Daily Devotional - 10/7/15

Prayer Focus - Needs



Day 5
Pray for:
One thing that you need to be grateful for but find it difficult to be
One person that you need to apologize to, resolve a conflict with, or forgive
One dream that you need to surrender to God
One challenge that you need to face and deal with
One health issue that you need to deal with



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 97


"All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols ...

Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.  Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. 

Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name."  ( vs. 7a, 10 - 12  )


We have a tendency to rely on things other than God.  This can be equated to worshipping them.  I know in my life I am tempted to think money will take care of my troubles.  I sometimes think that if I had enough money, then my life would be better.  I would not have to work and drive so much.  I would have more time with my children and could be a better mother.  Many thoughts run through my head, especially when I have to pay bills.  Another thing that I often look to for comfort is relationships.  I think that if my relationships were closer, I would be happier.  If my husband and I were better friends then that would fix all my issues.  Or maybe if my children were more obedient, everything would be solved.  There are many others too, such as success, and self-development.  Career has taken up a lot of my time and focus before too.  When I look to all of these things to comfort or take care of me, I am in effect making them gods.  I am looking to them to provide what only God can provide.  In the end, they can do nothing, and I am sad and disillusioned again.  They cannot save, and even rich people are miserable at times.  We just need to look at the lives of the rich and famous to see that they are not satisfied.  I end up, as this scripture says, put to shame.

It doesn't have to be this way though.  I can make God my God and worship Him only.  I can do this by memorizing the promises in His word that He will take care of me and by putting His words into practice day in and day out.  I need to hate evil.  It is okay to hate sometimes, if it is for the right things.  I can not tolerate evil.  I can not defend evil.  I must hate it, for then I will be regarded as faithful, and God will protect me.  Light and joy will be shed on me and I will receive the promises that God has woven into His word for those that walk in His ways.  I need to hate evil, not because I am better than anyone else, but because I love God.  And just because I hate evil, it does not mean I hate people.  It is possible to hate sin and love the sinner; possible, not easy.  Too many people fail at this and so we have a bad reputation for hating others when we stand up for what is right.  Let us live correctly and have lives full of love and joy so that everyone will be drawn to God, and then as they learn that God loves them and as they learn to love God, the sinfulness will drop off like so many grave clothes.  God can do this.  Let us focus on love!




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


You are the only true God.  Help us to let go of all of the false gods that clamor for our attention.  They will only bring us to shame while You will bring us life and life to the fullest.  You are so good to us and we rejoice in Your blessings.  Help us to hate evil.  Help us to hate sin and love sinners.  Help us to become what You want us to become, and help us rejoice in You always.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  What things become my gods?  What do I turn to for happiness and fulfillment other than God?  Why?  How does this affect me?

2. How do I see these things leading to shame in my life?  How can I change my priorities and put God in the place He deserves to be? 

3. Do I hate evil?  Do I ever defend evil?  Are there certain things I know the Scriptures say is sin that I accept or that I think are okay?  Why?

4. How do I feel about hating what God hates?  Why do I think God hates these things and calls certain things evil?  How do these things affect us?

5. Do I think God will guard and protect me if I am faithful to Him and His commands?  Why or why not?  When have I seen God guard and protect me?   How did that feel?  Do I feel like I am in the light and do I have joy or do I feel that I am in darkness and do I have more sadness than joy?  Can I relate this in anyway to my faithfulness?  Why or why not?

Daily Devotional - 10/5/15

Prayer Focus - Needs



Day 3
Pray for:
One thing that you need to be grateful for but find it difficult to be
One person that you need to apologize to, resolve a conflict with, or forgive
One dream that you need to surrender to God



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 95


"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did."  ( vs. 6 - 9  )


We are the flock under God's care.  Sheep need a shepherd. They are not the smartest animals in the world and they need to be led and cared for in an intensive manner if they are going to live and thrive.  Although it is not that flattering to be compared to sheep, it is fitting.  We do need a lot of help.  We do easily go astray and get lost.  It is good to know that we have a good shepherd that we can follow.  He cares for us in so many ways.  I love to read the 23 psalm which most people know and which once again refers to God as our shepherd.  It is as follows:

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 

I love the beautiful portrayal of God's care for us expressed here.  I love the idea that I do not have to be in want and that as I go through my life here, I do not have to fear evil; not because it does not exist, but because God is with me.

I do have a responsibility in this scenario, however.  I have to listen to God's voice.  If I am a sheep and my shepherd is calling me, I need to go to my shepherd.  I need to let him take care of me.  If I continue to run away, I will only get myself into further trouble.  If I am sick and need medication, I will only become more sick.  I must heed to my master's voice.  So I need to see that God is my shepherd, and then I need to follow and obey.  I can't harden my heart.  I must soften it. I need to remember all that God has already done for me and trust that if anyone can help me, then it will be Him.  I must stop testing God and asking that He prove something to me.  God does not have to prove anything to me.  He already has.  I just need to accept what I am and where I am and be a sheep basking in the love of a good shepherd.





Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


You are the Good Shepherd.  You know how to take care of us.  Help us to run to You, not away from You.  Help us to do as You say and reap the benefits.  Help us to remember how far You have brought us so far.  You will not leave us wandering in the desert.  You will bring us to a good land if we follow.  Help us to follow, now and always.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  Am I worshipping God on a regular basis?  Do I feel He deserves my worship?  Do I know how to worship?   How can I learn to do this or to do this better?

