First African Baptist Church Monroe

09/08/2026

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

God Wants to Be First

Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

God doesn't want to be second, third, or somewhere in the lineup of our priorities. He wants to be first. Before our careers, relationships, money, dreams, plans, and even our problemsGod deserves the highest place in our lives.
Why? Because He alone is worthy!

When God is first, everything else begins to find its proper place.
Sometimes we give our first thoughts to our problems, our first energy to our jobs, our first attention to our phones, and our first concern to what other people think. But God says, “Seek Me first.”
Putting God first doesn't mean everything will always go the way we want. It means that whatever happens, God remains our priority and our confidence.
Revelation 4:11 declares, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power.”
He is worthy because He created us, sustains us, forgives us, loves us, and through Jesus Christ, He made a way for our salvation.

Today, don't just give God a portion of your life give Him first place.
Before you make the decision, pray.
Before you start your day, seek Him.
Before you respond, consider Him.
Before you pursue your plans, ask for His direction.
When God is first, you don't have to worry about being last.
Give Him first place not because He needs it, but because He is worthy of it!

Prayer
Father, today I choose to put You first. Forgive me for the times I've allowed other things to take Your rightful place in my heart. Help me to seek Your kingdom, trust Your Word, and follow Your will. Remind me that You alone are worthy of my worship, my praise, my time, and my obedience. Order my priorities and help me live every day with You at the center. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Today’s declaration:
🔥 “God is first in my life because He alone is worthy!”

09/06/2026

The White family reunion, culminating in a worship service, at the First African Baptist Church! What a blessing !!

09/06/2026

FAB WORSHIP EXPERIENCE

09/05/2026

09/04/2026

Good morning family! Be blessed, safe and encouraged!

Thankful Friday: “Give Thanks in Every Season”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

It’s Thankful Friday! We made it through another week not because everything went perfectly, but because God has been faithful.
There are some things we prayed for that God answered, and there are some things we are still waiting on. But whether we have the answer or are still waiting, we still have a reason to give God thanks.

Notice that Scripture says, “In every thing give thanks,” not “for everything.”
We don't have to thank God for the pain, but we can thank Him in the pain because He is with us.
We don't have to thank God for the problem, but we can thank Him in the problem because He is still our provider, our protector, and our peace.
Thanksgiving changes our perspective. When we begin to count our blessings, we realize that what we have is greater than what we thought we had.
Sometimes the greatest miracle isn't that God changed our situation it's that He gave us the strength to make it through.

Before you complain about what didn't happen this week, thank God for what did happen.
Thank Him for life.
Thank Him for family.
Thank Him for another opportunity.
Thank Him for protection.
Thank Him for provision.
Thank Him for grace and mercy.
And if all you can say today is, “Lord, I made it,” that's enough to start your praise!
You may not have everything you want, but you have everything you need to give God thanks.

Prayer
Father, we thank You for bringing us through another week. We thank You for Your grace, Your mercy, Your protection, and Your faithfulness. Even when we didn't understand what You were doing, You remained faithful. Forgive us for the times we focused more on what we lacked than on what You have already provided. Today, we choose gratitude over complaining, praise over worry, and faith over fear. Help us to recognize Your goodness in every season. Bless our families, strengthen our hearts, order our steps, and give us peace as we enter this weekend. We declare that You are good, You are faithful, and You are worthy of all our praise. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Thankful Friday Declaration
“I made it through the week by the grace of God. I will not focus on what I don't have; I will thank God for what I do have. God has been good to me, and I will give Him thanks!”
Happy Thankful Friday! 🙏🏾🙌🏾

09/03/2026

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

Resting in the Presence and Promises of God

Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Hebrews 10:23
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).”

There are moments when we become so focused on what we need God to do that we forget simply to rest in who God is. Rest doesn't mean that we stop believing, praying, or working. It means we stop carrying what God never asked us to carry.

When we rest in His presence, we discover that God is already there. When we rest in His promises, we remember that God is already faithful.

Sometimes God doesn't give us immediate answers because He wants to give us something deeper peace in His presence.
The promise may not have manifested yet, but the Promiser has not changed.

You may not see the door opening yet, but God is still God.
You may not see the healing yet, but God is still faithful.
You may not know how the situation will work out, but God already knows the end from the beginning.

Rest says, “Lord, I don't have to figure everything out because I trust the One who does.”

