friends, moved to a new town, went to a new church, and the same thing started up? Possibly there is one common denominator, and that common denominator just might have your initials! You can go to a different country. Before your plane has even got to the gate, the Lord has arranged that the person who is meeting you at the airport brings out something in you!
You know what? You can’t escape this because this is a huge part of the goodness of God. His intentionality is to make you like Him. He’s kind of thinking, “Dude, if I’ve got to love all these difficult people, you think I’m letting you off the hook? If I’m making you like Me, you have to see these people the way I see them.”
It is phenomenally easy to see the negative in people. It is not a spiritual gift! There is not third book of Corinthians chapter 12. It’s not a spiritual gift, seeing the negative in people. If God does show you a negative about somebody, it’s because He wants you to understand their pain and their struggle. That’s a privilege! If you just go around to people and you start saying to people the negative thing that you see, someone is going to get slapped and it’s not going to be them. When God shows you a negative, He is saying to you, “Look, I want you to understand what they are going through. I want you to understand their struggle. I want you to understand their self-hatred, why they can’t love themselves, and why it might be difficult for them to love other people. I need you to see that, and then I want to give you some compassion, and mercy, and grace, and kindness, and patience, and love, and gentleness, and then I want you to say something. When your heart is touched, then I want you to say something that brings a release to that person.”
– This excerpt is from Perfecting the Art Of Bouncing Back, available now:
Graham Cooke
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You don’t overcome struggle by fighting harder against it. You overcome struggle by partnering with God to see what He’s already prepared on the other side of it.
The Father doesn’t look at your current struggle and see a problem to solve. He sees an opportunity to reveal His character, demonstrate His faithfulness, and develop something beautiful in you that can only come through walking WITH Him in that exact situation.
Here’s what I love about God’s heart: He’s not waiting for you to overcome your struggle before He shows up. He’s already present in it, already working through it, already preparing the breakthrough that’s coming.
Your struggle isn’t evidence that God has forgotten you or that you’re doing something wrong. It’s often the very place where He’s doing His deepest work – transforming your perspective, strengthening your faith, and revealing His incredible love for you.
The beautiful reality: You don’t overcome struggle through human willpower or positive thinking. You overcome it by learning to rest in His presence during the storm, trust His heart when you can’t see the way, and partner with what He’s already doing behind the scenes.
Kingdom Routine for today: In the middle of your struggle, ask God: “What are You already doing in this situation that I can’t see? How do You want to be with me right now? What aspect of Your character do You want to reveal to me through this partnership?”
Your struggle isn’t your enemy – it’s your classroom where God teaches you His ways of victory.
Graham Cooke
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Money isn’t your source – God is. Money is simply one of the tools God uses to demonstrate His faithfulness and teach you His ways of stewardship and generosity.
The Father doesn’t look at your bank account and worry about your future. He sees the unlimited resources of His Kingdom and invites you to learn His perspective on provision, abundance, and wise stewardship.
Here’s what I love about God’s heart: He doesn’t measure your spiritual maturity by how much money you have or don’t have. He’s teaching you to trust His character as your provider regardless of your current financial circumstances.
When money feels scarce, God wants to show you His abundant provision. When money flows, He wants to develop His heart of generosity in you. Every financial season becomes a classroom where you learn His ways of Kingdom stewardship.
The beautiful reality: You’re not working to get God to bless you financially. You’re learning to partner with Him as a steward of whatever He’s entrusted to you – whether it’s little or much – and discovering His heart for provision and generosity.
Kingdom Routine for today: Before making any financial decision, ask God: “How do You want to partner with me in this? What does wise stewardship look like here? How can this decision reflect Your character and advance Your Kingdom?”
Your security isn’t in your savings account – it’s in your relationship with the God who owns everything.
Graham Cooke
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You don’t have to absorb the toxicity around you. God has positioned you as light in dark places, and light doesn’t get contaminated by darkness – it transforms it.
The Father isn’t surprised by the difficult people or negative atmosphere you’re facing. He’s already prepared grace for you to not just survive, but actually thrive in partnership with Him right where you are.
Here’s what I’ve discovered: When you’re rooted in your identity in Christ, toxic environments become opportunities to practice Kingdom principles – responding in the opposite spirit, maintaining peace that passes understanding, and demonstrating His love in places that desperately need it.
God doesn’t ask you to fix everyone around you or change the entire culture single-handedly. He invites you to be so secure in His love for you that other people’s dysfunction doesn’t define your day.
The beautiful reality: You get to carry heaven’s atmosphere wherever you go. When you walk in supernatural peace, unshakeable joy, and genuine love, you become a demonstration of what’s possible when someone lives from their true identity.
Kingdom Routine for today: Before entering that challenging environment, pray, “God, help me remember who I am in You. Show me how to represent Your heart without absorbing their toxicity. Teach me to respond from rest instead of reacting from stress.”
Your thriving isn’t dependent on their changing – it’s dependent on you living from the wide open spaces God has already prepared for you.
Graham Cooke
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There is no frustration in heaven. None. And because you’re seated with Christ in heavenly places, frustration doesn’t have to be your normal either.
