of the scripture I am going to share with you.

~Let~ means to grant the occupancy or use of

Now let us read this scripture from the Psalms..

“…And ~let~ the beauty and delightfulness and favor

of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish

the work of our hands—yes, the work of our hands, confirm

and establish it.” Psalm 90:17 Amplified Version

May we LET or grant the occupancy of our total being to the Lord today, may we give Him total use of us of however He wishes to use us. May we LET His beauty, delightfulness, and favor rest upon our lives that people would see Him and not us. I believe that as we do this that all that we put our hand to will indeed prosper and He we be able to confirm and establish the work of our hands.

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Posted on Mar 5, 2019 in Devotions |

Devotional for Tuesday, March 5, 2019

“No Matter What It Is…”

by Dona Hake

Colossians 3:17 . Amplified Version

“…whatever you do (no matter what it is)

in word or deed, do everything in the Name

of the Lord Jesus (and independence on Him)

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Let us look closely at five words in this scripture translation from the Amplified version. They are… “No matter what it is… “. Those five words should be the “sieve” in which we run every thought, word and deed through. The Word of God and the witness of the Holy Spirit are also that sieve or safety net in which we can keep ourselves in check. This is the secret of maintaining a heart that is pure and humble before Him. It is that compass that will keep us on the right path. If our every word and deed is not honoring our Lord, then we need to stop and evaluate our words and actions. Ask the Holy Spirit, “Are my words and deeds honoring You?”
God is calling us to a place in which we are to be pure and holy, and pursuing to walk in godliness in every area of our life. May we be a people that He can shine His loving and glorious light through in Jesus Name. Today, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS…Do it all in the Name of Jesus!

Monday, March 4,2019

Posted on Mar 4, 2019 in Devotions |

Devotional for Monday, March 4, 2019

“Abundant Peace Belongs To Them”

by Dona Hake

Psalm 119:165 (HCSB)

“Abundant peace belongs to those

who love Your instruction;

nothing makes them stumble.”

It is a blessed thing to possess peace that permeates our heart and mind. Today we are meditating on the abundant peace or great peace that our awesome God promises as we love His Word, obey His voice. As we stay full of God’s Word we are promised that there is no place for anything but His wonderful peace.

In those times that we do not stay in fellowship with our Lord and the reading of His Word is when souls begin to weaken. It is in those times that we suffer from lack of peace and contentment in Him. We may feel we can get away with lacking diligence in attending to our hearts, but know it to be a truth…our thoughts and feelings will weaken, and so will our faith.

We cannot afford lacking diligence in the reading of His Word and staying in His presence. May we never forget that the devil loves to see us get off track. He loves to see us pursue doing things in our own ability rather than relying on the grace of our Lord. Busying ourselves to keep our minds off of pending problems and uncomfortable circumstances is not God’s way of dealing with things. Haven’t you heard people say these words, “I’m doing fine as long as I keep myself busy.” Our busy minds and works are not the solution to walking through a difficult circumstance in which only the Lord’s guidance and peace is the answer. I would like to share this quote that I found it to fit perfectly with this thought of being too busy.

“If the devil cannot make us bad,

he will make us busy.”

Corrie ten Boom

May we know that our good deeds and works are directly a result of us obeying His voice. May we not fall into the trap of just being busy people but rather let us be busy for the Lord, and the direction His voice is leading us. Let us be obedient to seize only the opportunities that the Lord is putting before us. Our time is precious and so is our abundant peace.

How precious are those times where we feel saturated in His peace because we are saturated in His Word, and we feel unmovable. It is when we are abiding in His place of refuge that we will simply be unmovable. Paul spoke of the peace that passes all understanding. That peace will keep and guard our mind and that peace will also surpass our understanding in Jesus Name!

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Posted on Mar 2, 2019 in Devotions |

Devotional for Saturday, March 2, 2019

“Blessing Others As You Desire To Be Blessed”

by Dona Hake

Matthew 7:12 (MSG)

“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior:

Ask yourself what you want people to do for you,

then grab the initiative and do it for them.”

