How would you feel if someone came up to you today and said, “Give me all of your monthly bills; I’m going to pay them”. You’d get pretty excited wouldn’t you? But it wouldn’t happen until you did your part to actually hand that person your bills. They can’t pay them for you if you never release them. In the same way, when we release our cares and concerns to God, He promises to take care of them. So hand them over.
As you continue to press forward this year, God wants to give you rest. He wants to refresh and restore your soul, mind, will and emotions. It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of this stressful life, and before long, your mind, will and emotions are so spun that you can barely think straight! Remember, even in the hustle and bustle of life, you can find rest, ease and relaxation. God wants to take care of everything that concerns you, so that you can find rest in your innermost being when you come to Him.
Today and throughout this year, release your cares to the Lord. Let Him fill you with His peace and joy. Receive the rest, relaxation and restoration that He promises and enjoy the total fulfillment and blessings for your body, mind and emotions He has in store for you!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV).
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, I humbly come to You. I choose to cast my cares on You, so that I can live in Your rest and break free from the stress of this life. Father, thank You for Your goodness to me. I give You my mind, heal it and take control of all my emotions. Please God, lift my burdens and refresh my weariness. God, help me find ways to share Your rest and goodness with those around me. In Christ’ name, Amen.
I struggle with waiting, at times I find it very frustrating. However, the saying goes “good things come to those that wait.” Are you waiting for God to do something in your life? One thing I’ve learned is that waiting should not be passive and boring. When we’re waiting the correct way, we’re on the lookout. We talk like what we are believing for is going to happen. We act like it’s going to happen. We’re making preparations.
Today, think about that first dinner date, you’re so excited you can’t sit still. You don’t wait until they show up before you decide to start cooking. You start early, you make sure the house is clean, you go to the grocery store, and maybe buy some flowers for the table. You make preparations while waiting because you’re expecting someone special. Well, that’s the attitude we need to have while we’re waiting for God’s promises to come to pass. As you put actions behind your prayers, your faith comes alive and opens the door for God to move mightily on your behalf.
“…faith without works is dead.” (James 2:20, NKJV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, today I will put actions behind my faith, trusting that You are at work in my life. Father, teach me to wait on You the right way – with expectancy – knowing that You are leading me into the path You have for me, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
Today, I’ve noticed that people look sad and down. The Bible tells us that Jesus came to give us abundant life. Not only did He come to give you life in eternity, but He desires that you experience abundant life here on earth. He wants your relationships to be vibrant and alive. He wants your dreams to be alive. He wants your body, heart and mind to be alive and full of vitality. God is the source of all life, and when you seek Him, you will find Him, and the result will be everlasting life.
Are there areas in your life that need to be resurrected? Are there things that you’ve put on the back burner that you need to revive again? Do you need hope or faith for something today?
Today, seek God and allow Him to breathe His life into you. Seek Him with your dreams; seek Him with your plans. Seek Him in all things, and you will find His abundant life, and everything you set your hand to will prosper in Jesus’ name.
“…Seek me and live.” (Amos 5:4, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for giving me abundant life, both now and in eternity. God, I don’t want to just survive, I want to live a powerful, happy and excited life. So God, I give You my dreams and my plans, resurrect them and make them live. I humbly seek You today, giving You all that I am. I ask for Your hand of blessing and guidance in everything I do. In Christ’ name! Amen.
On Sunday I watched England lose to Italy. Before bed I watched the highlights of the match again. I already knew how the game would end. I knew which team won. While I’m watching the highlights however, I didn’t get discouraged, sad and down when Italy fell behind, because I knew the end result. I didn’t get uptight when they couldn’t get a second goal. Why? Because that wouldn’t change the outcome. I was totally at peace. Why? I already know the outcome – Italy would win. As an Italian supporter that day, the truth is that the further behind we fell, the more excited I got, because that meant the big comeback was on its way. I couldn’t wait to see it all over again.
Throughout the rest of the year, God has promised us victory. I have read the back of the book and we win. We know the final score and the enemy is defeated. Hallelujah! You may go through disappointments, like Italy after falling behind. At times it seems like you’re far behind spiritually, but you’ve got to remind yourself, “God holds my future in the palm of His hands. He already knows the outcome. God will never be defeated!”
