BE AN INSPIRATION! These devotionals are a starting point, as you try and share your faith with people you meet. Use the stories or be inspired to share your personal stories with those you encounter. Read through the bible passages and be strengthened within. God bless.

DAY ONE: HOPE Walking through the cold, dark corridor, I wondered... “When? When would my suffering end?” It seemed like an eternity since I had heard the sound of my own laughter; even the smiles I used to be able to paste across my face had become few and far between. There was no need pretending anymore, so I stopped it all: the smiles, the hugs, the “I’m-fine-thank-you-and-you”s that made their way out of my mouth by default. I had come to the end of my road. Determined to dull my senses with the first available substance I could find, I walked into the room and for some reason, the music playing caught my attention: ‘You were my strength when I was weak; you were my voice when I couldn’t speak; you were my eyes when I couldn’t see; you saw the best there was in me....’ That was just over a year ago. I remember the tears beginning to flow as it seemed the voice of God overtook the voice of the singer and I felt such a sense of hope that I couldn’t explain. Embarrassed, I turned and raced out into the street, only to walk into a ‘brother’ who took one look at me and said, ‘God knows what you’re going through and he’s waiting for you to invite him into your heart...He’s only a prayer away!’ Suffice it to say, I gave my life over to God, through his son - Jesus Christ - and I have unexplainable hope. Some would say my current situation has changed only slightly (if at all) but on the inside, I am alive! I know God is working out something for me! I have hope! Psalm 71:14-14. Psalm 119:49-52. Missional Tips: Pray before you leave your home and ask for grace to share a message of hope with someone you may run into today.

DAY TWO: FORGIVENESS It has been said that to truly experience the power of forgiveness, one must know the pain of a heart-felt wound...(this is debatable).The ability to let go of intense pain and welcome that individual in, with open arms is certainly a supernatural ability...(this is undeniable). Many have been known to try and stir up this ability within us, without our consent! They release strong daggers through words and actions that make the warriors of old seem unskilled. The ensuing wounds often bleed for weeks on end, leaving us incapacitated and gasping for breath at the intensive care unit of a counsellor’s office, a mother’s lap, a pastor’s chair, or worse still, a lonely bed. For some others, the wounds have been self-inflicted. You may have said things, done things with your body that shouldn’t be mentioned, betrayed loved ones and the guilt you feel is eating you up - leaving a gaping wound inside of you that no one can begin to imagine. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’. 1 John 1:9. Whether the wound formed because of guilt or grudge as a result of hurt, God is able to forgive all and release you from the bonds of ‘un-forgiveness’. He offered up his Son Jesus, as the ultimate show of commitment: he was determined to forgive all our wrong choices and all our mistakes. Matthew 7:7. Missional Tip Let the healing power of forgiveness flow through you today. Share a kind word (an apology, an encouragement) with a colleague or neighbour who you suspect may be offended. Share your forgiveness story with someone today.

DAY THREE: LOVE After hearing the sound of the new born babe, all the pain seemed to disappear from her face in an instant; all my fears allayed, all our anxiety released and all the waiting, worthwhile! It had been seven long years since it was declared over me in prayer that I would have a child. I knew I was undeserving of such a promise as my past was far from virtuous. I had engaged in unbecoming activities as a youngster that made it seem like my ancestry was straight from Sodom and Gomorra. It was all fun-and-games, looking for a higher thrill weekend after weekend; in and out of homes during the darks hours and during the day, looking for the newest, freshest, ‘sweet thing on heels’ that could be conquered. It was all about me and no one else! Standing here, in the delivery room, I weep. I weep for joy because of the love that God has shown a sinner like me. I weep in repentance again for the many that I brought pain to. I weep as an expression of my gratitude to God for loving me enough to deliver me from a life of sin and death, and for granting me the honour and privilege of being a father - filled with divine enablement to love my newly born child. The doctor walks over to me, wondering why such a ‘big fellow‘ would have tears running down his cheek. I smile and I share my story - the story of love shown to one so undeserving. Romans 5:8. John 3:16-17. Missional Tip Have you experienced the love of God is any way? Share your story with someone you meet today: on the plane, the bus, on a queue.

