Prayer Focus - Strangers
Day 3
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Proverbs 31
"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies...Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." ( vs. 10, 30-31 )
"But the Lord said to Samuel. 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." ( I Samuel 16: 7)
There are more important things than money, looks, and possessions. The world runs after all of these things but they will not matter when we are gone and are awaiting final judgment. What will matter is what is in our hearts. Were we people of integrity? Integrity is being true inside and out. Doing what you say and standing firm no matter what. It is saying "I'm sorry" and admitting when we were the ones who did something. It is standing up for people who can not stand up for themselves. It is having character.
Character is not taught too much anymore. It is surprising to me when I see the disregard for manners that is so predominant now. Our society is too often teaching and focusing on the wrong things. We run our children all over town to activities but we fail to talk to them and teach them right from wrong. We are so distracted by the phone and the Internet that we fail to do so many things. I look at all the time I have wasted in my life focusing on the wrong things and I am so sad. My children are no longer little and that time is gone now. I wish I had valued the things of the heart sooner.
This was brought home to me one day when my oldest daughter was about twelve. I had been promising to do so many things with her. "I will go running with you" - later. "I will sit down and talk" - later. Always later, later, later. I felt I had so much time. Then one day I said, "Let's go running." and she said no. She was no longer interested. Just like that, the window was closed. How I regretted being too busy then! I was heartbroken for a long time but thankfully, I made changes. And thankfully, over time, I have been able to rebuild the bridge that I tore down with my daughter due to my lack of focus. Now, I strive to make time for each of my daughters. I am not perfect but I am better. I am striving now to be a woman of noble character. I am striving to value what is most important - the people in my life; and not money, possessions, career, or anything else.
It doesn't matter if I am not keeping step with the world; doesn't matter if I don't have the huge TV or the best designer clothes. If I have relationships with my three precious daughters, then I am rich. It doesn't matter if I have a lot of money or a huge house. What matters is if I can live with my head held high because I am doing what is right; I am treating people right, and if I have nothing I am hiding or ashamed of. Then, I have what matters. God always seems to take care of me and provide what I need when I am walking with Him and being a loving person; a person with integrity. Let's rearrange our priorities and get our values right. Let's be people of noble character so that we can receive the praise and reward of a person who fears the Lord. And then, we just might change the world as well.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Help us to become women and men of noble characters. Help us to value what is most important and not get caught up running after the world. The world has no idea what is truly important. It glorifies what is wrong and puts down what is right. It has strayed so far away from love. It has become consumed with the temporal and the fleeting. Help us to look at the heart and not the outward appearance. Help us to be different. Help us to have integrity and make a difference by our lives. This is beyond us, Father, but it is not beyond You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How do I define "noble character"? Why? Do I have a noble character? Why or why not?
2. Which do I look at and value more, the outward appearance of people and things or the internal or intrinsic value of them? How do I know this? Do I want to change how I view life?
3. Do I have integrity? Do I lie? Do I do what I say I will? Am I the same whether people are watching me or not? What can I do to increase my integrity?
4. Am I valuing the people God has placed in my life? Do I spend time with my children, spouse, siblings, parents? If I am with people, am I focused on giving to them or am I on my phone or distracted by my thoughts or worries?
5. Do I need to apologize to anyone for not treating them right or valuing them? Do I need to contact someone that I have been neglecting? How can I spend better time with my children or significant others? How can I show more love to those around me?
Monday, August 31, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/30/15 (10/30/09)
Prayer Focus - Strangers
Day 2
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 60
"You have shown Your people desperate times;...But for those who fear You, You have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow." ( vs. 3a, 4)
"Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies." (vs. 11-12)
God never promised us life would be easy, just that He would be there. Sometimes He lets us go through terrible times, times when everything is sad and negative; desperate times the verse says. But if we fear God, we will gain the victory. No one else can help us and provide for us like He can. We will win in the end, if we stay with God and He will eliminate our enemies in the right time
.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do go through desperate times sometimes, but You are still there. Help us to remember that as we get older You have victories in store for us, however, and we rely on them. Fill us with Your love and protection because the help of man is worthless. You are our only true victory.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What desperate times have I gone through? Am I going through such a time now?
2. What does it mean to me to fear the Lord? How can I learn about what this means?
3. Do I fear God? How do I know if I do or not? What can I do to develop a greater fear of the Lord?
4. Do I truly believe the help of man is worthless? Who do I turn to for help? Do I go to God first, or my friends first? Can I try for one hour/ one day/ one week to go to God first whenever I have a need or problem or even joy?
5. What enemies am I fighting? What victories do I need? What will I do to thank God when we (God and I) are victorious?
Day 2
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 60
"You have shown Your people desperate times;...But for those who fear You, You have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow." ( vs. 3a, 4)
"Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies." (vs. 11-12)
God never promised us life would be easy, just that He would be there. Sometimes He lets us go through terrible times, times when everything is sad and negative; desperate times the verse says. But if we fear God, we will gain the victory. No one else can help us and provide for us like He can. We will win in the end, if we stay with God and He will eliminate our enemies in the right time
.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do go through desperate times sometimes, but You are still there. Help us to remember that as we get older You have victories in store for us, however, and we rely on them. Fill us with Your love and protection because the help of man is worthless. You are our only true victory.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What desperate times have I gone through? Am I going through such a time now?
2. What does it mean to me to fear the Lord? How can I learn about what this means?
3. Do I fear God? How do I know if I do or not? What can I do to develop a greater fear of the Lord?
4. Do I truly believe the help of man is worthless? Who do I turn to for help? Do I go to God first, or my friends first? Can I try for one hour/ one day/ one week to go to God first whenever I have a need or problem or even joy?
5. What enemies am I fighting? What victories do I need? What will I do to thank God when we (God and I) are victorious?
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/29/15 (10/29/09)
Prayer Focus - Strangers
Day 1
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 59
"Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.
See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O Lord. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight ...
They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. See what they spew from their mouths - they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?" But You, O Lord, laugh at them; You scoff at all those nations.
O my Strength, I watch for You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.
God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me...
But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
O my Strength, I sing praise to You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." ( vs. 1- 4, 6 - 10, 16 - 17)
Problems and evil people bother us. They overwhelm us and fill us with dread. We worry. I know I do. Sometimes I can be so worried about all the bad things that could happen that I feel paralyzed. But God is different. God is not worried by evil people. He laughs at them and scoffs at them because He knows their days are numbered. God is also not overwhelmed by our problems and difficulties. He knows the big picture, and so therefore, all I need to know is God. I need to get my eyes off of my problems and get them on God. I need to watch for Him and for His deliverance.
I am reminded of Peter walking on the water when I think about focusing on God (Matthew 14: 23 - 33). As the story goes, Jesus sent his disciples out ahead of Him on their boat. A wind came up during the night, and so the sea was rough. It was at this point, that Jesus came out to them, walking on the water. At first they were afraid, but when Peter realized it was Jesus, he said, "Lord, if it's you...tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus told him to come and Peter did indeed walk on the water. As long as he was looking at Jesus, he was able to do the impossible. It was only when he took his eyes off Jesus and began to look at the wind and the waves, that he became afraid and began to sink. He cried out to Jesus to save him and so Jesus took ahold of him and helped him into the boat.
We are like Peter. We can walk on water, or we can sink. It all depends on our focus. When we focus on our problems, or on the evil in the world, we will sink. When we look up, and watch for God, we will overcome. We do not need to worry. We are called not to worry. As verse 9b states, God is going before us. He is the trailblazer, carving out a path for us. We just need to follow Him.
We are to watch and then we are follow. We are to pray and then we are to watch for answers. I will watch for God's provisions and for His ways of escape from the troubles that seem to outnumber me. For God is my fortress. I can run to Him when I am troubled or under attack. He is my loving God. I am special to Him in spite of all the trouble that overwhelms me. The troubles that I have do not mean that God does not love me. Nothing of the sort. The trouble and hardship I face are just a part of life. They are a part of what I need to grow. They refine me for eternity. I am to view hardship as discipline and training (Hebrews 12: 4 - 13), and in fact, evidence of my Father's love.
God is going before me and I will not falter. I will not falter if I let Him clear the way and if I stay in the path He has for me. God is strong and He will do it. I will praise Him yet.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that You go before us to clear the way. Help us to walk in the path that You have prepared. You are good. We are grateful that nothing can hinder Your plan and that evil people are nothing but something to laugh and scoff at. We get so worked up and worried over evil men but we need to leave them up to You. Help us to let go of this. You are our fortress. Help us to run to You when we are tempted to worry or be discouraged. You will keep us safe. You love us. We are so grateful for Your love.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I realize that evil people are best left up to God? What do my actions show of what I believe? Do I pray for these people? Do I care about their eternal destiny?
2. Am I focusing on God and His power, or am I focusing on my problems and evil men? What am I worrying about right now? What are the issues in my life that will make me sink? How can I give them to God so I can walk on water?
