Daily Devotional - 10/8/15

Prayer Focus - Needs



Day 6
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
One sin you need to overcome



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



Psalms 98


"Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him. The Lord has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations.  He has remembered His love and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God."  ( vs. 1 - 3  )


We are told again to sing a new song!  We are told to be different; to start over.  Why is this so important to God?  This first verse holds the key.  God has done marvelous things; He has brought salvation and not just salvation for the Jewish nation, but for the whole world.  The whole Bible is an amazing story written over a long period of time by various authors that tells the story of a loving God seeking to restore a lost relationship with His creation.  God has always been after us to give us the chance to start over; to sing a new song.  He had so many dreams and desires for a people that would love Him and He has patiently been pursuing the human race and each one of us ever since the fall.  He is not satisfied with anyone being lost.  He includes story after story of how He feels about each and every person that turns back to Him.  He rejoices over the returned souls.  What an amazing thought that I am that loved.  In another part of the Scriptures it states that even if our mothers and fathers could forget us, God would not be able to.  We are etched in His heart and soul.  We are His.  This is why we are to rejoice.  This is why we are to sing a new song; because God has made it possible.

Another wonderful thought I have about this verse is that it shows the universality of a faith in God.  It is not limited to one country or group of people.  It is for everyone.  Sometimes I think that those of us in America, think that Christianity has to look like American Christianity to be real, but this is so far from the truth.  The Scriptures do not tell us what our dress should look like or what our songs should be or how each step of our worship service should go.  It speaks to the heart.  It speaks of loving God and loving others.  If I am in another country, true Christianity will look like the people in that country with all their rich heritage loving God and others with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.  What is important is our hearts.  So if I worship outside in a field or I worship in a grand cathedral, it is all the same.  I am worshipping God.  I hope that we can open up our eyes to the love of God for all people and all nations.  God wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. We should too.



Key verses:


I Timothy 2: 1 - 4

"I urge, then, first of all, that request, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."


Jeremiah 29: 11-13

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you.'" 


Luke 15:6 - 7

"Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."


Isaiah 49:14 - 16

"But Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.' 

'Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you!  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.'"


Acts 17: 26 - 27

"From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, thought He is not far from each one of us.


Galatians 3: 26 - 29

"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


You have done amazing miracles.  You have worked salvation for the whole world.  You have pursued us relentlessly.  We have never been loved as we are with You.  You love in a perfect manner and all that You bring into our lives is what we need to grow and change.  Help us to love as You love.  Help us to sing this new song and not be bound up with our traditions.  We can truly change the world if we love.  We thank You for giving us this task.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  What marvelous things have I seen God do in my life?  Am I grateful on a regular basis for these things?  Why or why not?  How can I increase my appreciation for what has God has done for me?

2. Have I experienced a fresh start with God?  What was this experience like and when did it take place?  What did I leave behind? 

3. How do I feel about people that do not share my faith?  Am I concerned about them being found by God?  Why do I feel this way?  Am I helping others to find God?  Why or why not?  What can I do to be more involved with helping others?

4. How do I feel about people that are different from me?  How do I feel about people that worship differently from me?  Am I prejudice in any way?  How is this unlike God?  What can I do to change?

5. Am I holding onto any religious traditions?  Do I think people have to worship exactly as I do to be right with God?  Why or why not?  What can I do to reach out to others that differ from me religiously and show them the love of God?

Daily Devotional - 9/17/10 (10/17/09)

Prayer Focus - Friends


Day 3


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


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 47



"He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loved." (vs. 4)

"For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise.  God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.  The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted. " (vs. 7-9)



God is in control. I will say it again to myself. God is in control. He has my inheritance chosen for me if I will embrace it.  When life seems difficult, I need to remember this and remember that He does not give us more than we can handle.  Every difficult situation has a silver lining somewhere, if only we look long enough and wait long enough.  I am reminded of Hebrews 12: 1-3. 


"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."


The witnesses we are surrounded by are all the great men and women of faith mentioned in the chapter before, Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter which talks of men's weaknesses becoming their strengths.  They are looking down and cheering us on, as is Jesus, who ran this race first for us to show us how to do it.   Because of this, we have to throw off all the things that trip us up and entangle us.  For me it is frustration over a never ending "to do list".  It is frustration at myself for not being a good enough mother.  It is not accomplishing enough, not being enough, not controlling my anger or frustration.  It is depression.  It is so many things, but I need to just let them go.  I am not a very good runner, so when I run, I can't think about much of anything except putting one foot in front of the other.  I can't talk with anyone or think about anything.  I can't even get distracted by the scenery.  I just have to run.  In a way, this is a good analogy for me to remember.  In my spiritual life, I just need to run and concentrate on one spiritual foot after another.  I must narrow my focus down and get rid of all these distractions just like I have to do when I am physically running.  Then I will be able to run with perseverance this race marked out for me.

The other thought I always have about these verses is that my race is marked out for me.  I don't have to trail blaze.  I just have to follow the course.  God does have a good inheritance for me and a race that is my own for me to run.  I need to stop looking at the race others are running and wanting theirs.  I must learn to be satisfied with the one I was given.  It is just right for me even if it may be difficult.  Then finally, I have to focus on joy.  I have to think of the joy that will come from me being faithful.  I have to visualize the success that might be mine someday.  I have no guarantees, but I can dream of those I love becoming disciples.  I can dream about really transforming my community, and even the world.  I can dream about a life of impact, and I can let that inspire me on a day to day basis.  Without dreams, we all die inside.  God has dreams for me and I need to praise Him for it. When I praise, I am happy. When I focus on joy, I am happy.  It is no good for me to sit around moping. Moping and worrying never solved any of my problems.  I need to praise first and then God will be able to move in my life.  God has everything in His hands, even the kings, so what am I worried about?  He is able to handle my race for me.  He is able to handle everything.