2. What do I know about sheep?  What can I learn about sheep?  How am I like a sheep?  How is God like a shepherd?  What can I learn about God's nature by looking at this comparison? 

3. Do I listen to God's voice or do I ignore it?  Do I think the Bible or Scriptures are God's actual word, as though He were right here speaking to me?  Why or why not?  If I did see the Scriptures in this manner, how might that affect my reaction?  How can I learn to listen to God's voice better?

4. Do I heed God's voice?  Do I do what I think God is calling me to do or do I reason the feeling away?  Have I hardened my heart to God's calling and voice?  How?  How can I change?

5. Do I ever test or try God?  How do I do this?  Why do I do this?  Is this a trust issue?  What can I do to stop testing God and to start trusting Him more?

Daily Devotional - 10/1/15

Prayer Focus - Wants



Day 6
Pray for:
One thing that you want to understand about God
One characteristic you want to develop that will help you to be more loving towards others
One dream that you want to see happen in your life
One issue in your character that you want to see changed
One regret that you want to move past
One person that you want to get to know better


Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 91


"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. 

Surely He will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling - even the Lord, who is my refuge - then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

'Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.  With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."  Psalm 91



It is hard to add to this.  I love the promises of God.  As I sit here tonight, trying to stay awake to write this, I am reminded that God will take care of me.  He has taken care of me so far and I know He will not stop now.  God will give us rest.  He grants sleep to those He loves.  We do not have to fear anything if we believe this passage.  God will take care of it all.  God has a plan.

God will even send His angels to protect and guard me.  God will do all this because I love Him.  I want to learn more and more how to love God.  It is that important.  I want to be with him and reap the blessings that only a relationship with Him can provide.  I am grateful that I have been given that chance.  I know I have to live worthy, but I think it is completely worth it.




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We are grateful that You even pay attention to us, how much more that You bless us.  You have been tremendously good and kind throughout our lives.  We praise you for everything.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.Am I dwelling in the shelter of God?  What would that be like?  How can I do this?

2. Do I trust God?  How do I know?  How can I develop a deeper trust?

3. Do I think angels are protecting me?  Why or why not?  What have I seen that was miraculous or out of the ordinary in my life?

4. Do I love God?  How do I show it?  Do I make time for Him?  If God were a person, am I treating Him right?  Why or why not?  How can I change?

5. Do I acknowledge God?  Do I stand up for God and His ways in front of people?  Am I afraid to look religious in front of others?  How can I be more bold?

Daily Devotional - 9/23/15 (1/23/10)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation



Day 5
Pray for:
One thing that you want to see improved in your relationship with God - (Love God)
One thing that you want to see improved in the way you relate to others - (with all your heart)
One past hurt that you want to see healed and overcome - (with all your soul)
One skill or topic you want to learn - (with all your mind)
One thing that you want to see improved about your health - (with all your strength)



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 83



"See how Your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against Your people; they plot against those You cherish. ...With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against You -" ( vs. 2-3, 5)


"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  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.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:10 - 18)


Life is a spiritual battle. We are in a spiritual battle each and every day and our enemy is strong and pervasive.  He can pretend to be good, even an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14). He is always out prowling around, looking to get us when we are weak, (I Peter 5:8-9), and he can use even our closest loved ones to get at us and make us fall (Matt 16:23). We forget this and think that we are fighting each other. We get so angry at circumstances and people but forget who really deserves our indignation.  The real enemy is so much more dangerous.  The enemy is a spiritual force.  The scriptures seem to make it clear that there are good and evil forces.  There is a whole unseen universe out there.  In order to survive, we must remember this, and keep a correct spiritual perspective on Satan and his demons.  We also must start fighting spiritually instead of like mere mortals.  We must put on the spiritual armor of God in order to fight these battles. (Ephesians 6:10-18).

First of all, we must be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. We can't fight any battles on our own really.  We can't even guarantee that we will get up tomorrow.  Plus, our weapons are not very effective.  When we fight as men, we yell and scream.  We hit and throw things.  We say mean words.  What will any of this do in the spiritual realm.  Satan must laugh when we try to fight him this way.  This is exactly what He wants.  He wants us to turn on ourselves and devour each other. It saves him the work.  Now if we fight God's way and are strong in Him, then we are truly strong indeed.  God has the power to raise the dead, so why are we worried. We must also remember that we are strong in Christ.  He has already won the victory. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13).

We need to change our perspective and turn to God.  We need to put on the full armor of God so that we can take a stand against the Devil's schemes. Our struggle truly is not against flesh and blood. It is a spiritual battle. What is going on at our jobs is a spiritual battle. Our problems with our children are spiritual battles. Our marriage conflicts are spiritual battles. Our emotional lives, our ups and downs, all the things that throw us for a loop. It is all spiritual. There is an enemy amassed against us, especially if we are trying to follow God. We have an enemy. Our enemy is not one another or circumstances. It is much more sinister.

If we can remember this perspective, we will do better. We will not take things so personally. Also, it may be easier to remember to use the tools that God has given us to protect ourselves and fight back. God wants us to stand. When all the dust settles, He wants to find us still there, sword drawn. If we don't prepare, we will get knocked down and perhaps out.

Put on the full armor and get ready to fight. Then pray and get out there.