DAY FOUR: COMFORT I remember thinking to myself, ‘How on earth did I get myself roped into this net?‘ I couldn’t remember who started what, or when it all began; but it escalated so quickly that overnight, I found myself homeless, friendless and helpless. I was alone! After all those years of walking-the-straight-and-narrow, keeping the faith and building my self-esteem through motivational talks and books, I was left with nothing. I moved my meager belongings into my parents house again, amidst the looks of pity that pierced my heart like sharp arrows. As I slept, I tossed and turned as I dreamt I was falling into a bottomless pit, screaming for help at the top of my lungs but not a sound could be heard from my mouth. I woke up in a cold sweat and did the only thing that came to my mind: I fell on my face and cried out, ‘Oh God! Please help me!‘ I cannot remember how long I lay there, or when I slept off, but I was awakened by my mother...12 hours later. I felt so light. I picked up the old bible on my bookshelf and flipped through the pages. I noticed a passage that had been highlighted: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. It was like taking a cold drink on a hot day; the words washed through my soul and reassured me of God’s interest in my current plight. I walked out of that room knowing that God had my back; he had covered me with his love and he was going to work everything out for my good. Praise the Lord! Missional Tip Be the bearer of words of comfort today. Share a scripture; share a sincere smile; share a word of encouragement with someone in need; share your story today.

DAY FIVE: FAITH It was early 2009 and the credit crunch was beginning to take its toll. My business (an after-school education centre) was thriving and I was looking forward to another fruitful year (as I was faithful in committing 10% of all income to various charities). Before the end of the first quarter of 2009, I noticed a sharp decline in the income of the business - attendance dropped by 60%. I tried not to worry and to pray but the truth is, when the content of your prayer is continuously ended with a sentence such as this: ‘Lord, this is urgent and important’...you know you are anxious about the outcome. As I continued in prayer, I was reminded that God was faithful to his children who maintained their covenant with him. Psalm 50:5. 2 Chronicles 6:14. I therefore had to trust that God was in control of everything happening and to believe that he would lead and guide every business decision. Eventually, I closed down the business in November of that year, as I felt that was the right thing to do. It didn’t feel like a good business decision but I had been praying and I believed God was leading me. In January of the next year, the Lord open a great door for me - one that I had not anticipated and that job has had a positive impact on my entire family. God had proven himself again! He really came through for me - I had faith that as I prayed he would lead me aright and he did. He did not go back on the terms and conditions of our agreement. All I needed was to have faith and remain faithful to him. Missional Tip. Has God been faithful to you? Share your story today - strengthen someone’s resolve to trust God; encourage a neighbour, a colleague or a total stranger to put their trust in the Almighty God because he is indeed faithful to those who trust him.

DAY SIX: DELIVERANCE Layla was 29 and desperately in need of a new, better paying job. Her family had lived through hard times and she had lost two siblings already. The lack of liquid cash was not her major problem though...hers was a serious challenge with the negative patterns that seemed to follow through her family lineage. There was a threat of divorce among the women as her mother and her maternal grand mother were both divorced; they were both first born females and the crowning glory - they both had diabetes. Her grand mother had died when she was still in secondary school, but when her mother got a divorce, about 6 years ago, she suddenly became aware of the trend. She half expected her mother to pass on anytime soon and had vehemently refused to get married - not wanting to follow the pattern of divorce. Her diet was as sugar free as can be, so that she would not get diabetes. Layla lived in perpetual fear and it continued until she met Salam. Salam had the exact same lineage, with almost identical family challenges but, she was not afraid. She seemed to glow with a confident assurance of life that Layla found incomprehensible. Salam shared her new found faith and how she was delivered: she read wht God had promised in the bible, believed it was for her, prayed about it diligently and God set her free from that grip of fear. Heb 4:12, 2 Cor 10:4-5. They agreed in prayer and God did it again. Halleluyah. That was 10 years ago! Layla is now happily married with 4 healthy children. Missional Tip. Share Layla’s story with a friend who needs help today. Reach out to a relative and share God’s willingness and ability to help them out of any situation they may be facing in this season of their lives.

DAY SEVEN: WORRY ‘Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or - worse - stolen by robbers! Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and robbers. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be and end up being...’ ‘You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration for one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship both God and Money. If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your wardrobe are in fashion. There is far more to your life that the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance that the clothes you hang on your body...’ ‘What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, do not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your eveyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.’ Matthew 6:19-21, 24-25, 31-34. The Message Remix Missional Tip Has God made a way for you and moved you from ‘Anxious Andrew’ to ‘Peaceful Paul’? Share your story with someone in need today.