Today, like Italy, expect a comeback. You’re going to come out of this better and stronger than ever before! Remember, God knows how it ends, and it ends in peace, joy and victory in every area of your life! Get excited about the second half of the year. Trade in your sorrows, we have already won. All we have to do is stay on the winning side. God won’t lose, and don’t give in to the enemy’s lies and shortly you will be celebrating.
“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done…” (Isaiah 46:10, NKJV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, how awesome You are! Thank You for declaring victory over my life. Father, thank You for allowing me to be on the winning side. I choose to trust Your Word, even when I don’t understand, because I know we win. Hallelujah! I trust that Your promises are good and sure, and we have won by faith in You. God, when discouragement comes, when I fall behind, I won’t feel down, because I know I will come bouncing back in Jesus’ Name, and that my end shall be in victory. I receive this today, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
We all need more joy in our life. It is said, when we choose to believe in God, we are filled with His joy. And not just any kind of joy, but inexpressible and glorious joy! Have you ever seen someone filled with inexpressible joy over something? Their face is beaming, their heart is pounding. They can hardly contain themselves.
Have you ever been so excited that you can’t think of anything but what is exciting you? You have so much confidence over what’s making you ecstatic that nothing can take away the joy. As believers, that’s how we should be. We should be confident in the goodness of God and filled with His inexpressible and glorious joy that nothing should distract us!
Today, I encourage you to be bold and believe God. Get to know Him better by knowing His Word. Hold God’s promises close to your heart, so that you can be filled with His confidence and joy all the days of your life.
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (I Peter 1:8, NIV).
Let’s Pray Yahweh, thank You for Your unspeakable and glorious joy. Father, I choose to believe You and trust in Your goodness which will bring me inexpressible joy. God, please search my heart and remove anything that would keep me from all the joy You have in store for me. In Christ’s Name! Amen.
Your life today may seem to have no order and your future looks bleak. God says in Scripture that He has laid out plans for each one of us. When God laid out the plan for your life, He lined up the right people, the right circumstances and the right breaks. He’s already released favour, supernatural opportunities and divine connections. The breaks you need in life have already been ordered by God, and will come to pass once you stay in His will.
If you will stay in faith and go out each day and be a person of excellence, you’ll walk into God’s appointed favour. Once you understand these principles, you will get excited every single day! You’ll have a spring in your step as you think about what blessing is coming next! It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be next week. Keep expecting. Keep believing.
Today, stay focused on the fact that God has already released into your future everything you need to fulfil your destiny. Start declaring seasons of increase over your life. Declare that favour is on you and opportunities are coming. As you do, you’ll move forward into the divine favour and blessing God has ordered for you!
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, NASB)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for setting up a blessed life for me. Father, thanks for ordering good things for my present and future. God, help me to understand Your goodness and favour better, so that I can trust You and follow Your divine path for me all the days of my life, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
Take a close look at your life. Can you see the “brand new thing” God is doing? Sometimes the storms of life can cloud our vision, but look closer and you will see the hand of God moving in many areas in your life.
No matter what you’re going through or where you are in life today, focus on the fact that God is working, and there are positives to praise Him for and get excited about! You can trust that God is doing a new thing and a good thing because He is faithful. His plan for you is good, great, and generous, and He wants to give you a future and hope.
Today, ask the Lord to show you His good or new plan for you. Ask Him to show you the new thing He is doing. Set your mind on things above and let go of the old negatives. Take a step of faith and change your focus, embrace the blessing and victory God has in store for you!
“For I am about to do a brand new thing. See, I have already begun!…” (Isaiah 43:19, NLT)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for Your faithfulness to me. Father, forgive me for not always realising it, even when it’s right before my eyes. God, I receive the promise of the brand new thing You are doing in my life even now. Lord, I open my heart and set my focus totally on You today and always, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
God knows those things that you haven’t told anybody about. He knows the secret cries and petitions of your heart. He is aware of hidden dreams placed in you. Maybe you thought they would never come to pass, or maybe you buried them because they didn’t happen on your timetable. Maybe, in the natural, you have every right to give up on your goals and dreams.
Don’t give up, be encouraged, God is still working behind the scenes! He still has a plan to bring those dreams to pass. All you have to do today is what Psalm 37:4 says, “delight yourself in the Lord” That word delight actually means to make yourself soft and pliable. It paints the picture of God as the potter and you as the clay.