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We forget so easily that Satan is out there on the prowl. He longs to have us but You have the strength to overcome him. Help us to turn to You and resist him. He will flee. You are stronger than him and You have already won the ultimate victory. Help us to stop fighting one another and start fighting him. Help us to remember to put on the full armor You have provided for us and help us to remember to pray. Keep our perspective on the spiritual battle and let us look beyond the people and circumstances that Satan is trying to use to get us down. We know You are able.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. Do I realize that I have an enemy that is out to get me?  Why or why not?  How do I see the enemy attacking me?

2.Do I see life as a spiritual battle? How can I develop the right perspective and keep it in the forefront of my mind?

3. What people and circumstances do I see Satan using to get to me? How can I fight the correct battle and stop letting him use these avenues to get to me?

4. Am I putting on the armor of God? What pieces of armor do I forget most often? Which ones am I good at putting on? How can I strengthen my battle?

5. Am I praying in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests? What do I pray about the most? What am I forgetting to bring before God? How will I remember to pray more about the spiritual battle?

Daily Devotional - 9/17/15 (11/17/09)

Prayer Focus - Needs


Day 6
Pray for:
One thing that is needed in the world
One thing that is needed in your country
One thing that is needed in your state/region
One thing that is needed in your city
One thing that is needed in your family
One thing that is needed at your work or in your social circle


Focus on how the fulfilled need will help impact people's:
spiritual lives
physical lives
emotional lives
mental lives



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.




Psalms 77



"I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted." ( vs. 1-2 )


"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all Your works and consider all Your mighty deeds. You are the God who performs miracles; You display Your power among the peoples." (vs. 11-12, 14)


"You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron." (vs. 20)



The keys to spiritual success are to cry out to God unceasingly, remember His incredible power and the ways He has rescued us in the past, remember He works miracles, and follow the people He has put in our lives to guide us spiritually. If we obey God and His directions, He will be able to bless us. I am convinced that to the degree that I obey His word, I will be blessed. The more I obey, the more I open the door for Him to be able and willing to bless me. I do not reward my children when they are disobeying me and having bad attitudes. Neither does God. I wait until they are doing well with what is required of them and walking in communion with me. Is God not like this? Why do we expect good from Him when we are unwilling to give Him what He requires and expects from us. He has laid down precepts that He expects to be fully obeyed (Psalms 119:4). This applies to my marriage, my parenting, my everyday life, my eating habits, and all the rest of my life. There is so much in the Bible for us to learn. Let us go after it as a loving child would go after pleasing their parents. It is worth it.




Prayer for the Day




Dear Lord,


You are the God of miracles. Help us to remember that. Help us to obey more and more each day. We know and believe that You exist and that You reward those who earnestly seek You. We are seeking You. Help us to find You and grant us the strength to obey, now and forever


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. Do I cry out to God unceasingly? Am I determined in prayer or do I pray when it is convenient?

2. How can I improve my prayer life? How can I be more consistent?

3. What miracles have I seen in my life? Do I meditate on God's power and miracles? Or do I focus more on my wants and needs? How can I change my perspective?

4. Who has God placed in my life to guide me right now? Am I following their guidance? Why or why not? Am I following anyone right now in any area of my life? Do I believe mentoring in any form is useful? Why or why not? Is my view in line with God's?

5. Am I obeying God's precepts? Which areas in my life are the most difficult for me to obey in? Why? Which are the easiest? Why? How can I become more obedient in my weak areas?

Daily Devotiional - 9/11/15 (11/11/15)

Prayer Focus - Gratitude



Day 7
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the state/region that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the city that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the home that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about your family
One thing you are grateful for about your job/daily tasks
One thing you are grateful for about yourself


Thank God for the effect that what you are grateful for has on:
your spiritual life
your physical life
your emotional life
your mental life


Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 71



"In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. Rescue me and deliver me in Your righteousness; turn Your ear to me and save me. Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress." ( vs. 1-3 )

"For You have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth... Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone...Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me." ( vs. 5, 9, & 12 )

"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise You more and more. My mouth will tell of Your righteousness, of Your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure." ( vs. 14-15 )

"Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter, You will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth You will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again." ( vs. 20-21 )



I will always have hope. That is my choice. I will praise God more and more. Today I found it hard to praise God, but I will choose to do better tomorrow. My emotions will not control me, God will.

Today I felt old and worn out. I felt like nothing is ever accomplished in my life. I felt forgotten and alone. But in reality, none of these things are true save for in my mind. In my mind I rise or fall. In my mind I praise or curse. In my mind the battle is fought.

God is still God and though I am seeing troubles, many and bitter, He will restore me again. I believe this. So as for me, I will always have hope.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

You are our refuge. As we grow older it can be discouraging to see all the things left undone. We had great dreams but You are still in control and Your dreams are greater than ours. We cannot even see tomorrow yet You hold all of time in Your hands. You are amazing and in You we can always have hope. Forgive us for our failures to believe and for our negativity. You will never let Your people fall or be put to shame. All we need to do is concentrate on being Your people and being pleasing to You. Help us in our unbelief. We choose to have hope. We choose to keep going. We choose You over an over again.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Why does God allow me to see troubles? What have I benefitted from them? Do I see how God has taken care of me through these times?

2. Am I becoming better or bitter? How can I make sure that I become better as a person through the difficult times?


3. How am I doing in my relationship with God as I get older spiritually and physically? Am I as zealous as I once was? Am I more serious about my relationship with God than I was? How can I ensure that I am growing more mature as I grow older?


4. What fears and discouragements am I facing as I get older? How am I turning to God with them?


5. Am I tellling of God's salvation? Is my purpose the same as God's or have I taken on some other purpose for my life? How can I get back on track?