3. Am I watching for God? Am I asking God for anything? Am I praying and waiting in eager expectation? How can I improve this aspect of my relationship with God?
4. Do I believe God is going before me and clearing a path for me? How do I know what the path He is preparing for me is? How can I ensure I am following it?
5. What is God using in my life right now to train me? Do I see my hardships as discipline and training from a God who loves me? How have I seen good come out of my struggles?
Day 1
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 59
"Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.
See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O Lord. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight ...
They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. See what they spew from their mouths - they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?" But You, O Lord, laugh at them; You scoff at all those nations.
O my Strength, I watch for You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.
God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me...
But I will sing of Your strength, in the morning I will sing of Your love; for You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
O my Strength, I sing praise to You; You, O God, are my fortress, my loving God." ( vs. 1- 4, 6 - 10, 16 - 17)
Problems and evil people bother us. They overwhelm us and fill us with dread. We worry. I know I do. Sometimes I can be so worried about all the bad things that could happen that I feel paralyzed. But God is different. God is not worried by evil people. He laughs at them and scoffs at them because He knows their days are numbered. God is also not overwhelmed by our problems and difficulties. He knows the big picture, and so therefore, all I need to know is God. I need to get my eyes off of my problems and get them on God. I need to watch for Him and for His deliverance.
I am reminded of Peter walking on the water when I think about focusing on God (Matthew 14: 23 - 33). As the story goes, Jesus sent his disciples out ahead of Him on their boat. A wind came up during the night, and so the sea was rough. It was at this point, that Jesus came out to them, walking on the water. At first they were afraid, but when Peter realized it was Jesus, he said, "Lord, if it's you...tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus told him to come and Peter did indeed walk on the water. As long as he was looking at Jesus, he was able to do the impossible. It was only when he took his eyes off Jesus and began to look at the wind and the waves, that he became afraid and began to sink. He cried out to Jesus to save him and so Jesus took ahold of him and helped him into the boat.
We are like Peter. We can walk on water, or we can sink. It all depends on our focus. When we focus on our problems, or on the evil in the world, we will sink. When we look up, and watch for God, we will overcome. We do not need to worry. We are called not to worry. As verse 9b states, God is going before us. He is the trailblazer, carving out a path for us. We just need to follow Him.
We are to watch and then we are follow. We are to pray and then we are to watch for answers. I will watch for God's provisions and for His ways of escape from the troubles that seem to outnumber me. For God is my fortress. I can run to Him when I am troubled or under attack. He is my loving God. I am special to Him in spite of all the trouble that overwhelms me. The troubles that I have do not mean that God does not love me. Nothing of the sort. The trouble and hardship I face are just a part of life. They are a part of what I need to grow. They refine me for eternity. I am to view hardship as discipline and training (Hebrews 12: 4 - 13), and in fact, evidence of my Father's love.
God is going before me and I will not falter. I will not falter if I let Him clear the way and if I stay in the path He has for me. God is strong and He will do it. I will praise Him yet.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that You go before us to clear the way. Help us to walk in the path that You have prepared. You are good. We are grateful that nothing can hinder Your plan and that evil people are nothing but something to laugh and scoff at. We get so worked up and worried over evil men but we need to leave them up to You. Help us to let go of this. You are our fortress. Help us to run to You when we are tempted to worry or be discouraged. You will keep us safe. You love us. We are so grateful for Your love.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I realize that evil people are best left up to God? What do my actions show of what I believe? Do I pray for these people? Do I care about their eternal destiny?
2. Am I focusing on God and His power, or am I focusing on my problems and evil men? What am I worrying about right now? What are the issues in my life that will make me sink? How can I give them to God so I can walk on water?
3. Am I watching for God? Am I asking God for anything? Am I praying and waiting in eager expectation? How can I improve this aspect of my relationship with God?
4. Do I believe God is going before me and clearing a path for me? How do I know what the path He is preparing for me is? How can I ensure I am following it?
5. What is God using in my life right now to train me? Do I see my hardships as discipline and training from a God who loves me? How have I seen good come out of my struggles?
Daily Devotional - 8/28/15 (10/28/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 7
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you
One person who you believe will never apologize for the pain they have caused you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 58
"Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be." ( vs. 3-5)
This is a hard teaching. Some people are evil early on. We do not understand this and we wonder why? Perhaps we will never know, but God knows; the God who looks on the hearts of all men. He knows everything about these people. He knows they are people who will not listen to anyone. He knows they are set on seeking their own will, no matter what the consequences are. He even knows they have trouble looking past today. Often these people do very well in life and they succeed in their ways. Sometimes, they do better than those of us who are striving so hard to do what's right. We struggle with this. We become angry and bitter. We desire revenge. Sometimes we even do stupid things to "pay them back". But this is not what God desires. God desires for us to let go and let Him take care of it. God does see. He does know. He says in Romans 12:17 - 21:
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Bottom line, we need to still do good, no matter what anyone else is doing. Our salvation and well being is not worth throwing away because of some evil person. We are worth so much more to God than that. He does not want for us to ruin our lives. He continually says, "I will take care of this! You do what's right!" God WILL take care of it. It may not be on our timing, but it will happen. We need to let it go and give it to God. We need to pour out our feelings and emotions to God and then wait patiently. He is the only one that can change a man's heart. All our strivings will do nothing but destroy our lives. Our bitterness and hatred does no damage to the evil person, only ourselves.
This takes us to another layer of trust. We need to trust that God will win in the end. We need to trust that God will purge out the evil and then the righteous will find relief. It is not up to us to do the purging. We are to stay righteous and to love our enemies. We are to leave justice and revenge up to God, who is sinless. He will do it in the most effective way possible and we, we will be rewarded for walking the high road; for not seeking revenge, for loving our enemy and overcoming evil with good. So let us remember the final promise of this psalm:
"The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, ...Then men will say, 'Surely the righteous are still rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.' " ( vs. 10a, 11)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We pray that we are never like the wicked men. Keep our hearts in tune to Your word and receptive to the help and assistance of others. Help us to always be willing to learn and grow. Help us to train our children so that they will not grow up into wicked men and women. It is a serious responsibility that You have given us and we pray for Your strength, wisdom, and guidance. We are waiting on You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How do I feel about this idea that some people are wicked early on? How have I seen this in my life or in the lives of those around me?
2. Is it difficult for me to accept the idea of God's judgment? Why or why not? How can I develop a greater understanding and appreciation for this aspect of God's character?
3. How do I feel when I see injustice? How do I feel when I see justice done? Why? What do I do about unjust situations? Is there a better way for me to deal with what I see around me?
4. Do I seek revenge? Why? How do I see myself being vengeful? What should I do instead? How can I get help with this?
5. How do I treat my enemies? Am I overcoming evil with good or am I acting evil as well? How can I do this? Are there any situations that I am in right now that I am not handling correctly? How can I change?
Day 7
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you
One person who you believe will never apologize for the pain they have caused you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 58
"Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be." ( vs. 3-5)
This is a hard teaching. Some people are evil early on. We do not understand this and we wonder why? Perhaps we will never know, but God knows; the God who looks on the hearts of all men. He knows everything about these people. He knows they are people who will not listen to anyone. He knows they are set on seeking their own will, no matter what the consequences are. He even knows they have trouble looking past today. Often these people do very well in life and they succeed in their ways. Sometimes, they do better than those of us who are striving so hard to do what's right. We struggle with this. We become angry and bitter. We desire revenge. Sometimes we even do stupid things to "pay them back". But this is not what God desires. God desires for us to let go and let Him take care of it. God does see. He does know. He says in Romans 12:17 - 21:
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Bottom line, we need to still do good, no matter what anyone else is doing. Our salvation and well being is not worth throwing away because of some evil person. We are worth so much more to God than that. He does not want for us to ruin our lives. He continually says, "I will take care of this! You do what's right!" God WILL take care of it. It may not be on our timing, but it will happen. We need to let it go and give it to God. We need to pour out our feelings and emotions to God and then wait patiently. He is the only one that can change a man's heart. All our strivings will do nothing but destroy our lives. Our bitterness and hatred does no damage to the evil person, only ourselves.
This takes us to another layer of trust. We need to trust that God will win in the end. We need to trust that God will purge out the evil and then the righteous will find relief. It is not up to us to do the purging. We are to stay righteous and to love our enemies. We are to leave justice and revenge up to God, who is sinless. He will do it in the most effective way possible and we, we will be rewarded for walking the high road; for not seeking revenge, for loving our enemy and overcoming evil with good. So let us remember the final promise of this psalm:
"The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, ...Then men will say, 'Surely the righteous are still rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.' " ( vs. 10a, 11)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We pray that we are never like the wicked men. Keep our hearts in tune to Your word and receptive to the help and assistance of others. Help us to always be willing to learn and grow. Help us to train our children so that they will not grow up into wicked men and women. It is a serious responsibility that You have given us and we pray for Your strength, wisdom, and guidance. We are waiting on You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How do I feel about this idea that some people are wicked early on? How have I seen this in my life or in the lives of those around me?