I love this translation…in a nutshell it is challenging us to examine our heart and ask ourselves the question, What do we desire that people do to or for us, and then grab the initiative and do it for them. Have you ever been guilty of feeling you were to say or do something for someone and you dismissed it because it would have been an interruption to your plans? Or have you ever been prompted to do or say something encouraging, and you experience lack of courage? Are there times that a potentially hurtful word has been spoken to you, and the Holy Spirit prompts you to just let it go…but you dwell on it instead? This is all about not taking initiative to just do the right thing in a situation for this is what you would desire for someone to do to you.

I have walked away from complete strangers that I encountered in conversation feeling like I was to speak an encouraging word to them but I missed it because I was concerned they may have been offended with my words. We just never know when the Lord is positioning us to speak blessing and encouragement to a person or even a complete stranger that is in real need. After all…if we were in a place of being discouraged, and a timely word of encouragement came, isn’t that what we would desire.

May this remind us to stop and take initiative to just do the right thing. Sometimes doing the right thing to someone is being a blessing even when we feel they do not deserve it. Sometimes speaking words of encouragement out of obedience is when we struggle with the thought, “Is this just my thoughts or is this You Lord?” Oh that we do not reason and talk ourselves out of doing good things in the Name of our Lord. Our Lord is all about getting into the tiny details of every one of our thoughts and actions.

We just need to stay aware of what our Lord is seeing, for too many times we miss the hurts and needs around us because we are too consumed by our own needs. Let’s make this scripture a prayer over our lives. In everything, in every circumstance, do to others as we would have them do to us. I believe these words spoken by Jesus are those of power and they are meant keep our hearts challenged in the love walk and live by this godly principle.

Friday, March 1, 2019

Posted on Mar 1, 2019 in Devotions |

Devotional for Friday, March 1, 2019

“Filling Your Thoughts With Heaven”

by Dona Hake

“Let heaven fill your thoughts

don’t spend your time

worrying about things down here.”

Colossians 3:2 TLB

What a refreshing yet challenging scripture. “Let heaven fill your thoughts…” Does heaven fill your thoughts today? I think Philippians 4: clearly instructs us how to do this…

Philippians 4:8-9 The Passion Translation 8 “So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God,[b] praising him always. 9 Follow the example of all that we have imparted to you and the God of peace will be with you in all things.”

Sometimes it can be very hard to keep our minds full of heavenly thoughts because we are hit hard at times with the trials, sorrows, and challenges of this earth. God desires that we fasten our thoughts on His glorious works. I have found myself praying more relative to this truth, and reminding myself that I must keep myself permeated in His peace NO MATTER WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND ME. I find that all that is going on in the world can make my heart feel heavy at times, and I must purpose to keep my eyes on the One that said, “In this world there will be trials and tribulations.” He also said that He will not forsake us, and day by day He proves to be faithful to those that He loves!

Today I encourage you to keep looking up as you keep an eye on your heart and the thoughts that you permit to remain. Let us make the decision that worry has no place to dwell in our minds. May we be quick to cast down thoughts and imaginations that try to seem bigger than the glorious works of our Lord.Pray diligently, and guard that precious peace that is within you. Keep check on your heart with the help of the Holy Spirit and be diligent to do the things that really matter, and count as a good and profitable for His kingdom.

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Posted on Feb 26, 2019 in Devotions |

Devotional for Tuesday, February 26, 2019

“…and This Is What God Is Looking For”

by Dona Hake

“My hand made all these things and

brought them into being, says the Lord.

But here is where I will look: to the humble and contrite in spirit, those who tremble at my word.”

Isaiah 66:2

I do not know about you but I want to know what God is looking for. Just think about it…after all the beauty and wonder of His creation He is still looking? I love this because it is reminding us that God’s eyes are constantly moving about and seeking intently for the one that will ALWAYS put Him and His Word first. He is looking for the man or woman that falls yet looks up to Him with a humble heart and asks for forgiveness. He is diligently watching for that man and woman that desires to put His Word above their own opinions and thoughts.

Lord, help us be mindful of how awesome You are, and how the work of Your hands is beyond what we can comprehend. Oh God, You created the heavens and the earth. You created us, and before we were even born You knew every one of our days. You carefully formed us within our mother’s womb, and You have a wonderful plan for us. As we look at all the beautiful things that You have created, our hearts are in awe of Your amazing works! Help us this day to be that man or woman Your eyes are watching for, help us be ones that possess a humble and contrite heart before you. In Jesus Name, amen!