Daily Devotional - 9/8/15 (11/8/09)

Prayer Focus - Gratitude


Day 4
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the state/region that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the city that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the home that you live in

Thank God for the effect that what you are grateful for has on:
your spiritual life
your physical life
your emotional life
your mental life




Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.




Psalms 68



"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful." ( vs. 3)

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land." ( vs. 5-6)

"You gave abundant showers, O God; You refreshed Your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from Your bounty, O God, You provided for the poor." (vs. 9-10)

"The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into His sanctuary" (vs. 7)

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." (vs. 19-20)

"You are awesome, O God, in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God!" (vs. 35)


God is awesome. We can be glad and rejoice because God has thousands upon thousands of chariots and warriors and God is looking out for us in all of our situations.  He wants us to be happy and joyful.  He wants us to have families and feel belonging.  This is for all of us.  If we are lonely, He brings us into a family. If we are fatherless, He becomes our father. If we are widows, He fills the role of husband. If we are imprisoned by something, some sin or habit, He can break the bars and bring us out singing.  God knows our needs and is more than able to meet them. We do not need to worry. That will only bring sin into our lives. God will refresh and provide for us. He will even daily bear our burdens for us. We only need to be obedient.

 If we are rebellious, however, we will reap the consequences. We will live in a scorched land in the midst of what could be plenty. I have known people who have everything and yet are miserable. I have been that way.  I know I was like that because of rebellion in my heart, and I am led to believe that if we are rebellious in any way, we will miss out on what could be ours.  Rebellion doesn't have to be obvious to others either.  We do not have to be carrying picket signs or yelling and screaming.  Rebellion can be silent and internal.  It is simply saying we have a better way and we will not follow what God has set out. 

Even if rebellion is in the heart and is only visible to God, it still matters. It will still cost us.  God has asked us to live in submission to Him.  It is like us as parents with our children.  We have set up rules so that our family will function and we desire the best for our children, but we will not just reward them if they will not listen to us or follow our direction.  We expect them to do their part in order for us to bless them.  God is like this with us.  In order to receive His blessings, we need to be obedient and cooperative children.   This is what He expects and this is what we need to do. God will save us, and God will bless us. God will give us strength.  But we must accept this from Him.  We must come to Him and ask on His terms for the help we need, and then we must be willing to accept His direction.  This is not too hard when we look at all that we have to gain.  Let us surrender any rebellion in our hearts and truly live.  Praise be to God that we can!




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We praise You for setting us in families and for caring for us in every stage of our lives. You will not abandon us when we are old and grey. O Lord help us not to abandon You. Keep us as enamoured with You as we were when we first began to follow. You have not changed. We are the ones who change so often. Keep us in the shelter of Your circle for there is danger outside the circle. Please bear our burdens for they are too much for us. Help us to not be rebellious in any way. We do not want to live in the sun scorched land but rather in the beautiful pastures of the Lord. Bring Your chariots to surround and protect us. Grant us strength to continue. We are weary and weak but You are strong.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Which of the four categories mentioned best fits me - the fatherless, the widow, the lonely, or the prisoner? How can or has God helped me in these situations?

2. Am I a rebellious person? How do I feel about authority in general? How do I feel about authority in my life? Are my views in line with God's?

3. How can I become more submissive to God?  Why do I struggle with letting God take charge in my life?

4. Am I living a refreshed life or am I wandering in a sun-scorched desert? Am I weary? How can I change so that God can take care of me?

5. Am I letting God carry my daily burdens? What are these daily burdens? How can I let go of them?

Daily Devotional - 9/7/15 (11/7/09)

Prayer Focus - Gratitude


Day 2
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the state/region that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the city that you live in



Thank God for the effect that what you are grateful for has on:
your spiritual life
your physical life
your emotional life
your mental life



Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 67



"May the peoples praise You, O God; may all the peoples praise You. Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him." ( vs. 5-7)



These three verses hold a key to the enrichment of our lives. I was so excited the first time I realized what they were saying. We all would like to see blessings in our lives and would like to see our activities and undertakings be successful. Often we go about trying to get the blessing by praying and begging God for it. We ask for help and we ask for guidance, and sometimes we whine and complain about it not happening soon enough and the like. We work harder and we pour ourselves into whatever it is that has captured our attention at the moment. Often we become very self focused and unhappy. We do not receive the blessing, however, or reap the harvest because we are going about it all wrong. These verses begin by saying that we are to praise God and then the land will yield the harvest. We are to praise God first, before anything has happened. What a revolutionary thought.  We do just the opposite.  We try to harvest and then praise God.  God says praise me first and then I will give the harvest and blessings. Once again, God's ways are completely opposite to ours.

This is because God wants us to have faith. To praise God first is truly faith. Hebrews states that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). When we praise before we see something occurring, we are expressing our faith in God; communicating that He is able and willing to take care of us and meet our needs. This is what He loves to see; people who are willing to place it all in His care. People willing to be bold in their belief that God exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him. I have begun praying this way.  Instead of asking for God's help with something or asking God's help for someone, I praise God for what I have already seen happen in my life and the lives of others, and I praise God for what I desire to see happen as well.  For example, I will pray - "I praise You, God, for what I will accomplish today or I praise You for taking care of my children."  It is so different to pray in this way and sometimes I have to admit I feel silly doing this but then I remember the passage above.  Since I have started praying in this manner, I have seen encouraging results as well, and I feel better praising God instead of just asking Him for things.  I feel more confident and faithful too.   The bottom line is this, God wants us to believe in Him.  He wants to bless us.  Praising Him paves the road somehow for Him to be able to do this.  So, let us praise God today and wait and see what happens tomorrow!