2. Is it difficult for me to accept the idea of God's judgment? Why or why not? How can I develop a greater understanding and appreciation for this aspect of God's character?
3. How do I feel when I see injustice? How do I feel when I see justice done? Why? What do I do about unjust situations? Is there a better way for me to deal with what I see around me?
4. Do I seek revenge? Why? How do I see myself being vengeful? What should I do instead? How can I get help with this?
5. How do I treat my enemies? Am I overcoming evil with good or am I acting evil as well? How can I do this? Are there any situations that I am in right now that I am not handling correctly? How can I change?
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/27/15 (10/27/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 6
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 57
"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me." ( vs. 1 - 2)
God fulfills His purposes for us. It is not our will that succeeds. We can make all the plans in the world but in the end, it is what God wants that triumphs. This can be a relief if we are hiding in the shadow of His wings, or a frustration if we are fighting His will for us. Hosea echoes this sentiment, "Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." (Hosea 14:9) If we are not willing to accept and live the life God has planned out for us, we will always have trouble and difficulties.
"For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies." (vs. 10)
If we consider the love God has for us, this walking in His will would not be so hard. When we know someone loves us, we are willing to do just about anything for them. God loves us more than anything that we can imagine. God's love is all around us. It fills the heavens and reaches to the sky. We cannot, with our mortal eyes, detect where the sky starts and stops and so it is with God's love. We cannot tell, as humans, where His love starts and stops. It just is; like the air. Without the air, we would die. Without God's love, we would all die as well. Sometimes we hear statements such as "How could there be so much bad in the world if God exists". If God didn't exist, that is all there would be. There would be no good anymore.
God is love. God is goodness and kindness expressed. God is beauty. God is light. Without God, there would be none of that. It would be all evil and darkness all of the time. God gave us freewill, and Satan does roam. We must remember that - there are two sides in this battle. I am grateful that there is someone good to cling to and that there is morning after night and sunshine after rain. I am glad there is God.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
I am glad that You have a purpose for me. I had so many dreams as I was growing up, but now - I have You. As my life is half over, I see how fleeting our time is. We want to number our days right and focus on walking in Your ways and Your will. We can get so preoccupied in our successes and failures, but we are so minuscule in the scope of eternity. We run to the refuge of Your wings. We long for Your love and faithfulness. We get so exhausted. You have the strength. You are to be exalted. We thank You for giving us life and we praise Your glory and perfection. We know the world would be a dark dark place without You. Help us to reflect Your glory and shed more joy and hope into the world. Help us to make it a better place for our existence as well. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What purposes does God have for me? Am I walking in them or stumbling in them? Why?
2. Do I believe God's ways are right? Which of God's ways are the most difficult for me to believe are right? Why?
3. How do I feel about good and evil? Why? Can this view be supported biblically?
4. What does God's love mean to me? Is it easy or difficult for me to comprehend? How can I have a deeper understanding of it?
5. How has God been faithful to me? Have I been faithful to God? How can I be more faithful?
Day 6
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 57
"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me." ( vs. 1 - 2)
God fulfills His purposes for us. It is not our will that succeeds. We can make all the plans in the world but in the end, it is what God wants that triumphs. This can be a relief if we are hiding in the shadow of His wings, or a frustration if we are fighting His will for us. Hosea echoes this sentiment, "Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." (Hosea 14:9) If we are not willing to accept and live the life God has planned out for us, we will always have trouble and difficulties.
"For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies." (vs. 10)
If we consider the love God has for us, this walking in His will would not be so hard. When we know someone loves us, we are willing to do just about anything for them. God loves us more than anything that we can imagine. God's love is all around us. It fills the heavens and reaches to the sky. We cannot, with our mortal eyes, detect where the sky starts and stops and so it is with God's love. We cannot tell, as humans, where His love starts and stops. It just is; like the air. Without the air, we would die. Without God's love, we would all die as well. Sometimes we hear statements such as "How could there be so much bad in the world if God exists". If God didn't exist, that is all there would be. There would be no good anymore.
God is love. God is goodness and kindness expressed. God is beauty. God is light. Without God, there would be none of that. It would be all evil and darkness all of the time. God gave us freewill, and Satan does roam. We must remember that - there are two sides in this battle. I am grateful that there is someone good to cling to and that there is morning after night and sunshine after rain. I am glad there is God.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
I am glad that You have a purpose for me. I had so many dreams as I was growing up, but now - I have You. As my life is half over, I see how fleeting our time is. We want to number our days right and focus on walking in Your ways and Your will. We can get so preoccupied in our successes and failures, but we are so minuscule in the scope of eternity. We run to the refuge of Your wings. We long for Your love and faithfulness. We get so exhausted. You have the strength. You are to be exalted. We thank You for giving us life and we praise Your glory and perfection. We know the world would be a dark dark place without You. Help us to reflect Your glory and shed more joy and hope into the world. Help us to make it a better place for our existence as well. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What purposes does God have for me? Am I walking in them or stumbling in them? Why?
2. Do I believe God's ways are right? Which of God's ways are the most difficult for me to believe are right? Why?
3. How do I feel about good and evil? Why? Can this view be supported biblically?
4. What does God's love mean to me? Is it easy or difficult for me to comprehend? How can I have a deeper understanding of it?
5. How has God been faithful to me? Have I been faithful to God? How can I be more faithful?
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/26/15 (10/26/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 5
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your wellbeing even though you have never met
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 56
"When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" ( vs. 3 - 4)
"Record my lament; list my tears on Your scroll - are they not in Your record?" (vs. 8)
When I am afraid, I will trust in God. When I am afraid about Joelle's health, in God I will trust. When I am afraid about my husband's health, in God I will trust. I will praise God in place of worry. When I am tempted, I will praise instead. I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me? What bad can happen to me if I have God. Nothing. God knows all the tears I have cried. He says He has recorded each one on His scroll, in His record. What an amazing thought.
"I am under vows to You, O God; I will present thank offerings to You. For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling that I may walk before God in the light of life." (vs. 12-13)
I have a responsibility to God. I said that I would follow Him. I need to fulfill my vows, and they are not burdensome. I just need to follow. Jesus said His yoke was easy and His burden light. God's way should not be burdensome. It should be paved with gratitude for what He has done for us. He has delivered us and brought us out to freedom and light. I will walk in the light of life, because Jesus provides the life and the light. Death is dark. My old way of life was dark but thanks be to God, that way is gone and I am now walking with Him. Let us not turn back. Let us fulfill our vows. Let us be thankful.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are often afraid, but You are with us. Help us to feel Your continual presence in a greater way each day. There are many things that worry us and occupy our minds but You are what they should be fixed on. Guide our thoughts and turn us back to You. You know our struggles and our tears. How amazing that You have recorded each and every tear. You do care. We want to walk in gratitude and in the light of Your presence, the light of Your life. We turn away from our lives of darkness and death and want to live in the light. Help us to rid all darkness from our life so that we can fulfill our vows and have true joy and life. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What fears do I have? Am I turning to God with them?
2. What vows have I made to God? Am I fulfilling them?
3. What has God delivered me from? What was my life like before I was a Christian?
4. What do I have to be thankful about? What can I praise God for?
5. Am I walking in the light? Is there anything that is hidden in the darkness about my life? Do I have people that I can discuss anything with? Do I have a platform to be open and to get help? Where could I go for that?
Day 5
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your wellbeing even though you have never met
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 56
"When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" ( vs. 3 - 4)
"Record my lament; list my tears on Your scroll - are they not in Your record?" (vs. 8)
When I am afraid, I will trust in God. When I am afraid about Joelle's health, in God I will trust. When I am afraid about my husband's health, in God I will trust. I will praise God in place of worry. When I am tempted, I will praise instead. I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me? What bad can happen to me if I have God. Nothing. God knows all the tears I have cried. He says He has recorded each one on His scroll, in His record. What an amazing thought.
"I am under vows to You, O God; I will present thank offerings to You. For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling that I may walk before God in the light of life." (vs. 12-13)
I have a responsibility to God. I said that I would follow Him. I need to fulfill my vows, and they are not burdensome. I just need to follow. Jesus said His yoke was easy and His burden light. God's way should not be burdensome. It should be paved with gratitude for what He has done for us. He has delivered us and brought us out to freedom and light. I will walk in the light of life, because Jesus provides the life and the light. Death is dark. My old way of life was dark but thanks be to God, that way is gone and I am now walking with Him. Let us not turn back. Let us fulfill our vows. Let us be thankful.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are often afraid, but You are with us. Help us to feel Your continual presence in a greater way each day. There are many things that worry us and occupy our minds but You are what they should be fixed on. Guide our thoughts and turn us back to You. You know our struggles and our tears. How amazing that You have recorded each and every tear. You do care. We want to walk in gratitude and in the light of Your presence, the light of Your life. We turn away from our lives of darkness and death and want to live in the light. Help us to rid all darkness from our life so that we can fulfill our vows and have true joy and life. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What fears do I have? Am I turning to God with them?
