First African Baptist Church Monroe

10/23/2026

Good morning family! Be blessed, safe, and encouraged!

Thankful It’s Friday!

Two-Minute Devotion: A Heart of Gratitude

Scripture — Psalm 118:24
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

It’s Friday! We have made it through another week, and that alone is a reason to give God thanks. We may have faced challenges, experienced disappointments, endured stressful moments, or carried burdens that nobody else knew about. Yet, through it all, God has kept us.
We may not have everything we desire, and everything may not have gone according to our plans, but we are still here, still breathing, and still covered by His grace. Thankfulness is not about having a perfect week; it’s about recognizing a faithful God in the middle of an imperfect week.

Notice that the psalmist declares, “This is the day which the LORD hath made.” He doesn't say this is the day that went according to my plans, or the day when everything worked out in my favor. He reminds us that the day belongs to God!
Our gratitude must be rooted in God's character, not merely our circumstances. If we only give God thanks when life is good, our praise will always depend on our situation. But when we understand His goodness, we can thank Him even when we are still waiting for answers.
Gratitude changes our perspective before it changes our circumstances. It helps us recognize that even in difficult seasons, God is still working, still providing, and still sustaining us.

As you step into this Friday, don't allow what went wrong this week to overshadow everything God did right!
Thank Him for the doors He opened, the dangers He brought you through, the strength He gave you, and the battles He fought that you never even saw.
You may not have everything you prayed for, but you have reasons to praise Him today. Don't wait until every problem is solved to give God glory. Start this Friday with thanksgiving!
You made it through the week, not because you were strong enough to handle everything, but because God was faithful enough to carry you through it!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for bringing us to another Friday. Thank You for Your grace, Your mercy, Your protection, and Your faithfulness throughout this week. Forgive us for the times we focused more on our problems than on Your goodness. Open our eyes to recognize Your blessings, even in the smallest details of our lives. Give us peace where there is worry, strength where there is weakness, and hope where there is uncertainty. Let our words, attitudes, and actions reflect grateful hearts today. As we enter this weekend, guide our steps, protect our families, and help us finish this week with joy and thanksgiving. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen!

Friday Declaration
“I will not let my problems steal my praise, my pressure silence my gratitude, or my circumstances determine my attitude. God has been good, His grace has sustained me, and His faithfulness will carry me forward. I choose gratitude, I choose joy, and I choose to rejoice because this is the day the Lord has made!”

Happy Thankful Friday! Remember: You may not have everything you want, but you have a faithful God who deserves all your praise! 🙏🏽❤️

10/22/2026

Good morning family! Be blessed, safe, and encouraged!

Pressing Through the Pressure

Philippians 3:14
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Life has a way of applying pressure. Sometimes the pressure comes from responsibilities, disappointments, unexpected challenges, or battles nobody else knows we are fighting. But pressure does not have to stop our progress! The apostle Paul reminds us that reaching our God given destination requires us to keep pressing forward, even when the journey becomes difficult.

Pressure reveals what is inside us, but it does not have to define what happens to us. A diamond is formed under pressure, and our faith can grow stronger as we trust God through difficult seasons.

In 2 Corinthians 4:8–9, Paul declares that we are “troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”
Notice that Paul never said we would escape pressure. He said pressure would not have the final word!
Pressing through does not mean pretending you are not tired. It means trusting God enough to keep moving, praying, believing, and obeying even when you feel the weight of the struggle. You may be under pressure, but you are not without power; you may be pressed, but you are not abandoned!

Today, don't allow the pressure of your present situation to make you surrender your future. Keep pressing in prayer. Keep pressing in faith. Keep pressing toward your purpose.
The same God who brought you through yesterday is able to sustain you today and lead you into tomorrow. You don't have to understand every part of the process to trust the One who is guiding your steps.
Remember: Pressure may surround you, but God's presence sustains you. Don't quit in the middle of what God is helping you overcome!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for being my strength when life becomes overwhelming. When the pressure increases, help me not to lose my faith, my focus, or my determination. Give me strength when I am weary, peace when I am troubled, and courage when I feel like giving up. Remind me that I am never alone and that Your grace is sufficient for every challenge I face. Help me to keep pressing toward Your purpose, trusting that You are working even when I cannot see it. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Today's Declaration: “I will not fold under pressure! I will not faint in the struggle! By the grace of God, I will keep pressing until I reach the purpose He has prepared for me!”