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We are praising You first. We are grateful for the ways that You will meet our needs and for the ways that You will guide us. You know what we need and You know what is best for us. We are so grateful for Your care and praise You for allowing us the opportunity to exist. We praise You for all the exciting things that will happen tomorrow and we praise You for the ways that You will bring us victories over our enemies. We look forward to Your blessings and to the harvest that we will receive from You when we are faithful. We know that it is impossible to please You without faith. We want to have faith. Increase our faith today.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. How important do I feel praising God is? Do I realize that my praise of God can ultimately lead to others learning to fear God?

2. Do I praise God before I receive something or only after? Why?  How can I practice praising God before anything I desire happens?  Why is God worthy of praise regardless of what I have or receive in my life?  Do I deeply understand this?

3. What areas of my life do I have strong faith in God to take care of? What areas do I have a weak faith about? Why?  How can I grow in faith for these weak areas?

4. What harvests am I waiting for? What blessings do I want to receive? In what ways has God already blessed me and brought me a harvest?  How can I become more grateful for what I already have?

5. Do I have faith in God's ability and desire to take care of me? What makes it difficult to believe that God will bless me if I praise Him first? How can I have more faith so that I can do this?

Daily Devotional - 9/4/15 (11/4/09)

Prayer Focus - Strangers

Day 7
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
One person in politics
One person you always see but have never spoken to
One person that you have read about that is still alive
One person that you have not met but struggle to like


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 64


"Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint; protect my life from the threat of the enemy." ( vs. 1)

It is okay to pour out our hearts to God, even if what we have to say is not always lovely. There are difficult and evil things going on in the world, and sometimes even in our own lives. God desires to hear from us. He is waiting. How incredible is that, that the Creator of the Universe waits to spend time with us. He is there in the morning, hoping we will make some extra time to sit down and have a coffee with Him. He has an appointment with us all day long. He walks with us and lives with us. We can ever turn to Him. He is concerned about the good, the bad, and the ugly. I know that I like to hear all the little things that are going on in my children's days, and definitely if they look upset or unhappy, I want to know what is going on. God, of course, is even more concerned about us as He is the perfect Father. He will hear, and He will protect us.



"Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning. But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly they will be struck down. He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin; all who see them will shake their heads in scorn. All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what He has done. Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in Hm; let all the upright in heart praise Him." (vs. 6b-10)


Men are devious. They think of so much evil, it is mind boggling. But in the end, God still wins. Sometimes He lets minor victories go to the enemy, but we know the final outcome. Evil men will be found out. Their words will incriminate them and bring ruin upon them. It is not for us to force, it will happen in God's timing. We need to remember this and we need to strive to keep our ways righteous because it is easy to envy the prosperous and those who go about seeking their own self interest. We are not living for the here and now, though. We are living for eternity and we need to take refuge in God and praise Him for His protection from the enemy. The rest will all come.


Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

It is easy for the world to get us down. There is such a lack of civility and morality these days. It seems that there is much evil around us all the time. It is enough to drive one's spirits down and cause desperation, but we know that in the end, You win. Help us to hang onto that thought. You will not hand us over to be destroyed and you will not allow other things to get in the way of our knowing and loving You. You are great and greatly to be praised.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. Do I voice my complaints to God or to others? How can I work on not being a complainer around other people? How can I be positive and encouraging to others and only give my complaints and frustrations to God?


2. Am I making time for God? Do I realize that God is waiting for me to come and spend time with Him? What can I do to make my time in the morning with Him a priority?


3. Do I let evil discourage me? How can I become more resilient when faced with evil?


4. Am I proclaiming the works of God and the wonders of what He has done? Am I letting others know how awesome our God is and what He has done in our lives?

5.  Am I developing a healthy respect and fear of God? How can I do this?

Daily Devotional - 9/1/15 (11/1/09)

Prayer Focus - Strangers


Day 4
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
One person in politics


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 61

This devotional was originally written in November of 2009.  I have left it as I wrote it then.  The whole year of 2009 was extremely difficult for my family and I.  In January of 2009, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer which we eventually learned, had spread to his liver.  I struggled to hold our family together through the two surgeries and two rounds of chemotherapy that would consume the entire year.  Writing these devotionals became a therapeutic outlet for me as I re-evaluated my relationship with God and clung to Him moment by moment.  We made it through that year and many more after it.  We have dealt with a reoccurrence of cancer last year and keep struggling on.  God has always come through.  Sometimes I do not see how the victory will come but it does come anyway.  God has always been faithful and no matter what happens, I believe that He has used everything I have gone through to strengthen my faith, my family, and myself.  He truly is the rock that is higher than I.


"Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations. May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint Your love and faithfulness to protect him. Then will I ever sing praise to Your name and fulfill my vows day after day." ( Psalms 61)


"Listen to my prayer Lord, because I am growing weaker."   Haven't we all been there?   We fight and fight and keep going and keep going and then it just feels like there is nothing left. There is a limit to us and what we can do. Praise God, however, there is no limit to Him. When life is overwhelming, we need to let Him lead us to that rock that we can climb up on and be safe from the waves that are battering us. He is our refuge.