2. What vows have I made to God? Am I fulfilling them?
3. What has God delivered me from? What was my life like before I was a Christian?
4. What do I have to be thankful about? What can I praise God for?
5. Am I walking in the light? Is there anything that is hidden in the darkness about my life? Do I have people that I can discuss anything with? Do I have a platform to be open and to get help? Where could I go for that?
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/25/15 (10/25/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 4
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 55
"Listen to my prayer , O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger" (vs. 1 - 3)
The voice of the enemy. What a disturbing thought. Satan does speaks to us, often in our thoughts. Random strange thoughts that we wonder about and think "Where did that come from". Ideas that we know are not good for us. Temptations. Satan prowls like a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8-9) and we are definitely in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). We forget so easily about this and then we are easy victims for the evil forces that surround us. We think that our thoughts are just our thoughts, and so why shouldn't we indulge them. Why should we be so strict with ourselves, we reason. No one knows what I am thinking about so what will it matter? What will be the consequences? What will this one thought do?
But this is where all sin starts. It starts with just a thought indulged, a small desire, that over time grows and grows. James 1: 13 - 15 states, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Satan plants a little thought like - "I never do anything right" - in our heads and then we begin to dwell on it. Soon we are angry and frustrated. This eventually becomes depression and negativity. We stop functioning properly and become completely inward focused. Satan has won, all from that little thought. Or how about - my husband/wife doesn't act like he/she loves me. We take that thought which might run through our head and begin to dwell on it. Soon, our husbands/wives are the worst individuals alive and we are so upset that we respond very negatively towards them as well. And it gets worse from there.
We have to recognize that there is an enemy and it is not another human being. I repeat Ephesians 6: 12 ("For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms") almost daily so that I will remember that I am not fighting my husband, my children, my students, or even myself. I am fighting a spiritual enemy. There is more to this world than we can see. We have to remember that the next time someone is being mean to us or there is an irritating situation at work or at home. It is Satan trying to get at us and he will use whatever will work best. He knows what pushes our buttons. So since we know that we will hear his voice, that this is a definite reality, then we need to take every thought captive (II Cor. 10:3-5). This is where the battle starts. The victory in our lives will be won day by day here. We must take our thoughts captive, and then we need to take the next step - "Call on God".
"But I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." (vs. 16 -18)
We are in a spiritual battle, and although we are called to be spiritual warriors, we cannot win this struggle by ourselves. We are no match for Satan and we should not even try to battle him alone. We need God to win the battle. We need God's word and we need an active prayer life. We need to be calling out to God continuously - morning, noon, and night. God will hear us, but we have to call out to Him. We need to plead with Him. He will ransom us from this spiritual battle when we pray. His armies are much greater than Satan's.
There is a story in II Kings about Elisha and his servant that always encourages me. The town that Elisha was staying in was surrounded by the troops of the king of Aram. It appeared hopeless when seen with human eyes and Elisha's servant was terrified. Elisha comforted him and told him not to be afraid because the warriors of God were more numerous that the troops of Aram. Then he prayed for the servant's eyes to be opened. When the servant looked again to the hills, he saw them full of horses and chariots of fire. The troops of Aram were then miraculously over come. When I look at this story and the many others in the Old Testament, I realize that God is bigger than all of the struggles I face. I just do not always look in a spiritual way for the victories. (II Kings 6:8-23) I must go to God, and cling to God to win the battle.
"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall...But as for me, I trust in You." (vs. 22, 23b)
Finally, let us cast our worries on the Lord because He does care for us and He will sustain us. He will never let the righteous fall. Let us be righteous, and let us choose God. Let us be able to say like the psalmist, "Despite what is going on around me and even if no one else is willing to follow You anymore, God, I trust in You! I will follow."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We hear the voice of the enemy and often we don't recognize that it is an enemy at all. Help us to discern our thoughts and help us to take every thought captive. We know that what we dwell on impacts our lives and our actions. We want to dwell on what is wholesome, good, and lovely. Let us direct our thoughts to whatever is honorable and right. Guard our hearts and our minds and help us to turn continually to You for the help and the strength that we need to stand firm in this spiritual battle. Make us into mighty warriors, Father, because we know that that is what You desire for us. We desire it as well. You desire the victory for us and for others. Help us to be part of the solution. We are casting our cares onto You and turning to You. We know that You will ransom us and we will do our part as well. You are great. You are our God.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I recognize that Satan can feed me thoughts? Am I taking captive every thought and striving to dwell on what is good?
2. What thoughts from Satan am I especially prone to grab hold of and dwell on? What thoughts and verses can I use to counteract them?
3. Am I praying morning, noon, and night? What can I do to remind myself to pray more and especially at these three times? Where do I pray best? When have I felt most connected to God in prayer? How can I duplicate these times?
4. What cares do I need to cast on God in prayer? What verses can I memorize and meditate on that will remind me how much God does care for me?
5. Am I committed to trusting God no matter what happens? What would make me hesitate in my trust in God? What has made me turn back/look back in the past, even if it was just in my heart?
Day 4
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 55
"Listen to my prayer , O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger" (vs. 1 - 3)
The voice of the enemy. What a disturbing thought. Satan does speaks to us, often in our thoughts. Random strange thoughts that we wonder about and think "Where did that come from". Ideas that we know are not good for us. Temptations. Satan prowls like a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8-9) and we are definitely in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). We forget so easily about this and then we are easy victims for the evil forces that surround us. We think that our thoughts are just our thoughts, and so why shouldn't we indulge them. Why should we be so strict with ourselves, we reason. No one knows what I am thinking about so what will it matter? What will be the consequences? What will this one thought do?
But this is where all sin starts. It starts with just a thought indulged, a small desire, that over time grows and grows. James 1: 13 - 15 states, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Satan plants a little thought like - "I never do anything right" - in our heads and then we begin to dwell on it. Soon we are angry and frustrated. This eventually becomes depression and negativity. We stop functioning properly and become completely inward focused. Satan has won, all from that little thought. Or how about - my husband/wife doesn't act like he/she loves me. We take that thought which might run through our head and begin to dwell on it. Soon, our husbands/wives are the worst individuals alive and we are so upset that we respond very negatively towards them as well. And it gets worse from there.
We have to recognize that there is an enemy and it is not another human being. I repeat Ephesians 6: 12 ("For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms") almost daily so that I will remember that I am not fighting my husband, my children, my students, or even myself. I am fighting a spiritual enemy. There is more to this world than we can see. We have to remember that the next time someone is being mean to us or there is an irritating situation at work or at home. It is Satan trying to get at us and he will use whatever will work best. He knows what pushes our buttons. So since we know that we will hear his voice, that this is a definite reality, then we need to take every thought captive (II Cor. 10:3-5). This is where the battle starts. The victory in our lives will be won day by day here. We must take our thoughts captive, and then we need to take the next step - "Call on God".
"But I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." (vs. 16 -18)
We are in a spiritual battle, and although we are called to be spiritual warriors, we cannot win this struggle by ourselves. We are no match for Satan and we should not even try to battle him alone. We need God to win the battle. We need God's word and we need an active prayer life. We need to be calling out to God continuously - morning, noon, and night. God will hear us, but we have to call out to Him. We need to plead with Him. He will ransom us from this spiritual battle when we pray. His armies are much greater than Satan's.
There is a story in II Kings about Elisha and his servant that always encourages me. The town that Elisha was staying in was surrounded by the troops of the king of Aram. It appeared hopeless when seen with human eyes and Elisha's servant was terrified. Elisha comforted him and told him not to be afraid because the warriors of God were more numerous that the troops of Aram. Then he prayed for the servant's eyes to be opened. When the servant looked again to the hills, he saw them full of horses and chariots of fire. The troops of Aram were then miraculously over come. When I look at this story and the many others in the Old Testament, I realize that God is bigger than all of the struggles I face. I just do not always look in a spiritual way for the victories. (II Kings 6:8-23) I must go to God, and cling to God to win the battle.