10/21/2026

Good morning family! Be blessed, safe, and encouraged!

A Divine Moment: Being a Living Sacrifice

Romans 12:1
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

God is not simply looking for a sacrifice we bring to the altar; He desires a life that remains on the altar! In the Old Testament, sacrifices were placed upon the altar and offered to God. But in Romans 12:1, Paul challenges believers to become living sacrifices people who surrender their lives daily to the will, purpose, and glory of God.

Here is the challenge: It is one thing to give God an offering; it is another thing to give God yourself!
We often want God to bless our plans, but are we willing to surrender to His plans? We want His favor, but are we willing to follow His instructions? We want His hand upon our lives, but are we willing to place our lives in His hands?
Being a living sacrifice means surrendering our attitude, our ambitions, our appetites, our time, and our talents to God. It means choosing obedience when disobedience is easier, forgiveness when bitterness feels justified, and holiness when compromise is convenient.
The problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar!
Every morning, we must make a conscious decision to surrender ourselves afresh to God.
God doesn't just want to be part of your life; He wants your life to be presented to Him!

You don't have to wait until Sunday to surrender. Your workplace can become an altar. Your home can become an altar. Your conversations, decisions, relationships, and private moments can all become expressions of worship.
Remember, surrender is not losing your life to God; it is placing your life in the hands of the One who knows how to use it for His glory.
Today, don't just ask, “Lord, what can You do for me?” Ask, “Lord, what can You do through me when I surrender completely to You?”

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace. Today, I present myself to You as a living sacrifice. Take my heart, renew my mind, direct my steps, and align my desires with Your will. Help me surrender every attitude, habit, ambition, and desire that does not bring You glory. Give me the strength to remain faithful on the altar, even when obedience is difficult. Let my life become a daily expression of worship that pleases You and blesses others. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Today's Declaration
“Lord, I am not just bringing You something from my hands; I am giving You everything that I am! My life belongs to You, my will is surrendered to You, and my purpose is to glorify You. I choose to be a living sacrifice—holy, acceptable, and available for Your use!” 🙏🏽

10/21/2026

10/20/2026

Good morning family! Be blessed, safe, and encouraged!

Seasons Change, But God Remains the Same

Scripture: Malachi 3:6
“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

Life is filled with seasons and times. Some seasons bring joy, while others bring sorrow. Some days we celebrate victories, and other days we struggle through battles. Circumstances change, people change, and opportunities change but our God remains the same!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
Life was never designed to remain the same. There are seasons of planting and seasons of harvesting, seasons of waiting and seasons of receiving, seasons of tears and seasons of rejoicing.

But here is our assurance: The God who was faithful in your last season will still be faithful in your next season!
The same God who made a way yesterday can make a way today. The same God who sustained you through yesterday's storm can hold you steady in today's uncertainty.

Hebrews 13:8 declares, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
Notice this: God does not have to change when your circumstances change. His power has not diminished, His promises have not expired, and His faithfulness has not run out!
You may not understand the season you're in, but you can trust the God who is with you in it.
Your season may be unfamiliar, but your God is still faithful!

Don't allow a changing season to make you doubt an unchanging God. If the door closes, trust Him. If the answer takes longer than expected, trust Him. If life shifts unexpectedly, trust Him!
You may not know what tomorrow holds, but you know the One who holds tomorrow.
Remember: Your confidence is not in the consistency of your circumstances, but in the unchanging character of your God!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for being our unchanging God in a constantly changing world. When our seasons shift and life becomes uncertain, help us remain anchored in Your Word and confident in Your promises. Give us patience in seasons of waiting, strength in seasons of difficulty, and gratitude in seasons of blessing. Remind us that Your character remains faithful, Your mercy never fails, and Your love never changes. Help us trust You through every transition. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen!

Today's Declaration
“My season may change, my circumstances may shift, and my plans may look different but my God remains the same! I will not fear the changes around me because I trust the unchanging God who walks with me through them all!” 🙏🏽

10/19/2026

Good morning family! Be blessed, safe, and encouraged!