I have to confess, I have been battered lately. I have been struggling with life. My Joelle has been sick since off and on since October 2 with her asthma and a cold/flu. Just when I think she is getting better, she gets worse again. I have been sick as well for about two weeks and then last night, my middle daughter develops a 102 fever. This would usually be not that big of a deal, but since she was exposed to H1N1 by at least two classmates, I was a bit stressed. I took both girls to the urgent care today and was told not to worry too much about Lorelei, and Joelle got a breathing treatment and some stronger medicine to try and get her asthma under control. Now tomorrow, my husband is supposed to start his second round of chemo and I am trying desperately to get my grades done in the midst of all this. I have missed so much work already and am debating if taking tomorrow off would be a good thing or not. My house is an utter disaster area and I am so tired. So these are my waves. This is what is battering me. Now I need to face them and then I need to get up and climb up on the rock that is higher than I.

I do long to dwell in God's tent. I want some shelter. I am tired of doing it all and being responsible for everything. God knows my vows. He has given me the heritage of those who fear His name. I am in good company. This is all just temporary and God has it all under control. I just need to climb out of the water I am sinking in and rest in Christ. Our health will get better and we will move on. I will get my grades done. I always do somehow or other. And God's love and faithfulness surround me and protects me. I will praise God. I will be positive in spite all of this. I will. I will fulfill my vows.



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


Lift us to the rock that is higher than we are. We need You as our refuge. This world is too hard for us alone. We are fading away. Help us to run to You. Help us to get out of the rough water that surrounds us and lift up our arms to You, our Father and our Protector. We have made vows to You and we need You to help us fulfill them. You are able. We search for Your love and faithfulness. We know they are there. We look for You. We long for You. Hear our cry O Lord for without You, we are lost.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. How is my prayer life?  Am I crying out to God?  Do I really pour out my heart to Him or do I just recite the same things over and over?  How can I revitalize my prayer life?

2. Am I growing faint of working on something or dealing with some issue in my life? What are the waves that are battering me? Am I bringing them to God daily in prayer?

3. Is God my refuge?  If He isn't, what do I take refuge in when I am struggling?  How can I run to God and take refuge in Him? How can I do this more?

4. Do I recognize God's love and faithfulness? How can these qualities of God protect me? How can I be more aware of them in my life?

5. Am I praising God? Am I fulfilling my vows? Which am I better at doing, praising God, or fulfilling my vows?  Why?  How can I grow in these two areas?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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.

Daily Devotional - 9/10/10 (10/10/09)

Prayer Focus - Family



Day 3


Pray for:
One family member that you feel close to
One family member that you are not close to
One family member that lives far away from you


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs


Dear Lord - Help me to listen to You each and every day and please grant me the strength to obey.





Psalms 40




"I waited patiently for the Lord: He turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.  Many will see and put their trust in the Lord.

Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.  Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done.  The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." (vs 1-5)



Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust. One online dictionary defines blessed as enjoying the bliss of heaven. I like that definition. If I can hang onto my trust in God and I do not give in to worry or running after other gods such as money or security, then I can enjoy the bliss of heaven down here. I can go about happy in the midst of chaos and trouble because I can see it as all in God's hands and all in His plans. I have started to try and look at life this way. Although I am far from perfecting my focus, it is getting better. Today, for example, whenever something unexpected or unfortunate happened, I asked God what I needed to see in this.  I tried to see the bigger picture so that I could understand where God was going with everything that was happening in my life. It has been good for me to focus this way and it has been good for me to remember that God does have plans for me. In fact, God has so many plans for me and for each one of us that we wouldn't be able to even recount them. How amazing is that! Plus, He makes these plans for us because He loves us, not because He is trying to control us!  He dreams of giving us the best life and the best eternity. Surely we can trust Him.

Yet, day to day life can hinder us in trusting Him.  It is not as easy as it seems it should be. We can get to the point where we feel we are in a slimy pit and need rescuing as the psalmist states.  My life schedule can make me feel that way.  When I am working, I am going nonstop from 4 AM to 11 PM.  It is exhausting to even think of all that I have to do and I can easily get overwhelmed.  I have to keep my focus and keep telling myself that I am waiting patiently for God. I am putting one foot in front of the other. I am walking and waiting. When I do this, good things happen, when I don't disaster.  For example, yesterday, I worked hard trying to take care of all my business so that I could get to the computer and write this devotional.  I began to struggle with feeling overwhelmed at about 9:00 pm as I tried to get my children to bed.  I knew that my night of cleaning, straightening, and other tasks was just beginning.  When I began to think about everything else on my to do list, I began to get frustrated and upset. I began to sink like Peter did when he was walking on the water and stopped looking to Jesus ( Matt 14: 22-33 ).  I had to stop and remind myself that I had I accomplished quite a bit during the day, however, and that had only happened because I had not worried about what else I needed to get done. I just kept going.  I was finally able to sit down at the computer at 11:22 pm but I was so tired I couldn't even finish writing.  I had to give up and go to bed.


I was sad about this at first but I had to remind myself that I will not be able to do everything that needs being done.  And besides, it might not even be God's will for me at this time.  With my schedule, it is impossible for me to do everything.  At times I feel like sitting down and crying - but God knows what I need to get done.  He has a plan for me and He has always had my back so to speak when I can't finish something up.  He has heard my cry and He will hear my cry.  He helps me to able to keep myself under control when I turn to Him and He helps me to not give in to my growing frustration.  He lifts me out of what feels like an endless pit of work on a daily basis and puts me in a safe place. With His help, last night, I was able to get my children to bed. With His help, I was able to get Joelle's asthma under control. With His help, I got most of my housework done. With His help, I worked a bit on this writing, and then finally, with His help, I was able to accept that I needed to go to bed and let go of what "I" felt needed to be done.  God does grant sleep to those He loves! (Psalm 127:1-2).