"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall...But as for me, I trust in You." (vs. 22, 23b)
Finally, let us cast our worries on the Lord because He does care for us and He will sustain us. He will never let the righteous fall. Let us be righteous, and let us choose God. Let us be able to say like the psalmist, "Despite what is going on around me and even if no one else is willing to follow You anymore, God, I trust in You! I will follow."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We hear the voice of the enemy and often we don't recognize that it is an enemy at all. Help us to discern our thoughts and help us to take every thought captive. We know that what we dwell on impacts our lives and our actions. We want to dwell on what is wholesome, good, and lovely. Let us direct our thoughts to whatever is honorable and right. Guard our hearts and our minds and help us to turn continually to You for the help and the strength that we need to stand firm in this spiritual battle. Make us into mighty warriors, Father, because we know that that is what You desire for us. We desire it as well. You desire the victory for us and for others. Help us to be part of the solution. We are casting our cares onto You and turning to You. We know that You will ransom us and we will do our part as well. You are great. You are our God.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I recognize that Satan can feed me thoughts? Am I taking captive every thought and striving to dwell on what is good?
2. What thoughts from Satan am I especially prone to grab hold of and dwell on? What thoughts and verses can I use to counteract them?
3. Am I praying morning, noon, and night? What can I do to remind myself to pray more and especially at these three times? Where do I pray best? When have I felt most connected to God in prayer? How can I duplicate these times?
4. What cares do I need to cast on God in prayer? What verses can I memorize and meditate on that will remind me how much God does care for me?
5. Am I committed to trusting God no matter what happens? What would make me hesitate in my trust in God? What has made me turn back/look back in the past, even if it was just in my heart?
Monday, August 24, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/24/15 (10/24/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 3
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble at some point in time
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 54
This post was originally written in 2009. I have left it much as it was. My daughter is now a healthy 11 year old and her asthma rarely bothers her. In 2009, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer which had spread to his liver. He had two surgeries and two rounds of chemotherapy. He was cancer free for four years and then had a reoccurrence in 2014. This was followed by another surgery and more chemotherapy [see Daily Devotional - 8/22/10 (9/22/09) if you are interested in learning more about his cancer]. Thankfully, he has been cancer free for a year now. My schedule is still very hectic and long, yet God always provides what I need to take care of all of my responsibilities. If you are interested in reading the background information which prompted me to start these devotionals in 2009, please see ("Background Information" - published 8/31/09.)
"Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me....I will sacrifice a freewill offering to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good. For He has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes." ( vs. 4, 6-7)
God is my help. I have to repeat this to myself daily, hourly, and moment by moment. God is my help. He is the one who sustains me. I can not do this on my own. There is so much to be done daily. If I look at my life, I am overwhelmed; if I look at God, I can make it through. God does supply my daily needs. However, I must learn to separate the urgent from the important. I must learn to prioritize. I can not do everything and so I must do the most important. Sometimes I do not even know what that is. Therefore, I must learn to rely more and more on the Lord who sustains me.
I am learning to look at the worst that could happen and then look at it through God's eyes. Heaven knows, I am getting quite a bit of practice. For example, if my daughter should get sick with H1N1, which happens to be something on my mind right now, what would be the worst that could happen? Having asthma, she could get very sick. She could even die. I have had to think of this before. I have thought of this every time I have had to take her to the hospital because she can't breathe. So if the worst would happen to my child, I have to realize, she would be in heaven. She would be happy and at peace forever. Since she is only five, she would be with God and would be spared all the heart ache that we face living on earth. I would be heartbroken but at least I would know that she was safe and no longer had to suffer. I would not have to worry about whether or not she would grow up to know God. She would be there waiting for me. Sometimes remembering this helps me to face the uncertainty of each day. I can make it through the worst, day by day, holding on to God's hand and striving to look at life through an eternal perspective. And so it is with each problem I face. I try to keep this focus. I look at the worst that could happen and then I take that to God, for I do know that He is good. He has kept me safe this far.
So I will sacrifice a freewill offering to God in gratitude for sustaining me. I will freely come and bring Him whatever I have to offer. Sometimes it is not much but I will bring it. Like the poor widow that only dropped a few coins in the offering, I will give what I can, what I have ( Luke 21:1-4 ). God will not have to force me to follow, or to come, or to sacrifice. I am so grateful that I am even allowed to participate in this life. I would have nothing without God and I look forward to seeing how He will deliver me from all of my present troubles. He has amazed me up until now with how He has gotten me out of my past troubles. I am certain that I will look in triumph on my foes someday. And what a great day that will be!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We look forward to the day that we will be able to look with triumph on our foes. You have delivered us so far and You will continue to deliver us. You are good, always good and we praise You. You are our help. You do sustain us. You get us up and put us to bed. You keep our hearts beating and our lungs pulling in oxygen. You are great and You deserve all the freewill offerings I can bring. Help us to not be like horses or mules that have to be pulled along. Help us to come willingly and eagerly to serve You. Forgive us in our failures to please You. We need You and praise You for Your mercy. Continue to walk with us and carry us when we are weak. We worship You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How often do I think about God actually being with me in each present moment? Do I turn to Him for help in the moment or do I forget He is there?
2. Am I allowing God to prioritize my day and my time? Do I let Him get involved with the mundane areas of my life like house work or do I feel that God is only interested in the "big issues"?
3. What am I worrying about? What is the worst thing that could happen in that situation? How can I see this from an eternal perspective? Does this help me? Why or why not?
4. How can I bring a freewill offering to God? Is my service and worship a joy or burden to me? What can I change to improve my attitude of joy when I am serving or worshiping God?
5. What are the foes in my life? What am I doing to conquer them? How will I feel when I am delivered and can look at them in triumph?
Day 3
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble at some point in time
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 54
This post was originally written in 2009. I have left it much as it was. My daughter is now a healthy 11 year old and her asthma rarely bothers her. In 2009, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer which had spread to his liver. He had two surgeries and two rounds of chemotherapy. He was cancer free for four years and then had a reoccurrence in 2014. This was followed by another surgery and more chemotherapy [see Daily Devotional - 8/22/10 (9/22/09) if you are interested in learning more about his cancer]. Thankfully, he has been cancer free for a year now. My schedule is still very hectic and long, yet God always provides what I need to take care of all of my responsibilities. If you are interested in reading the background information which prompted me to start these devotionals in 2009, please see ("Background Information" - published 8/31/09.)
"Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me....I will sacrifice a freewill offering to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good. For He has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes." ( vs. 4, 6-7)
God is my help. I have to repeat this to myself daily, hourly, and moment by moment. God is my help. He is the one who sustains me. I can not do this on my own. There is so much to be done daily. If I look at my life, I am overwhelmed; if I look at God, I can make it through. God does supply my daily needs. However, I must learn to separate the urgent from the important. I must learn to prioritize. I can not do everything and so I must do the most important. Sometimes I do not even know what that is. Therefore, I must learn to rely more and more on the Lord who sustains me.
I am learning to look at the worst that could happen and then look at it through God's eyes. Heaven knows, I am getting quite a bit of practice. For example, if my daughter should get sick with H1N1, which happens to be something on my mind right now, what would be the worst that could happen? Having asthma, she could get very sick. She could even die. I have had to think of this before. I have thought of this every time I have had to take her to the hospital because she can't breathe. So if the worst would happen to my child, I have to realize, she would be in heaven. She would be happy and at peace forever. Since she is only five, she would be with God and would be spared all the heart ache that we face living on earth. I would be heartbroken but at least I would know that she was safe and no longer had to suffer. I would not have to worry about whether or not she would grow up to know God. She would be there waiting for me. Sometimes remembering this helps me to face the uncertainty of each day. I can make it through the worst, day by day, holding on to God's hand and striving to look at life through an eternal perspective. And so it is with each problem I face. I try to keep this focus. I look at the worst that could happen and then I take that to God, for I do know that He is good. He has kept me safe this far.
So I will sacrifice a freewill offering to God in gratitude for sustaining me. I will freely come and bring Him whatever I have to offer. Sometimes it is not much but I will bring it. Like the poor widow that only dropped a few coins in the offering, I will give what I can, what I have ( Luke 21:1-4 ). God will not have to force me to follow, or to come, or to sacrifice. I am so grateful that I am even allowed to participate in this life. I would have nothing without God and I look forward to seeing how He will deliver me from all of my present troubles. He has amazed me up until now with how He has gotten me out of my past troubles. I am certain that I will look in triumph on my foes someday. And what a great day that will be!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We look forward to the day that we will be able to look with triumph on our foes. You have delivered us so far and You will continue to deliver us. You are good, always good and we praise You. You are our help. You do sustain us. You get us up and put us to bed. You keep our hearts beating and our lungs pulling in oxygen. You are great and You deserve all the freewill offerings I can bring. Help us to not be like horses or mules that have to be pulled along. Help us to come willingly and eagerly to serve You. Forgive us in our failures to please You. We need You and praise You for Your mercy. Continue to walk with us and carry us when we are weak. We worship You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How often do I think about God actually being with me in each present moment? Do I turn to Him for help in the moment or do I forget He is there?
2. Am I allowing God to prioritize my day and my time? Do I let Him get involved with the mundane areas of my life like house work or do I feel that God is only interested in the "big issues"?
3. What am I worrying about? What is the worst thing that could happen in that situation? How can I see this from an eternal perspective? Does this help me? Why or why not?