Today, allow God to mould and shape your character like the potter does the clay. Allow Him to direct your plans and ideas. Keep an attitude of faith and expectancy, Get excited about your future as you submit your ways to the Lord and open your heart to His leading, He will fulfil those secret desires and petitions of your heart!
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4, AMP)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, You said the path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter each day. Father, You said no good thing will You withhold from me if I walk uprightly before You. You also said because I delight myself in You, You will give me the secret desires of my heart. God, I thank You today for these promises, and for being in control of my life and knowing what I need for my future, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
I struggle with waiting, at times I find it very frustrating. However the saying goes “good things come to those that wait.” Are you waiting for God to do something in your life? One thing I’ve learned is that waiting should not be passive and boring. When we’re waiting the correct way, we’re on the lookout. We talk like what we are believing for is going to happen. We act like it’s going to happen. We’re making preparations.
Today, think about that first dinner date, you’re so excited you can’t sit still. You don’t wait until they show up before you decide to start cooking. You start early, you make sure the house is clean, you go to the grocery store, and maybe buy some flowers for the table. You make preparations while waiting because you’re expecting someone special. Well, that’s the attitude we need to have while we’re waiting for God’s promises to come to pass. As you put actions behind your prayers, your faith comes alive and opens the door for God to move mightily on your behalf.
“…faith without works is dead.” (James 2:20, NKJV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, today I will put actions behind my faith, trusting that You are at work in my life. Father, teach me to wait on You the right way – with expectancy – knowing that You are leading me into the path You have for me, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
How would you feel if someone came up to you today and said, “Give me all of your monthly bills; I’m going to pay them.” You’d get pretty excited wouldn’t you? But it wouldn’t happen until you did your part to actually hand that person your bills. They can’t pay them for you if you never release them. In the same way, when we release our cares and concerns to God, He promises to take care of them. So hand them over.
As you begin a new year, God wants to give you rest. He wants to refresh and restore your soul, mind, will and emotions. It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of this stressful life, and before long, your mind, will and emotions are so spun that you can barely think straight! Remember, even in the hustle and bustle of life, you can find rest, ease and relaxation. During 2021 God wants to take care of everything that concerns you, so that you can find rest in your innermost being when you come to Him.
Today and throughout this new year, release your cares to the Lord. Let Him fill you with His peace and joy. Receive the rest, relaxation and restoration that He promises and enjoy the total fulfillment and blessings for your body, mind and emotions He has in store for you!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Jehovah, I humbly come to You. I choose to cast my cares on You, so that I can live in Your rest and break free from the stress of this life. Father, thank You for Your goodness to me. I give You my mind heal it and take control of all my emotions. Please God, lift my burdens and refresh my weariness. God, help me find ways to share Your rest and goodness with those around me, in Christ’ name! Amen.
Recently it’s been hard to get motivated and to stay focused. We all have those days when we don’t feel very enthusiastic. Maybe you don’t feel like you have any reason to be excited about your life. Today is the day to change your focus! It’s time to set your mind on things above.
Often, we settle for what we see in the natural – the earthly realm, but God has so much more for us in the supernatural realm. Whatever we choose to focus on is what we will see manifested in our lives. We need to daily set our focus on the goodness of God and keep hope alive.
Today, don’t give up on your dreams, feed your dreams. That means instead of dragging around finding every reason you can to be unhappy, your attitude should be: “I am not going to live my life defeated and depressed. I may have some obstacles in my path, but I know I have victory. I know God has great things in store for me, so I’m going to get up each day, starting today, anticipating the good things He has in store for me!”
“Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, I want to set my mind on You. I know that Your dream for me is so much bigger than my own. God, please help me be more spiritually motivated. Draw me close to You as I daily set my focus on You. Father, I bless You today and always. In Christ’s Name! Amen.
Is your life mundane? Are you just going through the motions? Do you need refreshing? So many people go around overwhelmed, tired, worn down, barely getting by. But that’s not God’s best. He wants us to prosper. He wants us to be refreshed. He wants us to be excited about our God-given future.
The key to refreshing yourself is to be generous and refresh others. Is there someone at work you can be a blessing to? Can you lighten someone’s load? Maybe a family member is going through a hard time. Can you help them out? Can you cook them a meal? Refreshing someone can be as simple as a smile or an encouraging word. Don’t wait until you feel like doing it, that day may never come! Do it because the Scripture tells us to. Do it because it blesses God.