Tomorrow will start another overwhelming day, but God will be there as well. He will continue to place my feet on solid rock so that I may stand.  He will keep me walking on water if I keep focused on Him. I can not look to the future or it will overwhelm me.  I can only look to now and live it to the full as God intended.  He is able and He will help me.  I love the quote used in Messies Anonymous, a site I have found very beneficial in my fight against my messie nature.  It states, "Never underestimate the inevitability of gradualness." I can do gradualness. I can do one step at a time. And God is there. He gives us a new song, a song of praise. I do have a new song and I will keep singing.




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We have made it through another day. We cry out to You as we are waiting and struggling. It often feels like we are slip sliding away. But we are not. Keep our focus on You and keep us climbing up the hill, one step at a time. Help us to keep our eyes on You so that we can get out of the boat and walk on water. You told Peter to come. You did not think he was foolish to ask to walk on water. You just said come. We desire to walk on water. We need help keeping our eyes on You and not on the waves and the water. Keep us in your care and Help us to see that You are in control. Bless us as we put our trust in You. We want to experience the bliss of heaven down here. We need this to stay refreshed. We are grateful for all of the plans You have for us and we pray to walk in them. Be pleased to save us Lord because we need saving. We are poor and needy, and You are our help and deliverer. We wait in eager expectation. We wait patiently. Most of all, we just wait.


In Jesus' name,
Amen



QFT



1. Am I waiting patiently for God? How do I know?

2. Am I trusting in God? How do I know? What fruit is this producing?

3. How can I keep my focus on God when there are storms raging around me?

4. What is my new song? Am I singing it?  Am I really living and thinking differently than I used to? How do I see this?

5. Am I following God's plans for me or my own?  Do I have any ideas what some of God's plans for my life might be? How could I find out?

Daily Devotional - 9/7/10 (10/7/09)

Prayer Focus - Leaders (any type - World, State, Local, Church, Business, Work)




Day 7


Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
One leader from another country
One local leader
One political leader
One leader you disagree with
One leader you interact with on a daily basis

Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs


Dear Lord - Help me to hear You and grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 37



"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away." (vs. 1-2)


"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain form anger and turn from wrath; do not fret- it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." (vs. 7-9)



It is okay to not worry. In fact, it is more than okay, it is what is expected of us. This seems so counter intuitive. I almost feel guilty if I am not worrying. "Perhaps I am not being responsible if I give up my worry," I think. There is so much that can go wrong in the world. There is so much that can go wrong in my life, in my children's lives. It is overwhelming to think about every danger and yet I often try to. Thankfully, I do not have to. I can give this up and I must remind myself that I need to do this on a daily basis.


This is not just a suggestion either. This is a command. In several places, I am told - Do not worry. It is very clear. I have been commanded to not worry about anything. Not about my life, what I will eat or drink. Not about my body, what I will wear (Matt 6:25-34). Not about evil men. Not even when they are carrying out their wicked schemes (vs 2). Not even then. I am commanded - Do not worry! The evil men will get what's coming to them. It will happen someday. What about the large global and political issues? What about the global economy or the H1N1 virus? Is God bigger than this new flu? Is God bigger than depression? Bigger than world crises? Yes. He is bigger that even these things. What about evil conspiracies and the evil plots of diabolical men. Even then, I am not to fear or worry. I am to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. I am to refrain from anger and turn from wrath. I am to not fret - it leads only to evil. Worrying will not add an hour to my life, rather it will dissipate the energy I have left that could be used to fight. Worry is a large consuming force of Satan's and it has far reaching consequences. I must start viewing it as God does, as a direct affront to Him. It is not a little sin. It is enormous.



"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." (vs. 3-4)


But it is not enough to just stop worrying. I am to start doing something as well. I am to let go of worry and to grab a hold of doing good. I am supposed to start being proactive, not just sit around worrying. I am to start trusting in God, that He will take care of everything and that He knows the ins and outs of my life. I need to remember that not even a sparrow falls to the earth without Him knowing (Matt 10:28-31). Surely He knows my life and times. Surely, He knows my fears. With my youngest daughter's asthma and various other health issues, such as severe food allergies, I have had to come to trust God over and over again. Even as I write this, she is sick again and I am tempted to worry about the flu and all of the warnings of it striking hardest those with underlying health issues. I have had to come to grips with the fact that a day may come when God may want her back with Him. I have spent many nights in the emergency room with her already in her short five years. I am continually reminded that it is not up to me, and now I deal with my husband as well.


I cannot focus on these things or I will be crippled. There was a time when much less would send me off to bed to sleep til the storm had past. Those days are over. God has used life to mature me and He is continually perfecting the process. I have learned that I need to just focus on doing good. If I sit and worry, I waste the time I do have with those I love. I cannot be godly while in the midst of a worry induced panic. So I need to focus on doing good. I need to dwell in the land. I need to live; to be here in the moment, to be with my children and laugh and play. This is so hard for me. I am so used to worrying. It is almost a comfort to me, like a drink to an alcoholic. If I have my worry, I think I will be okay, but I will not be.