A Divine Moment: God Reveals Himself Before He Demands a Response

Scripture: Exodus 3:5–6
“And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

Before God instructed Moses to remove his shoes, He revealed His holy presence through the burning bush. Before Moses could respond to God's instructions, he had to recognize the One who was speaking. God revealed His identity, established His holiness, and then called for a response.

Here is the powerful truth: When God reveals who He is, He calls us to respond to what we have seen.
Moses saw a bush burning without being consumed, but the greatest miracle was not the fire it was the God who revealed Himself through it!
God said, “Put off thy shoes.” Why? Because Moses was standing on holy ground. His response had to reflect his recognition of God's presence.
Church, revelation should produce a response!

When God reveals His holiness, we should respond with reverence. When He reveals His mercy, we should respond with gratitude. When He reveals His faithfulness, we should respond with trust. And when He reveals His love through Jesus Christ, we should respond with surrender and obedience.

Romans 5:8 reminds us that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God demonstrated His love before we could ever earn it.
God's revelation is an invitation to respond not merely to admire Him, but to surrender to Him!

Today, don't just ask, “God, what do You want me to do?” Also ask, “God, what are You revealing about Yourself that should change the way I live?”
You cannot encounter the holiness of God and remain comfortable with sin. You cannot experience the mercy of God and refuse to show mercy to others. And you cannot truly recognize the love of God without allowing that love to transform your heart.
When God reveals Himself, don't ignore His voice. Reverence His presence, receive His Word, and respond with obedience!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself through Your Word, Your faithfulness, Your mercy, and Your Son, Jesus Christ. Open our spiritual eyes to recognize Your presence and soften our hearts to respond to Your voice. Teach us to walk in reverence, live in obedience, and demonstrate Your love to others. May our response to You reflect our recognition of who You are. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Today's Declaration: “Lord, as You reveal Yourself to me, give me the grace to respond with faith, reverence, obedience, and a surrendered heart!” 🙏🏽

10/18/2026

FAB WORSHIP EXPERIENCE

10/16/2026

Good morning family! Be blessed, safe, and encouraged!

Thankful Friday!
“O Give Thanks Unto the Lord!”
Scripture: Psalm 107:1

“O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

Thankfulness is more than a feeling; it is a response to the goodness of God. As we come to the end of another week, we have countless reasons to give God praise. Through the challenges, unexpected battles, open doors, and unanswered questions, God has remained faithful. We may not have everything we desire, but we can thank Him for everything He has already done!

Gratitude changes our perspective by reminding us of God's faithfulness.
Sometimes, we become so focused on what is missing that we forget to celebrate what remains. We pray for another blessing while overlooking the blessings already in our hands. We ask God to open another door while forgetting the doors He has already opened.
But Psalm 107:1 reminds us that our thanksgiving is rooted in God's character, not merely our circumstances. We give thanks because He is good, and His mercy endures forever!
You may have experienced some disappointments this week, but disappointment does not cancel His goodness. You may have faced a battle, but the battle does not erase His faithfulness. And even when you cannot trace His hand, you can still trust His heart!

This Friday, take a moment to look back and count your blessings. Thank God for life, for strength, for family, for provision, and for the grace that carried you through another week.
You may not be where you want to be, but thank God you are not where you used to be!
Don't let what you are waiting for rob you of the joy of what God has already done.
Walk into this day with a grateful heart, a joyful spirit, and a praise on your lips. When you remember His goodness, thanksgiving becomes your testimony!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness, mercy, and faithfulness. Thank You for carrying me through another week, for protecting me from dangers seen and unseen, and for providing what I needed along the way. Forgive me for the times I have focused more on my problems than on Your promises. Today, I choose gratitude over grumbling, praise over complaining, and faith over fear. Let my heart overflow with thanksgiving, and let my life become a testimony of Your goodness. No matter what this day brings, I will bless Your name because You are good, and Your mercy endures forever. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen!

Thankful Friday Declaration
“I will not allow my circumstances to silence my thanksgiving! God has been good, His mercy has sustained me, and His faithfulness will carry me forward. I have a reason to praise Him, a reason to trust Him, and a reason to give Him thanks. This is my Thankful Friday!”
Have a blessed and thankful Friday! Remember: When you can't count everything you have, you can always count on God's goodness!