*WORD POWER TODAY* *9TH FEBRUARY 2025* *WORK WITH ALL YOUR HEART* “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people. Colossians 3:23 (GNT) *MESSAGE* God wants to bless your work! No matter what you do for a living, when you approach it as an act of worship, God blesses it. Whether sweeping streets or running a business, God calls you to treat work as more than just a job it’s an offering to him. This means your real boss isn’t your supervisor; your real boss is God. Imagine working in a hotel, cleaning a room as if Jesus himself were staying there. Wouldn’t you do your absolute best? Of course! Treat every task whether fixing a car, closing a sale, or changing diapers as if you are doing it for him. Martin Luther, who started the Protestant Reformation, said even milking cows can glorify God when done with the right heart. Are you feeling less than enthusiastic about your work? If your heart isn’t in it, you might be in the wrong job. Life is too short to spend on work you can’t give your whole heart to. The Bible says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart” (Colossians 3:23 GNT). If you’ve sincerely tried to put your whole heart into whatever job you’re doing and you just can’t, it might be time for a change. God wants your work to be an act of worship, to bless him and you! God blesses work where there is Planning: Proverbs 21:5 says, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty” (NLT). When you make plans and work hard, God blesses you in that. He’s not going to bless you if you’re always cutting corners or trying to do the minimum. Initiative: Proverbs 10:4 teaches, “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth” (NIV). Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you pursue them with determination. Integrity: Be honest in all dealings. The Message paraphrase reminds us in Proverbs 16:11, “God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business.” Pay your taxes, treat others fairly, and act with integrity. Focus: Stay committed. Proverbs 12:11 says, “A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense” (NLT). Stick to your goals without getting distracted. Persistence: Don’t give up easily. Proverbs 13:11 says, “Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time” (NLT). Wealth built through hard work endures, unlike riches gained quickly, which vanish just as fast. Work, when done wholeheartedly and with these principles, becomes an act of worship that God blesses abundantly. *TALK IT OVER* In your current job, do you feel you’re working “with all your heart.” Why or why not? What would it take for you to work "with all your heart? ” Before considering a job change, ask yourself if you need a heart or attitude change. In reviewing the five characteristics of work God blesses (planning, initiative, integrity, focus, persistence), what is one area you’re strong in right now? What is one area you can improve in? *TODAY BIBLE READING* *EXODUS 19* *EXODUS 20* *EXODUS 21* *DAILY WORD OF FAITH CONFESSION* Father, I thank You for this new day. I declare that I am blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved by God. I walk in divine health, sickness and disease have no power over me (Isaiah 53:5). I have wisdom for every decision today (James 1:5). I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10). I prosper in all that I do, everything I touch turns to success today (Psalm 1:3). No weapon formed against me shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). I have favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). Doors of opportunity and breakthrough are opening for me today (Revelation 3:8). I am led by the Holy Spirit, and I hear God’s voice clearly today (John 10:27). I am surrounded by God’s angels, and no harm shall come near me and my family today.(Psalm 91:11). I speak life over my family, my finances, my career, and my future. Today, I walk in victory, joy, and peace, greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4). *In Jesus’ Name, Amen!*