I am to live and enjoy safe pasture. I am to have life, and life to the fullest. That is why Jesus came (John 10:10). Then when I die, my existence will be even better. This is so hard for me to fathom. The afterlife is so unknown. I hope and pray to have the child-like faith of my Joelle, (my youngest), who tells me that she cannot wait to go to heaven so that she will not have asthma anymore and will be able to eat nuts and not react. She talks with such longing for the day she will be there and have her perfect body. She shares this with her little friends at school and she laughs and plays in the meantime. She is not afraid. She is not worried. She is good at living and good at trusting. I love that about her and strive to imitate it. Finally, I am to delight myself in the Lord. I am to get to the point where it truly is all about God and I can let go of the rest. Then and only then can He give me the desires of my heart because then and only then will I use His gifts correctly and my desires will also be what are pleasing to Him.


In the end, if we hope in the Lord, we will inherit the land (vs. 9). The Lord laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming (vs. 13). Better the little that the righteous have than evil with money. It is better to be righteous than rich (vs. 16). The power of the wicked will be broken (vs. 17). It may not seem like it now. Evil does seem to rule this old world, but if so, it is only temporary. God wins out in the end and that is what I need to cling on to. In times of disaster, I will not wither or fade (vs. 19). Even in famine, I will be supported and my children protected (vs. 19). For if the Lord delights in me, He will help me and make my ways firm.


I will wait for the Lord and keep His way. There is a future for the man of peace.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord Father,

We want You to delight in us. It is often difficult to know if anyone has ever truly delighted in us, but we would really like that. We want to be special to someone. Father, we know that the righteous are never forsaken. Help us to turn from evil and do good. We know that You will not forsake Your faithful ones. If we hide the law of God is in our hearts, we will not slip. If we are righteous, the Lord will not let us remain under the power of the wicked or be condemned. We are so grateful for You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Am I a worrier? How is this not trusting God? What specific things do I worry about the most? How can I surrender them to God?

2. Am I an angry person? If so, what is the anger about? How can I let this negative emotion go?

3. Am I living life to the fullest and being "in the moment" or am I hiding behind worry? What promises of God can help me to stop worrying?

4. How can I do good and be proactive with my life. What have I been avoiding because of worry or fear? What can I start doing?

5.  Which promises in this psalm encourage me the most?  Why? Which are the hardest for me to understand and grasp at a heart level?  Why?

Daily Devotional - 9/6/10 (10/6/09)

Prayer Focus - Leaders (any type - World, State, Local, Church, Business, Work)



Day 6


Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
One leader from another country
One local leader
One political leader
One leader you disagree with


Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs


Dear Lord - Help me to hear You and grant me the strength to obey.




Psalms 36



"An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin." (vs. 1-2)


Without the fear of God, we get into a lot of trouble. I believe that is partly why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10, Psalms 111:10). Without it, we get puffed up and think that we are something special. We are special to God, but not for anything we have done. Like a precious child, God loves us because we are His creations. We can never be good enough or earn God's love. It just is. It is so important that we keep in perspective the fleeting nature of our lives and the inability we have to control the workings of the world and time and chance. We are so minuscule and yet so often we presume to be kings and queens. We presume to be able to rule over our lives. We flatter ourselves too much and can not take a good look at ourselves and our need anymore. When we start on this path, it is leading us to our downfall. We must continually work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12-13). That is what God wants. He does not want us groveling on the ground but He wants us, like humble children, to acknowledge our need for Him. He wants us to draw close to Him so that He can take care of us like a father would his child. Consider these passages:



"Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies...How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house; You give them drink from Your river of delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. Continue Your love to those who know You, Your righteousness to the upright in heart." (vs. 5, 7-10)



God's love is priceless. His justice is amazing. We are all the same and equal in the eyes of God; the rich and poor, alike, will fall at the feet of the Lord someday and praise Him. In the present also, we are all to find shelter in the shadow of His wings. We are to run to Him as chicks run to hide under the wings of their mother. His care for us is immense. We can feast on the abundance of His house. We may be struggling now, but God has abundance. We can feast on it, if we find refuge in Him and maintain our fear of the Lord. We can also drink from His river of delight. We all like to be delighted. God has a whole river awaiting us. With Him is also the fountain of life. It springs up for us to drink from. Finally, in His light we see light. We do not have to go blindly about our days anymore. We can see because the Lord will light our path and show us which way to go. God will continue His love for us, but is up to us to remain in it (John 15:10).



Daily Prayer



Dear Lord,

Continue Your love and Your righteous to us. Help us to fear You because we know that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We know that You want to take care of us and pull us under Your wing so that You can comfort us. Help us to number our days right so that we realize that we do not have long here and that we need to take advantage of it. We don't want to be swept along with the evildoers. We want to rise up and be a comfort to others. We know how the evildoers will lie fallen, thrown down, not able to rise. Keep us from this fate and help us to stay focused on You.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. Do I fear God? What does that mean to me?  If I do not like this idea, why not?

2. Am I willing to look at the sin in my life? Am I willing to hate it? Why or why not? How can looking at my sin help me? How can hating my sin help me?

3. How can I draw close to God? Who do I have that can help me to do this?

4. What does it mean to me that God has a house of abundance, a river of delight, and a fountain of life available to me? How can this encourage me?

5.  What have I received from God so far in my life?  What qualities about myself do I like?  How are these gifts from God?  Do I look at all of the good things in my life as gifts from God?  Why or why not?