4. How can I bring a freewill offering to God? Is my service and worship a joy or burden to me? What can I change to improve my attitude of joy when I am serving or worshiping God?
5. What are the foes in my life? What am I doing to conquer them? How will I feel when I am delivered and can look at them in triumph?
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/23/15 (10/23/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 2
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 53
"God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread and who do not call on God? There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread."
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad." ( vs. 2 - 5a, 6)
When we think about our lives and the lives of those around us, we see a lot of failure. Even the best of us, those of us who are really trying to be good, fail; sometimes miserably. What is interesting, however, is that, although the Bible speaks of the universality of sin, it also differentiates between those who sin. The psalms consistently speak of a difference between people. There are the "evildoers" and there are the "righteous". Yet we all have turned away and become corrupt this passage says. This seems contradictory but the psalmist in this psalm outlines two ways that we can become what is referred to as "evildoers".
The first way to become an "evildoers" is to use others ("Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread"). We eat bread. We use it to stay alive. So someone who is devouring people in this way must be using them to get what they need. I know in the past I have used people. I am not proud of this but I think it is probably more widespread than we would like to admit. How often do we call someone only when we need something from them. Isn't that a form of using them? We are not thinking of them or of how they are doing. We are only thinking of what we need. How about in our conversations? Are they all about us and what we are going through? Do we use others as a dumping ground and then leave after we feel better? Isn't that using others? I am sure that we could come up with even more ideas of how we do this. Take for example our involvement in church, our work, or even our citizenship. Are we focused more on what we are getting out of our church services or our small groups rather than what we are giving to them? At our work, are we known to be someone who gets involved and gives their best or are we just getting a paycheck. How about as citizens of our country? Are we just taking the benefits and not getting involved to help others and make the world a better place to live in? We need to stop being takers and users and start being givers if we do not want to become "evildoers". I know I do. Righteous people give. There are so many passages in the Bible about giving. This is one of the key differences that we have to pay attention to. We are by nature selfish so we need to deal with this daily. It is not something that will just go away once we make a commitment to God.
The second way to become an "evildoers" mentioned in this passage is to not acknowledge and turn to God (and who do not call on God). This little phrase is so easy to just read over and not pay that much attention too. It doesn't seem that serious. We can tell ourselves we are okay with God because we don't do any of the "BIG" sins like murder or adultery but here is this seemingly insignificant thing listed instead. Not calling on God or paying attention to Him is actually the root from which all the other sins grow out of. Because we do not value God, we do not care what we do to others or what we engage in. When we value God and are turning to Him on a regular basis, we do not want to do wrong. It is so easy to not call on God though. It is easy to not pray or listen to God. Often, no one even knows. Rarely do people ask us how we are doing spiritually these days. It is just not the focus of our society. If we are being selfish, someone usually is affected by it and we tend to feel worse about being mean but not calling on God is all within us. We can cover it up for quite awhile, perhaps even a whole lifetime.
But using people and not calling on God does have consequences. In eternity, there will be consequences, but here on earth right now as we live, we will also suffer. I believe these things cause dread. They cause an unsettled feeling to stay with us. Almost as if we are always looking over our shoulder; always worried about what people know or will find out. So when we are stressed out and feeling a nameless sense of dread about life, it is a good idea for us to look for these two qualities in our lives. There will not always be one of these issues at the root of our feelings but sometimes there will be a connection. I know when I make a deeper inspection of myself when I am feeling uneasy, I usually find some sin, selfishness, or abandonment of God occurring. Once I turn back to Him, and draw near again, the sense of dread disappears. Sin does make us feel guilty. Our consciences and the feelings of guilt we have sometimes were put in us by God and they help us to come back to Him. We need to stop searing our consciences and accept that they are there and that they are there for a good reason. Thank God we can change and deal with our lives and our characters. I am grateful that God can enable us to overcome our sinful natures and that He can transform us. We will feel peace when we walk with God. He is a God of peace. Salvation will come out of Zion. He can and will do it and we will feel joy.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do not want to be evildoers. As we look at the attitudes of our hearts and our actions, we pray that they will be those of a giver and not of a taker. We do not want to use people, even if it is advantageous to us. Help us to not think like the world does because to the world this is normal behavior. Help us to rise above and strive each and every day to be like Jesus. Although He was a part of You, He did not claim equality with You but made Himself nothing and became a servant to us all. He went the ultimate distance in dying for us and He calls us to do the same. Help us to rise to the challenge.
We also ask Your forgiveness for all of the times that we have not called on You. We get tired, weak, or lazy at times and neglect You, our ultimate power source. Help us to remember that it is all about You and not about us. We want to pray more. We want to commune with You and walk each day with You. Help us to not be so distracted. Our flesh is so weak. We are tired of walking around in dread. There is nothing to dread. There is no virus, no foreign government, no debt, not problem bigger than You. There is nothing to dread and here we are dreading. Forgive us and help us to turn away from this faithlessness and sin. You are here. You have always been here. Help us to see You in all that we do. You are surely woven into life. We pray for peace.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Have I used people in the past? What can I do to make amends? Can I see any situations where I am using people presently? Why do I do this? How can I stop?
2. Am I a giver or a taker in my relationships? Am I a giver or taker in my church, work, and social environment? What evidence is there for what I think I am? What can I do to become more of a giver?
3. Am I calling on God on a regular basis? How is my prayer life? Do I go to God first, or my friends? What can I do to improve my reliance on God?
4. Am I at peace or am I consistently in a state of dread? Do I have reason to dread? What am I fearing? Is God able to handle it?
5. Is there something I need to clear up/ resolve or repent of to eliminate the sense of dread that I am experiencing? What will I do to deal with this? When will I deal with it? If there is not an issue, how can I turn to God and trust Him more?
Day 2
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 53
"God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread and who do not call on God? There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread."
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad." ( vs. 2 - 5a, 6)
When we think about our lives and the lives of those around us, we see a lot of failure. Even the best of us, those of us who are really trying to be good, fail; sometimes miserably. What is interesting, however, is that, although the Bible speaks of the universality of sin, it also differentiates between those who sin. The psalms consistently speak of a difference between people. There are the "evildoers" and there are the "righteous". Yet we all have turned away and become corrupt this passage says. This seems contradictory but the psalmist in this psalm outlines two ways that we can become what is referred to as "evildoers".
The first way to become an "evildoers" is to use others ("Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread"). We eat bread. We use it to stay alive. So someone who is devouring people in this way must be using them to get what they need. I know in the past I have used people. I am not proud of this but I think it is probably more widespread than we would like to admit. How often do we call someone only when we need something from them. Isn't that a form of using them? We are not thinking of them or of how they are doing. We are only thinking of what we need. How about in our conversations? Are they all about us and what we are going through? Do we use others as a dumping ground and then leave after we feel better? Isn't that using others? I am sure that we could come up with even more ideas of how we do this. Take for example our involvement in church, our work, or even our citizenship. Are we focused more on what we are getting out of our church services or our small groups rather than what we are giving to them? At our work, are we known to be someone who gets involved and gives their best or are we just getting a paycheck. How about as citizens of our country? Are we just taking the benefits and not getting involved to help others and make the world a better place to live in? We need to stop being takers and users and start being givers if we do not want to become "evildoers". I know I do. Righteous people give. There are so many passages in the Bible about giving. This is one of the key differences that we have to pay attention to. We are by nature selfish so we need to deal with this daily. It is not something that will just go away once we make a commitment to God.
The second way to become an "evildoers" mentioned in this passage is to not acknowledge and turn to God (and who do not call on God). This little phrase is so easy to just read over and not pay that much attention too. It doesn't seem that serious. We can tell ourselves we are okay with God because we don't do any of the "BIG" sins like murder or adultery but here is this seemingly insignificant thing listed instead. Not calling on God or paying attention to Him is actually the root from which all the other sins grow out of. Because we do not value God, we do not care what we do to others or what we engage in. When we value God and are turning to Him on a regular basis, we do not want to do wrong. It is so easy to not call on God though. It is easy to not pray or listen to God. Often, no one even knows. Rarely do people ask us how we are doing spiritually these days. It is just not the focus of our society. If we are being selfish, someone usually is affected by it and we tend to feel worse about being mean but not calling on God is all within us. We can cover it up for quite awhile, perhaps even a whole lifetime.