Today, look for someone to be a blessing to. Step out and refresh them; live a life of generosity. As you do, you will be refreshed in return, and experience God’s blessings in every area of your life!
“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
(Proverbs 11:25, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for Your grace, mercy and forgiveness in my life. Father thank You for blessing me so that I can be a blessing to others. Almighty, teach me to be more generous. Show me how I can refresh others and bring glory to You. In Christ’s Name! Amen.
Talking about your faith with others isn’t always the most popular topic amongst young people. Fashion, football and music are more popular. Most youth are not excited when talking about faith. Feeling that if they share their faith with others, people at school, uni or on social media will think they’re weird. So they do what many Christians do, they stay quiet. Not speaking up when someone challenges their beliefs. Praying with your friend who’s parents are going through a divorce would really help, but you’re afraid of what your friend might think. The list of excuses we make for not sharing our faith can be very long.
Why is it that we talk about our sports team winning with everyone we know, but when it comes to sharing our faith, many times we tell no one? We have something way more exciting than a winning team, we have a winning God. We have a God who loved us, and gave his son so that we could experience a life changing relationship with Him. Why aren’t we filling our insta, snap and facebook feed with that news? It’s easy to get afraid to share our faith with others. It’s easier to not say anything so that we don’t look weird to others. We are called to be salt and light to our world. The message in the bible puts it this way. You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. — Matthew 5:14.
So choose to put your fears aside, step up and tell others about your God.
Let’s Holla @ God
God, please give me a Christlike excitement and remove my fear, so I can let others know that you have changed my life and to let them know that You can change theirs too. God make me a light for You. In Christ’ name Amen.
I hate waiting. Nowadays there seems to be queues everywhere. What are you waiting for God to do in your life? One thing I’ve learned is that waiting should not be a passive thing. When we’re waiting, we’re on the lookout, we have expectation. We speak what we are expecting from God. We act like it’s going to happen. We spend time making preparations.
When you’re expecting someone special for dinner; you don’t wait till they show up before you decide to start cooking. Most likely you start early in the day. You make sure the house is clean, you go to the grocery store, and maybe you buy some flowers for the table. You make preparations because you’re expecting someone. Staying focused as you wait with excited expectation.
Today, the attitude we need to have while we’re waiting for God’s promises to come to pass, and our prayers to be answered, is one of excited expectation and preparation. Put your faith to work as you prepare for God’s answer to come. Keep standing, keep believing, and keep hoping because your answer is on the way!
“”¦faith without works is dead.”
(James 2:20, NKJV)?
Pray With Me Yahweh, I choose to put actions behind my faith today. Father, I trust that You are working in my life as I wait for Your promises to come to pass. God, I will wait the right way – with expectancy and without complaining and worrying, knowing that my faith in You opens the door for Your hand to move in my life, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
Professor Pavel Matousek, a Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Senior Fellow and Chief Scientific Officer of Cobalt Light Systems Ltd, has pioneered revolutionary techniques for analysing the chemical composition of materials and co-founded a highly successful spin-out company. He has helped develop and commercialize award-winning laser technologies that detect liquid explosives at airports, rapidly check the quality of pharmaceutical products, and that may one day non-invasively diagnose breast cancer. Pavel states:
“I Am Very Excited about What I Do and Driven to Answer Questions in Front of Me, Unravel Complex Problems and Deliver Something Useful to Society.”
STFC science writer James Doherty meets the Laser Man.
Pavel, what first got you interested in physics?
I became fascinated by the stars and Universe while growing up in the Czech Republic. I joined an astronomy society at secondary school and it became clear I wanted to study physics. I got very interested in laser physics during my MSc at the Czech Technical University in Prague. It is a very dynamic field.
When did you arrive at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL)?
I joined as a research associate in 1991, and went on to complete my PhD in ultra-fast Raman Spectroscopy at RAL, awarded by the Czech Technical University. I’ve been here almost 25 years to the day.
So what is Raman Spectroscopy?
It is a technique that involves shining a laser beam at the surface of a material, and then observing the colour of light scattered from the point of illumination. This typically provides information about the chemical composition of the material’s surface. C.V. Raman observed the effect in 1928 and subsequently won a Nobel Prize.
You pioneered a technique called Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS): What is it and how does it differ from normal Raman Spectroscopy?