Prayer for the Day




Dear Lord,


Today as we go about our business and travel to and fro on this earth, remind us of Your sovereignty. Help us to see the sunrise and remember Your glory. Help us to see the birds flying in the air and look at the mountains so majestic and remember that the mountains are small in comparison to the rest of the earth and they are minuscule in comparison to the whole universe. Help us to remember that despite this smallness of the large mountains, not one little bird that flies over them falls to the ground without You knowing. How amazing is that. We are so grateful that You pay attention to us at all.

I praise You for Your victories and I praise You for taking hold of us and giving us life. Thank You for the purpose that You have given us and thank You for walking with us all of the way. We glorify You this day and everyday You give us.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. Do I view God as King of the Earth? Do I take time to enjoy nature and His grandeur that is evident in it?  How will this help me when I am dealing with my life and its difficulties?

2. Am I known for my positive and joyful attitude or am I a negative and complaining person? How can I become more positive and joyful?

3. What I need to throw off?  What hinders me and what entangles me?  Why?  Who can I get to help me deal with these things?
4. Am I satisfied with the race set out for me and the inheritance God has chosen for me?  Why or why not?  What can I do to cultivate a better attitude about my life?

5. What can I visualize as happening in the future due to my continued faithfulness?  How can this help me not to grow weary?  What can I do to help me focus on these goals and dreams on a day to day basis?

Daily Devotional - 8/28/10 (9/28/09)

Prayer Focus - 8's



Pray for:
Eight things that you are grateful for
Eight people that are on your heart
Eight places that you care about
Eight characteristics to grow in
Eight characteristics/habits to get rid of


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



Psalms 28




"He will tear them down and never build them up again." (vs. 5b)


This fragment of a verse in the middle of Psalms 28 catches my attention.  Who will God tear down? This sounds so ominous and final and so I think, "Will it be the murders? The violent? The criminals?"  When I look back to see exactly who the psalmist is talking about, I am convicted and challenged. Let's start looking in verse three.


"Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts." (vs. 3)


Wow! He is talking about people who are holding grudges against someone or have hatred, anger, or prejudice against another. I know I have sinned against others in this way. Maybe there is someone right now I need to clear things up with. I need to always search my heart to be sure it is clear. How often have we been upset with someone and then they come up to talk to us and we act like nothing is wrong. We speak nicely to them and all the while we are angry deep down. Or perhaps we just avoid them altogether.  God is expressing just how He feels about that in this verse. What we are doing when we do this is evil and is putting us in danger of being torn down.


Why would this upset God so much? After all, isn't this exactly how the world works? This is so common. We are stabbed in the back continuously. People talk nice to us and as soon as we are gone gossip about us to their friends. We expect it. Sometimes we engage in it.  In the church, we are tempted to do no differently. So why would it upset God so much?  The answer lies in the first part of the psalm I quoted at the beginning of the devotional.



"Since they show no regard for the works of the Lord and what His hands have done," (vs. 5a)



The answer goes back to Psalms 24 which reminded us that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it is His as well (Psalms 24:1). Every person belongs to God and is special to Him; whether they have a relationship with Him or not. He created them and knit them together in their mother's womb (Psalms 139:13-16). They are important to God and as such deserve good treatment, especially from me as I profess to be a Christian. This is referring to my family, to strangers, and especially to those in the church. We are to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with special regard (Gal 6:10).  But how is this possible?


"Hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your Most Holy Place." (vs. 2)
Thank goodness that God hears our cries for mercy (vs. 2). By myself, I cannot stand. I need the mercy of the Lord. I need His strength to do right, especially in this area; even after all this time. Conflicts will continue to happen in my life. As long as I am alive and interacting with people, I will have to deal with my heart, hurt feelings, and conflicts. I will never out grow it. Sometimes it will be my fault, sometimes it will be the other person's fault, and sometimes it will be just a misunderstanding. Even so, I need mercy and I need to give mercy.


When I do this and clear my heart so there is nothing false in me, I will be able to rejoice. My heart will leap for joy (vs. 7). It is so good to have a clear heart and a clear conscience. We can truly thank God then. He is our strength and will save and bless us when we are obedient. He will be our Shepherd and carry us forever.


Thank You Lord, because I cannot do it alone.


"Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy.  The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.  The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one.  Save You people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever." (vs. 6-9)


Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

We want You to be our shepherd forever.  Purify our hearts and help us to not harbor any ill will towards anyone.  It is so easy to do wrong in this way.  We struggle to value people as You do.  It is easy to love those who love us but it is difficult to love everyone and keep our hearts pure.  Grant us strength.  We do not want to be torn down but rather built up.  Have mercy on us we pray.  We know You will do it.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. What is my reaction to the seriousness of harboring ill feelings towards another person? Do I see it as as serious offense as God does?

2. Is there someone I need to speak to and work something out with? When will I do this?

3. Do I have any stereotypes or prejudices that are hindering my relationship with God and my effectiveness for Him? How can I change my attitude about these things?

4. How do I feel when I have a clear conscience? How can I strive to maintain this?

5. Am I treating everyone as a person that is special to God?  Who is the most difficult for me to treat right?  Why?  How can I change this?