But using people and not calling on God does have consequences. In eternity, there will be consequences, but here on earth right now as we live, we will also suffer. I believe these things cause dread. They cause an unsettled feeling to stay with us. Almost as if we are always looking over our shoulder; always worried about what people know or will find out. So when we are stressed out and feeling a nameless sense of dread about life, it is a good idea for us to look for these two qualities in our lives. There will not always be one of these issues at the root of our feelings but sometimes there will be a connection. I know when I make a deeper inspection of myself when I am feeling uneasy, I usually find some sin, selfishness, or abandonment of God occurring. Once I turn back to Him, and draw near again, the sense of dread disappears. Sin does make us feel guilty. Our consciences and the feelings of guilt we have sometimes were put in us by God and they help us to come back to Him. We need to stop searing our consciences and accept that they are there and that they are there for a good reason. Thank God we can change and deal with our lives and our characters. I am grateful that God can enable us to overcome our sinful natures and that He can transform us. We will feel peace when we walk with God. He is a God of peace. Salvation will come out of Zion. He can and will do it and we will feel joy.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do not want to be evildoers. As we look at the attitudes of our hearts and our actions, we pray that they will be those of a giver and not of a taker. We do not want to use people, even if it is advantageous to us. Help us to not think like the world does because to the world this is normal behavior. Help us to rise above and strive each and every day to be like Jesus. Although He was a part of You, He did not claim equality with You but made Himself nothing and became a servant to us all. He went the ultimate distance in dying for us and He calls us to do the same. Help us to rise to the challenge.
We also ask Your forgiveness for all of the times that we have not called on You. We get tired, weak, or lazy at times and neglect You, our ultimate power source. Help us to remember that it is all about You and not about us. We want to pray more. We want to commune with You and walk each day with You. Help us to not be so distracted. Our flesh is so weak. We are tired of walking around in dread. There is nothing to dread. There is no virus, no foreign government, no debt, not problem bigger than You. There is nothing to dread and here we are dreading. Forgive us and help us to turn away from this faithlessness and sin. You are here. You have always been here. Help us to see You in all that we do. You are surely woven into life. We pray for peace.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Have I used people in the past? What can I do to make amends? Can I see any situations where I am using people presently? Why do I do this? How can I stop?
2. Am I a giver or a taker in my relationships? Am I a giver or taker in my church, work, and social environment? What evidence is there for what I think I am? What can I do to become more of a giver?
3. Am I calling on God on a regular basis? How is my prayer life? Do I go to God first, or my friends? What can I do to improve my reliance on God?
4. Am I at peace or am I consistently in a state of dread? Do I have reason to dread? What am I fearing? Is God able to handle it?
5. Is there something I need to clear up/ resolve or repent of to eliminate the sense of dread that I am experiencing? What will I do to deal with this? When will I deal with it? If there is not an issue, how can I turn to God and trust Him more?
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/22/15 (10/22/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 1
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 52
"Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, ... Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth, You love every harmful word, O deceitful tongue!... Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent;...'Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!'
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. I will praise You forever for what You have done; in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good. I will praise You in the presence of Your saints." (vs. 1a, 2-4,5a, 7-9)
The world is full of good, and it is full of evil. There are good people and there are evil people. I can see that so clearly as I look at the news every day. It can be extremely depressing to see all the terrible things that are being done day in and day out. I am not sure if evil is increasing or if it is just more noticeable. Perhaps it is both. Whatever the case, it can make me despair. I don't know what will happen in the future and this uncertainty can be frightening. I want good things for my children but I do not know what they will find when they are my age. I want to protect them from evil, but I know I am so limited. Yet, God still calls us to hope. God still calls us to trust and praise Him. He promises we can flourish, not just survive. In spite of all the evil in the world and all the bad people who seem to be succeeding in their evil plans, we can still do well. But how?
One of my favorite scriptures holds some keys to help us. It is as follows:
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Phil 4: 4 -9)
So the first key is to "Rejoice" and to rejoice always! We can do this, "rejoice in the Lord" because the Lord never changes. He is good, always good. God does not ask us to rejoice in the bad, that would be contradictory. He calls us to rejoice in Him. Then we are to be gentle. How can we do these two things in the face of evil. We need to remember the Lord is near. This is what will enable us to rejoice and be gentle. We don't have to take things into our own hands. We don't have to yell or do mean things when we are upset. We just need to look for God because He is near. He can and will deal with the problem. Next, we are to pray. We are not to be anxious, but we are to pray and petition God. Finally, we are to focus on what is good. We are not to think about all the bad things and the bad people that are out there. I shouldn't be pouring over the news for hours looking at all the negative. That will not solve anything at all. I am to look for the positive, the noble, the pure. I am to look for God!
And if I look, I know that I will find Him. What an amazing idea. I do not have to succumb to evil. I do not have to become evil either. I am called to rejoice and be gentle. I am to not be anxious. I know I fall so short of this but I keep trying to get up everyday and live this out. I do not want to be anxious, and I want to praise, trust, and hope in God. I can do this if I keep looking up!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank you that You are here with us, that You are near. Help us to continually remember this as we go about our days. It is so easy to get overwhelmed with the evil we see and the evil people that we read about. Fear can grip us as well. Fear and anger can lead us to do evil also. Help us to look up to You instead and remember that You are still in control, no matter how out of control the world seems. Help us to be gentle and let You take care of what is bothering us. You can make us flourish. You can keep us secure. We praise You. We turn to You. Our hope is in You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I ever boast of evil? What type of conversations occupy my time? Is my speech pleasing to God? Am I honest?
2. Am I rejoicing always? What situations are a struggle for me to rejoice in? How can I keep my focus on God so I can rejoice?
3. Am I anxious or at peace most of the time? Why? How is my prayer life? How can I improve it?
4. What can I praise God for? Can I write a list of 25, 50, 75, or 100 things that I am grateful for right now?
5. Do I focus on good things or bad things? Use Philippians 4:8 and make a list of the things in your life that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Try to read this list over to yourself several times a day.
Day 1
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 52
"Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, ... Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth, You love every harmful word, O deceitful tongue!... Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent;...'Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!'
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. I will praise You forever for what You have done; in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good. I will praise You in the presence of Your saints." (vs. 1a, 2-4,5a, 7-9)
The world is full of good, and it is full of evil. There are good people and there are evil people. I can see that so clearly as I look at the news every day. It can be extremely depressing to see all the terrible things that are being done day in and day out. I am not sure if evil is increasing or if it is just more noticeable. Perhaps it is both. Whatever the case, it can make me despair. I don't know what will happen in the future and this uncertainty can be frightening. I want good things for my children but I do not know what they will find when they are my age. I want to protect them from evil, but I know I am so limited. Yet, God still calls us to hope. God still calls us to trust and praise Him. He promises we can flourish, not just survive. In spite of all the evil in the world and all the bad people who seem to be succeeding in their evil plans, we can still do well. But how?
One of my favorite scriptures holds some keys to help us. It is as follows:
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Phil 4: 4 -9)
So the first key is to "Rejoice" and to rejoice always! We can do this, "rejoice in the Lord" because the Lord never changes. He is good, always good. God does not ask us to rejoice in the bad, that would be contradictory. He calls us to rejoice in Him. Then we are to be gentle. How can we do these two things in the face of evil. We need to remember the Lord is near. This is what will enable us to rejoice and be gentle. We don't have to take things into our own hands. We don't have to yell or do mean things when we are upset. We just need to look for God because He is near. He can and will deal with the problem. Next, we are to pray. We are not to be anxious, but we are to pray and petition God. Finally, we are to focus on what is good. We are not to think about all the bad things and the bad people that are out there. I shouldn't be pouring over the news for hours looking at all the negative. That will not solve anything at all. I am to look for the positive, the noble, the pure. I am to look for God!
And if I look, I know that I will find Him. What an amazing idea. I do not have to succumb to evil. I do not have to become evil either. I am called to rejoice and be gentle. I am to not be anxious. I know I fall so short of this but I keep trying to get up everyday and live this out. I do not want to be anxious, and I want to praise, trust, and hope in God. I can do this if I keep looking up!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank you that You are here with us, that You are near. Help us to continually remember this as we go about our days. It is so easy to get overwhelmed with the evil we see and the evil people that we read about. Fear can grip us as well. Fear and anger can lead us to do evil also. Help us to look up to You instead and remember that You are still in control, no matter how out of control the world seems. Help us to be gentle and let You take care of what is bothering us. You can make us flourish. You can keep us secure. We praise You. We turn to You. Our hope is in You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I ever boast of evil? What type of conversations occupy my time? Is my speech pleasing to God? Am I honest?
2. Am I rejoicing always? What situations are a struggle for me to rejoice in? How can I keep my focus on God so I can rejoice?
3. Am I anxious or at peace most of the time? Why? How is my prayer life? How can I improve it?
4. What can I praise God for? Can I write a list of 25, 50, 75, or 100 things that I am grateful for right now?
5. Do I focus on good things or bad things? Use Philippians 4:8 and make a list of the things in your life that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Try to read this list over to yourself several times a day.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Daily Devotional for 8/21/15 (10/21/09)
Prayer Focus - Friends
Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 51
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." (vs. 1)
"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)
"Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 6 - 7)
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10 - 12)
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (vs. 16 - 17)
In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; Build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight You; (vs. 18 -19a)
True religion is something totally different than what most of us think. Often we think of going to church and a bunch of dos and don'ts. Definitely there are things that should and shouldn't be done but it all seems to boil down to love. What is the greatest commandment? Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22:37-39). This is what Jesus said summed it all up - Love.
