Pastor Lucy Paynter Daily Insights

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling...

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling...

And listen, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible.” Then Mary said, “ Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel left her. Luke 1:36‭-‬38 AMP

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Isaiah 30:21

He rescued us from so great a threat of death, and will continue to rescue us. On Him we have set our hope. And He will again rescue us [from danger and draw us near], 2 Corinthians 1:10 AMP

Philippians 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. 

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the ag...

Be submitted Esther shows us how submission brings favor. She didn’t take matters into her own hands. This is an ingredient to receiving favor. She exemplified submission, humility and confidence in God and won the favor of everyone who saw her. “When the turn came for Esther to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested...

Be faithful. Noah found favor with God due to his faithfulness. He walked faithfully with God and that led to favor. “So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. This is the account of Noah a...

Give gifts and offerings Abel’s offering found favor with God but Cain’s did not. Make sure your offering finds favor with God. Giving gifts leads us to find favor with both God and man as we see from the example of Jacob who found favor with Esau following his substantial gift. “And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on A...

Hate what God hates As you make a stand for God and His causes His favor is released upon you “But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” (Revelation 2:6) 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed...

Love God with all your heart. Without loving Him, we cannot expect to gain His favor. “My son, do not forget My teaching, but keep My commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight...

You have placed our wickedness before you, Our secret sins [which we tried to conceal, You have placed] in the [revealing] light of Your presence. Psalms 90:8 AMP Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; Test me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. Psalms 139:23‭-‬24 AMP. Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, favo...

Come and hear, all who fear God [and worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and obedience], And I will tell what He has done for me.  I cried aloud to Him; He was highly praised with my tongue.  If I regard sin and baseness in my heart [that is, if I know it is there and do nothing about it], The Lord will not hear [me];  But certainly God has heard [me]; He has given heed to the voice of my pray...

Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! Psalms 66:16‭-‬20 NIV

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:6 KJV Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would...

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:6 KJV Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would...

1. Take Time to Laugh For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. —Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4, ESV If you’ve been on this planet for more than a few years, you know life isn’t one big laugh. It’s filled with difficult trials. Even so, the Bible declares there is “a time to laugh.” Some ways to incor...

III. The laughter of God, Psalm 2:1-4; Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.” But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. Psalms 2:1‭-‬4 NLT The...

II.  The laughter of a fool, Ecclesiastes 7:6; The heart of the wise [learns when it] is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is [senseless] in the house of pleasure.  It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise man and pursue wisdom Than for one to listen to the song of fools and pursue stupidity.  For like the crackling of [burning] thorn bushes under a pot,...

I.   The laughter of unbelief, Genesis 18:11-15; Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my Lord being old also?  And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?  Is...

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22

8 Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! 9 Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? 10 He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too....

When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers and tomorrow put burning coals and incense in them before the Lord . The man the Lor...

Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is h...