The Father never operates from frustration – not with you, not with your circumstances, not with how long your breakthrough is taking. He moves from perfect peace, unlimited patience, and complete confidence in what He’s already prepared.
Here’s what I’ve learned: When frustration rises in me, it’s usually because I’m trying to control something from my limited earthly perspective instead of partnering with God from His elevated view.
God sees the end from the beginning. He knows exactly how to bring about what He’s promised. Your frustration doesn’t speed up His timeline – it just robs you of enjoying the journey with Him.
The beautiful invitation: You get to learn His ways of being untroubled, unrushed, and completely at rest even when things aren’t moving at your preferred pace.
Kingdom Routine for today: When frustration starts to build, pause and ask God, “How are You approaching this situation? What does Your peace look like in this moment? Teach me to partner with Your perspective instead of my urgency.”
If it’s normal for God, it can become normal for you. Peace isn’t the absence of challenging circumstances – it’s the presence of God’s perspective in every situation.
Graham Cooke
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Sonship isn’t about being a good child who earns the Father’s approval. Sonship is about learning to receive His love so deeply that you naturally reflect His character because that’s who you are.
The Father doesn’t look at you and see someone who needs to prove they’re worthy of being called His child. He sees His beloved son or daughter who He delights in and wants to share His heart with in every situation.
Here’s what I love about God’s heart: He didn’t adopt you because you had potential to become a good son or daughter. He adopted you because He wanted you in His family, exactly as you are, to learn His ways through relationship.
Sonship means you have complete access to the Father’s heart, His wisdom, His resources, and His perspective. You don’t earn this access through spiritual performance – it’s yours because you belong to Him.
The beautiful reality: You’re not trying to become His child – you ARE His child learning what that means. You’re not working to deserve His love – you’re discovering the depths of the love He already has for you.
Kingdom Routine for today: Throughout your day, pause and remember: “I am the Father’s beloved child. He delights in me. He wants to share His heart with me in this moment. What does He want to show me about His love and character right now?”
Sonship isn’t about your performance for Him – it’s about His pleasure in you.
Kris Vallotton
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I am speaking at a conference with Lance Wallnau. I would pay money to sit at a table and just listen to Lance, Harold Eberly, Graham Cooke, and Joe Richie dialogue abo…
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Gray and Wes Brown and he’s one
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Graham Cooke
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Something I’ve discovered about parenting that took all the pressure off…
You’re not responsible for creating perfect children. You get to partner with God to help your kids discover who He’s already created them to be.
The Father doesn’t look at your parenting mistakes and shake His head in disappointment. He sees a parent who loves their children deeply and wants to learn His ways of nurturing, guiding, and celebrating the unique design He’s placed in each child.
Here’s what I love about God’s heart for families: He doesn’t expect you to have all the answers or never make mistakes. He invites you to learn WITH Him how to parent from rest instead of anxiety, from His wisdom instead of fear, from love instead of control.
Your children aren’t projects to fix or mold into your image. They’re individuals with their own relationship with God, their own calling, their own journey of discovering His heart for them. Your role is to create space for them to encounter His love and learn His character.
The beautiful reality: When you parent in partnership with God, your home becomes a place where everyone – including you – gets to experience His grace, His patience, His delight, and His unconditional love.
Kingdom Routine for today: Before responding to your child’s behavior, pause and ask God, “How do You see this child right now? What do You want them to experience of Your heart through my response? How can I represent Your love in this moment?”
You’re not parenting alone – you’re learning God’s ways of nurturing hearts alongside the perfect Father.
Graham Cooke
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I never take my first opinion of someone seriously. I never ever, ever, ever pay any attention to my first impression of someone. You know why? I am completely lousy at it. And you know what? I am glad that I am no good at it because I shouldn’t be having first impressions of people anyway. I shouldn’t be expecting that people would want to impress me. Who the heck do I think I am that you have got to impress me? No. You have to be yourself, and I have to be myself, and somewhere in the middle of that, we are going to connect and something good is going to happen!
(from Seeing In The Spirit)
Graham Cooke
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God doesn’t walk behind you pushing you forward. He doesn’t walk ahead of you leaving you to catch up. He walks beside you, perfectly matched to your pace, delighting in every step of the journey together.
The Father isn’t frustrated with how long your breakthrough is taking or impatient with your learning process. He’s enjoying the relationship, celebrating your growth, and providing exactly what you need for each moment.
Here’s what I love about God’s heart: He doesn’t just walk with you through the good times – He walks with you through confusion, through waiting seasons, through the ordinary Tuesday afternoons when nothing seems to be happening. His presence isn’t conditional on your spiritual performance.
When you stumble, He doesn’t shake His head in disappointment. When you take a wrong turn, He doesn’t abandon you to figure it out alone. He gently redirects, lovingly teaches, and joyfully continues the journey with you.
The beautiful reality: You’re never walking solo. Every decision, every challenge, every moment of uncertainty – He’s right there, wanting to show you His perspective, share His wisdom, and remind you of His unfailing love for you.
Kingdom Routine for today: Throughout your day, pause and acknowledge His presence: “God, I love that You’re walking with me right now. What do You want to show me in this moment? How do You want to be with me as we experience this together?”
His presence with you isn’t something you earn – it’s something you get to enjoy.