God is love. Do we remember this?
I think we forget. We think - God is a taskmaster. God is far away. God does not care. God is not fair. God is mean. God hates. God just wants me to obey. But is this really true? Does God want our sacrifices? Will our hard work save us? Can we ever be good enough?
The answer to all these types of questions are no. No, no, no. God is love. God wants truth. God wants integrity. God wants us to come back and say, "Thank You. Do not cast me away from You." God wants us broken and contrite. Ready to be something different. Ready to turn away from all the secrets within us. Bottom line, God wants us to be with Him and He knows what that will take.
I think when we look deep into ourselves, we know this as well. There is an aching part in us that just wants to be known, loved, and changed. I think we long for transformation. We long to be clean - to be free from what ever it is that is binding us and keeping us from life.
But even though we know this, there is a barrier to us reaching the healing we seek. I believe this barrier is sin. Sometimes we think we are so clever. We do things we know are wrong and think it will never be found out. We think no one can really see what is going on within us. Well, that is not really true is it? God sees everything. God already knows, and sooner or later everyone else usually finds out too.
When I was a child, I used to think it would be a great parenting tool to have cameras in every room so that a parent could see what was going on at all times. Now of course, that is possible now but it wasn't back in the 70's. I was grateful back then that nothing like that existed because I did a lot of things in secret that I didn't what anyone seeing. It was quite a revelation to me when I finally realized that God saw everything and that He had seen every single thing I had ever done in secret. I was quite ashamed and embarrassed.
So in order to be transformed and healed, and since all the things we have done have been seen anyway, we need to deal with them. We need to seek repentance. We have to get these secrets out into the open and get help. We need to stop doing wrong and start doing right. That is what I had to do.
I had to come to grips with the fact that God wanted me. He wants us, all of us, and He wants us to be true believers. He wants our hearts, not just our outward acquiescence. But I didn't know how to get from where I was to where I needed to be? This is where Psalm 51 is essential. It is the cry for forgiveness and restoration that we all need to cry.
When I was finally trying to get my life right with God, I had a mentor who was working with me in my life. He knew just about everything about me and he gave me a key assignment. He challenged me to memorize this Psalm and repeat it as often as I could. He felt that when I could truly pray this Psalm from my heart, then I would probably be ready to become a Christian.
I would finally be ready to become a Christian, because I would finally be ready to deal with the sin in my life. My heart would be ready to change because it would have released the things that were at that time controlling it. Sin hardens us. Sin hardens and breaks us. This world is broken. I was broken. Sin breaks our communion with God, others, and even ourselves. It cuts us off from our heart and it sears our consciences. It destroys whatever good is in us and it destroys the good in this world. We can not be close to God and be in sin as well. It is impossible.
I was so hard at this point in my life from all the sin I had indulged in that I needed a transformation. I needed a new heart, and new spirit. I needed to come to God on His terms, not mine.
I took my friend's challenge and eventually I had a breakthrough. God did have mercy on me. He did restore to me the joy of my salvation and renew a steadfast spirit within me. God was faithful and created a pure heart within me. I had not been pure in a long time but now I was and I could be completely different. Instead of being religious, I could be righteous - right with God. I could have integrity. I could have truth. I could walk without fear of what I was hiding.
God was and is faithful. Thirty some years later, I am still walking this walk and striving to keep this prayer and all of God's word in my heart so that I will not sin against Him.
I praise God that He did restore and in His timing, He did make me prosper. He has given me so much and I would never have known all the good He had in store if I had not been willing to get on my knees and pray.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Have mercy on us we pray. Forgive us our sins. Cleanse us. Only You can do this. We thank You for forgiving us. We thank You for Your mercy and grace. We thank you for even caring at all. We know that we are completely unworthy. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What do I think God really wants from me? Why? Do I have a correct perspective of God? Why or why not? How can I get a more accurate view?
2. Do I realize how much I sin against God? Am I turning to Him for forgiveness? Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God? Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me? How can I remind myself of this fact?
3. Do I feel burdened by past sins? Have I been forgiven? How do I know? Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?
4. What does repentance mean to me? What do I do when I have done something wrong? How do I deal with it? Is this the best thing to do or could I do something differently?
5. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?
Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 51
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." (vs. 1)
"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)
"Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 6 - 7)
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10 - 12)
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (vs. 16 - 17)
In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; Build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight You; (vs. 18 -19a)
True religion is something totally different than what most of us think. Often we think of going to church and a bunch of dos and don'ts. Definitely there are things that should and shouldn't be done but it all seems to boil down to love. What is the greatest commandment? Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22:37-39). This is what Jesus said summed it all up - Love.
God is love. Do we remember this?
I think we forget. We think - God is a taskmaster. God is far away. God does not care. God is not fair. God is mean. God hates. God just wants me to obey. But is this really true? Does God want our sacrifices? Will our hard work save us? Can we ever be good enough?
The answer to all these types of questions are no. No, no, no. God is love. God wants truth. God wants integrity. God wants us to come back and say, "Thank You. Do not cast me away from You." God wants us broken and contrite. Ready to be something different. Ready to turn away from all the secrets within us. Bottom line, God wants us to be with Him and He knows what that will take.
I think when we look deep into ourselves, we know this as well. There is an aching part in us that just wants to be known, loved, and changed. I think we long for transformation. We long to be clean - to be free from what ever it is that is binding us and keeping us from life.
But even though we know this, there is a barrier to us reaching the healing we seek. I believe this barrier is sin. Sometimes we think we are so clever. We do things we know are wrong and think it will never be found out. We think no one can really see what is going on within us. Well, that is not really true is it? God sees everything. God already knows, and sooner or later everyone else usually finds out too.
When I was a child, I used to think it would be a great parenting tool to have cameras in every room so that a parent could see what was going on at all times. Now of course, that is possible now but it wasn't back in the 70's. I was grateful back then that nothing like that existed because I did a lot of things in secret that I didn't what anyone seeing. It was quite a revelation to me when I finally realized that God saw everything and that He had seen every single thing I had ever done in secret. I was quite ashamed and embarrassed.
So in order to be transformed and healed, and since all the things we have done have been seen anyway, we need to deal with them. We need to seek repentance. We have to get these secrets out into the open and get help. We need to stop doing wrong and start doing right. That is what I had to do.
I had to come to grips with the fact that God wanted me. He wants us, all of us, and He wants us to be true believers. He wants our hearts, not just our outward acquiescence. But I didn't know how to get from where I was to where I needed to be? This is where Psalm 51 is essential. It is the cry for forgiveness and restoration that we all need to cry.
When I was finally trying to get my life right with God, I had a mentor who was working with me in my life. He knew just about everything about me and he gave me a key assignment. He challenged me to memorize this Psalm and repeat it as often as I could. He felt that when I could truly pray this Psalm from my heart, then I would probably be ready to become a Christian.
I would finally be ready to become a Christian, because I would finally be ready to deal with the sin in my life. My heart would be ready to change because it would have released the things that were at that time controlling it. Sin hardens us. Sin hardens and breaks us. This world is broken. I was broken. Sin breaks our communion with God, others, and even ourselves. It cuts us off from our heart and it sears our consciences. It destroys whatever good is in us and it destroys the good in this world. We can not be close to God and be in sin as well. It is impossible.
I was so hard at this point in my life from all the sin I had indulged in that I needed a transformation. I needed a new heart, and new spirit. I needed to come to God on His terms, not mine.
I took my friend's challenge and eventually I had a breakthrough. God did have mercy on me. He did restore to me the joy of my salvation and renew a steadfast spirit within me. God was faithful and created a pure heart within me. I had not been pure in a long time but now I was and I could be completely different. Instead of being religious, I could be righteous - right with God. I could have integrity. I could have truth. I could walk without fear of what I was hiding.
God was and is faithful. Thirty some years later, I am still walking this walk and striving to keep this prayer and all of God's word in my heart so that I will not sin against Him.
I praise God that He did restore and in His timing, He did make me prosper. He has given me so much and I would never have known all the good He had in store if I had not been willing to get on my knees and pray.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Have mercy on us we pray. Forgive us our sins. Cleanse us. Only You can do this. We thank You for forgiving us. We thank You for Your mercy and grace. We thank you for even caring at all. We know that we are completely unworthy. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What do I think God really wants from me? Why? Do I have a correct perspective of God? Why or why not? How can I get a more accurate view?
2. Do I realize how much I sin against God? Am I turning to Him for forgiveness? Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God? Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me? How can I remind myself of this fact?
3. Do I feel burdened by past sins? Have I been forgiven? How do I know? Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?
4. What does repentance mean to me? What do I do when I have done something wrong? How do I deal with it? Is this the best thing to do or could I do something differently?
5. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?
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