Today, take a deep breath and release the pressure.
You don't have to make everything happen. You don't have to understand everything. You don't have to fight every battle.

Rest in His presence. Rest in His Word. Rest in His promises.

If God promised it, He is faithful to perform it.

Your peace doesn't come from knowing what God will do; your peace comes from knowing who God is.

Prayer
Father, thank You for being my refuge, my strength, and my peace. Today I choose to be still and rest in Your presence. I release every worry, every fear, and every burden that I have been carrying. Help me to trust Your promises even when I cannot see the outcome. Remind me that You are faithful, You are working, and You are in control. Give me grace to rest instead of worry, trust instead of fear, and believe instead of doubt. Let Your presence become my place of peace and Your promises become my source of strength. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Today’s declaration:
“I will not be anxious about what I cannot control. I will rest in the presence of God and trust the promises of the One who is faithful.”

09/02/2026

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

HUMP DAY PRAISE: “I’M STILL HERE!”

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

It’s Wednesday, the middle of the week. You may be tired, facing challenges, or wondering how you’re going to make it through the rest of the week. But here’s the reason to praise: God has kept you this far!
You made it through Monday. You made it through Tuesday. And now you are standing in the middle of the week because God’s grace has carried you.

Sometimes we think we need a major breakthrough before we have a reason to praise. But the greatest testimony may simply be: “I’m still here!”

The enemy wanted you discouraged, but you’re still standing.
Life tried to knock you down, but God kept you.
You may not have everything you prayed for, but you still have a reason to praise!

Your praise on Hump Day is a declaration that my circumstances don't control my worship, God does.

Don't wait until Friday to thank Him. Praise Him on Wednesday!

You are closer to the end of the week than you are to the beginning!
So lift your head, lift your hands, and lift your voice. God didn't bring you this far to leave you now.

Whatever you're facing today, remember:

If He kept you through the first half, He will carry you through the second half!

Your Wednesday praise is saying, “Lord, I trust You with the rest of my week!”

🙏🏽 Prayer
Father, I thank You for bringing me to the middle of another week. Thank You for Your grace, Your mercy, Your protection, and Your faithfulness. Even when I don't understand everything I'm facing, I choose to praise You. Give me strength for the rest of this week. Renew my mind, restore my joy, and remind me that You are working even when I cannot see it. I declare that the rest of this week will be covered by Your grace, guided by Your wisdom, and filled with Your favor. I will not complain, I will praise! In Jesus' name, Amen.

🔥 HUMP DAY DECLARATION
“I made it this far by the grace of God, and the same God who brought me through the first half will carry me through the second half. I WILL PRAISE HIM!” 🙌🏽🔥

09/01/2026

Good morning family! Be blessed, safe and encouraged!

New Day, New Mercies

Lamentations 3:22–23
“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Every morning is a reminder that God has given us another opportunity. Yesterday may have brought mistakes, disappointments, failures, or struggles, but yesterday does not have the final word over today.
God’s mercy did not run out yesterday. When you woke up this morning, mercy was already waiting for you.

Notice what the Scripture says: “They are new every morning.”
That means you don't have to live today carrying yesterday's mistakes. You don't have to allow yesterday's disappointment to dictate today's attitude. You don't have to fear what happened before because God has given you a fresh day.
New day means new opportunity.
New mercy means new grace.
New morning means another chance to trust God.
You may not know what today will bring, but you know Who is already there.
God's faithfulness is greater than your failure, greater than your fear, and greater than anything you faced yesterday.

Don't waste a new day worrying about an old yesterday.
Get up. Thank God. Trust Him. Move forward.
You may have cried yesterday, but today you can praise.
You may have struggled yesterday, but today you can stand.
You may have failed yesterday, but today you can try again.
As long as God has allowed you to see another morning, He is not finished with you yet!

Prayer
Father, thank You for this new day and for Your new mercies. Thank You that yesterday's failures cannot cancel today's purpose. Help me to release what happened yesterday and embrace what You have for me today. Give me strength for today, wisdom for today, grace for today, and faith for today. Let Your mercy guide my steps and Your faithfulness remind me that I am never alone. I declare that this is a new day, and I will walk into it with expectation, faith, and gratitude. In Jesus' name, Amen.

🔥 Declaration:
“This is a new day! Yesterday is behind me, mercy is before me, and God is with me!”