Kingdom Principles Devotional Journal
OTHER BOOKS B Y M Y L E S M U N RO E Applying the Kingdom The Glory of Living Kingdom Parenting Kingdom Principles Maximizing Your Potential Myles Munroe 365-Day Devotional The Purpose and Power of Love & Marriage The Purpose and Power of Praise & Worship In Pursuit of Purpose Rediscovering the Kingdom Releasing Your Potential Single, Married, Separated and Life After Divorce Understanding Your Potential Waiting and Dating
AVAILABLE FROM DESTINY IMAGE PUBLISHERS
Kingdom Principles Devotional Journal P R E PA R I N G
FOR EXPERIENCE AND
KINGDOM E X PA N S I O N
Myles Munroe
© Copyright 2008 — Myles Munroe All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged. Permission will be granted upon request. Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the King James Version. Emphasis within Scripture is the author’s own. Please note that Destiny Image’s publishing style capitalizes certain pronouns in Scripture that refer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and may differ from some publishers’ styles. Take note that the name satan and related names are not capitalized. We choose not to acknowledge him, even to the point of violating grammatical rules. Compiled by Jan Sherman. Cover photography by Andy Adderley, Creative Photography, Nassau, Bahamas. Destiny Image® Publishers, Inc. P.O. Box 310 Shippensburg, PA 17257-0310 “Speaking to the Purposes of God for this Generation and for the Generations to Come.” Bahamas Faith Ministry P.O. Box N9583 Nassau, Bahamas For Worldwide Distribution, Printed in the U.S.A. ISBN 10: 0-7684-2664-2 ISBN 13: 978-0-7684-2664-9 This book and all other Destiny Image, Revival Press, MercyPlace, Fresh Bread, Destiny Image Fiction, and Treasure House books are available at Christian bookstores and distributors worldwide. For a U.S. bookstore nearest you, call 1-800-722-6774. For more information on foreign distributors, call 717-532-3040. Reach us on the Internet: www.destinyimage.com. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10/12 11 10 09 08
Table of Contents DAY 1
The Priority of the Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
DAY 2
The Priority of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
DAY 3
God’s Priority Assignment for Humankind . . . . . . . . . . 17
DAY 4
The Kingdom of God Versus the Governments of Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
DAY 5
The Government of Man Versus the Government of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
DAY 6
Government and God: Democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
DAY 7
The Return of the King and His Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . 39
DAY 8
The Original Kingdom Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
DAY 9
God’s Colonial Intent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
DAY 10
The Kingdom Is Here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
DAY 11
Sons and Daughters, Not Servants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
DAY 12
Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Kings . . . . . . 59
DAY 13
Jesus Was Kingdom Focused . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
DAY 14
Sovereign Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
DAY 15
The King Is Central to His Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
DAY 16
Fourteen Characteristics of a King: Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . 75
DAY 17
Fourteen Characteristics of a King: Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . 79
DAY 18
Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Lord . . . . . . . 83
DAY 19
King and Lord. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
DAY 20
Living Under a Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
DAY 21
Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Territory . . . . 97
DAY 22
Five Principles of Man’s Earthly Authority . . . . . . . . . 101
DAY 23
Ten Principles of the Power of the Land . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
DAY 24
Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Constitution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
DAY 25
The King’s Will and Testament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
DAY 26
Seven Principles of the Kingdom Constitution . . . . . . 125
DAY 27
Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Law . . . . . . . 131
DAY 28
The King’s Words of Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
DAY 29
Natural Law Versus Written Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
DAY 30
Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Keys . . . . . . 143
DAY 31
Knowledge of the Secrets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
DAY 32
Seven Principles of Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
DAY 33
Seven Characteristics of Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
DAY 34
Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Citizenship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
DAY 35
Dual Citizenship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
DAY 36
Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Culture . . . . 169
DAY 37
Manifestations of Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
DAY 38
Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Giving to the King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
DAY 39
The Six Royal Kingdom Principles of Giving . . . . . . . 181
DAY 40
Seven Reasons to Give to the King. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
D AY 1
The Priority of the Kingdom
L
OOK AT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR; THEY DO NOT SOW OR REAP OR STORE AWAY IN BARNS, AND
YET YOUR HEAVENLY
FATHER
FEEDS THEM. ARE YOU
NOT MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN THEY?
WHO
OF
YOU BY WORRYING CAN ADD A SINGLE HOUR TO HIS LIFE? (MATTHEW 6:26-27)
7
Kingdom Principles Devotional Journal
T O DAY ’ S D E VO T I O N
T
he greatest secret to living effectively on earth is understanding the principle and power of priorities. Life was designed to be simple, not complicated, and the key to simplifying life is prioritization. Priority is defined as: • The principal thing. • Putting first things first. • Establishing the most important thing. • Primary focus. • Placing in order of importance. • Placing highest value and worth upon. • First among all others. When your priorities are correct, you preserve and protect your life. Failure to establish correct priority causes you to waste your two most important commodities: your time and your energy. We should want to know what our priority in life should be so that we can live effectively. Most of the people in the world are driven by incorrect priorities that occupy and control their entire lives. These are: 1. Water. 2. Food. 3. Clothes. 4. Housing. 5. Protection. 6. Security. 7. Preservation. 8. Self-actualization. 9. Significance. Meeting human needs is the premise of all religions. Priority in religious prayers and petitions is for personal needs. Human needs drive religion. Much of what we call “faith” is nothing more than striving for these things. (Excerpt: Kingdom Principles, Chapter 1)
8
DAY 1—The
Priority of the Kingdom
QUESTIONS 1. If “the greatest secret to living effectively on earth is understanding the principle and the power of priorities,” how effective is your life? Do you tend to live by prioritization or do you live by circumstances?
2. How do you determine your daily choices for the competing alternatives to your limited time? Are you someone who does not plan much, or do you plan and find yourself unable to proceed with the plan, or are you someone who plans and executes well? How do your daily choices affect your life currently?
3. Look over the definitions ascribed to the word priority above. How do these definitions help speak to your own life choices? How do they bring quality or the lack of quality to your daily life?
9
Kingdom Principles Devotional Journal 4. If “the greatest tragedy in life is not death but life without purpose—life with the wrong priorities,” how tragic has your life been thus far? Do you sense your purpose in life in most everything you do? Why or why not?
5. Look at the list of needs outlined above. Rank these in order of how they press within your world. How much do you dwell on the top two or three needs? How much of your prayer life is affected by these needs?
10
DAY 1—The
Priority of the Kingdom
M E D I TAT I O N “If our priorities determine the quality of life and dictate all of our actions and behavior, then it is essential that we understand and identify our priorities. The greatest tragedy in life is not death but life without a purpose—life with the wrong priorities. Life’s greatest challenge is in knowing what to do. The greatest mistake in life is to be busy but not effective—to be successful in the wrong assignment.”
Take time before the Lord to ask forgiveness in any area He reveals where you have been led by circumstances more than by priorities. Ask Him to identify wrong priorities and bring to light those that He desires you to have.
11