“We couldn’t have developed the SORS technique without the instrumentation and long term research continuity available at the Central Laser Facility at RAL”
SORS is a technique that we stumbled across in the Ultrafast Spectroscopy Laboratory (ULTRA) by chance. We had assumed that photons could only be detected at the illumination point but we were wrong. Some photons migrate sideways through the material then emerge adjacent to the illumination point. As these photons have interacted with molecules deeper inside the medium, they provide information about internal chemical make-up: SORS probes deeper into the material. And the further you move from the illumination point, the deeper you see into the medium. The process
involves large photon migration distances, often extending to several centimetres or more. This came as a big surprise.
“SORS involves probing at one location and detecting at another. Our minds, and those of others, were constrained by our perception of how the Raman Spectroscopy process worked but once we made this serendipitous discovery, we quickly realised it had potential major applications.”
What kind of applications?
“The Range of Potential Applications for Sors Is Staggering.”
Insight100 (Cobalt Lights Systems Ltd) scanner for noninvasive analysis of bottles at airports.
Using micro-SORS for non-destructive analysis of painted layers in Art
We immediately realised SORS could determine the chemical make-up of substances by non-destructive means. This could have applications in bio-medicine, chemistry, security, forensics, heritage, and beyond. But we first focused on pharmaceuticals, and developed novel ways for analysing the chemical make-up of manufactured drugs.
We swiftly filed 8 patents, which became the basis of our company Cobalt Light Systems.
Cobalt Light Systems is perhaps best known for its airport security scanners. Can you describe how these work and their impact to passenger travel?
Security scanners represent the second generation of technology developed by Cobalt. To date there are around 400 operational units in 70 airports across Europe and Asia. They are used to scan traveller essentials, such as medicines or baby milk, and compare their chemical make-up to a database of potentially explosive substances. Suspicious substances are automatically identified and flagged. For example, the technology avoids passengers having to drink liquids (e.g. baby milk) in front security officer to prove they are not dangerous, which is clearly safer and more hygienic. It has also contributed to new legislation, and is expected to lead to a relaxation of the complete ban of taking liquids on board a plane in the future.
The scanners are currently the size of a microwave oven but right now we are launching a SORS handheld device. This should have further applications for first responder teams called to spillages of unknown substances and fire fighters attending chemical fires.
First off, we used instrumentation at STFC’s Central Laser Facility to demonstrate the basic capability to detect the SORS subsurface signal. Once we made the discovery in 2004, we worked closely with STFC’s Technology Transfer Office SIL (formerly CLIK) and Business and Innovations (BID) to develop, optimise and protect our ideas. There was a complex path to navigate from discovery, to optimising SORS, building a prototype, and ultimately to securing investment in 2008. BID/SIL coordinated the company at all levels and provided the support necessary to achieve this goal.
“My story illustrates the national and international importance of STFC. If its determination to deliver impact on science was absent, the chain from a fundamental discovery to Cobalt Light Systems’ product would have been broken. STFC responded appropriately at every stage. And this is just one example of how STFC contributes to the UK’s know-how economy.”
What are you working on currently?
I’m focused on developing novel non-invasive medical screening techniques, including diagnosing bone disease such as osteoporosis (jointly with STFC’s Prof Tony Parker and University College London’s Prof Allen Goodship), and I’m working with Professor Nicolas Stone of Exeter University on non-invasive breast cancer screening.
In addition, I’m collaborating with Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Italy to apply the SORS technology to objects of art on microscales. For example, we can scan different layers of paint to determine compositional information essential in restoration and preservation of artefacts.
How will the medical applications benefit patients?
Patient benefit could be enormous. Current diagnosis techniques for osteoporosis are around 60-70% accurate as they sense only mineral content. SORS on the other hand has a high specificity for mineral and collagen content – both of which determine bone strength – and so holds considerable promise for providing improved diagnostic accuracy. SORS could also be used to classify breast or prostate tumours as malignant or benign without needle biopsy. This would reduce patient stress and save medical provider costs.
However, medical problems are challenging as the human body is complex and variable. These applications are probably still 7-10 years away.
Why do you do this research?
This is where my passion and interest lies – I’m very excited about what I do.
“As You Push the Boundaries of Technology and Make New Discoveries, the End Goal Always Changes. This Is the Nice Thing about Science.”
