Prayer Focus - Wants
Day 7
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
One health issue that you want to see improved in someone (can be yourself)
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 92
"It is good to praise the Lord...
For You make me glad by Your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of Your hands. How great are Your works, O Lord, how profound Your thoughts! The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand, that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.
But You, O Lord, are exalted forever.
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is not wickedness in Him." (vs. 1a, 4 - 8, 12 - 15)
It is good to praise the Lord. I am grateful to know and understand this. Some people will never understand and this is hard for us. It is sad and oftentimes even heartbreaking, but we must remain faithful and remember that even Jesus was deserted by His closest friends in the end. They did not fully understand what He was about and what He came for. He knew that but He still did what He had to for those of us who would believe. We can not be down heartened as if it was our fault when someone we love is not following God. Everyone has free choice and some choose to sear their consciences and pursue other gods. Some deny that there is anything beyond what they can see. They live only for the here and now. But God is real, whether we choose to believe in Him or not. He will be exalted. We just need to keep holding this out.
If we choose to follow God and be righteous, we will flourish. It is an eternal principle. We may not grow rich or live free from struggles, but we will grow and still bear fruit in our old age. What a wonderful promise, that although our bodies are aging and dying, our souls and our spiritual lives become more and more beautiful if we devote ourselves to God. I want to flourish. I do not want to grow old and set in my ways. I want to be new and fresh and beautiful inside. I hope this for all of us. So let us praise the Lord, for this is good.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We praise You for this is good. You have been very good to us. Help us to always understand and seek You. Help us to know gratitude and be able to see all the works of Your hand in our life and in the lives of others. We want to grow strong and tall like the trees. We want to flourish in Your house. We want to still bear fruit in our old age. We know that we will find this only in You. We long to be close to You and be transformed.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I praise God? Why or why not? What do I have to praise God for? Can I make a list of 10, 20, or 30 plus things that God deserves praise for?
2. How do I feel when people do not understand my faith? Do I love the people anyway or do I get angry and dismissive? Do I pray for those who reject my faith?
3. Do I feel like I am growing spiritually? Why or why not? How can I go after this? What am I doing that helps? What am I doing that hinders me?
4. How long have I been following God? Do I still have the love I originally did? If it is not as strong, why do I feel like it has faded? What can I do to get back my "first love"?
5. Am I bearing fruit? What does that mean to me? What evidence is there that my faith is growing and being more productive?
Showing posts with label blessings of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blessings of God. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2015
Monday, September 21, 2015
Daily Devotional - 9/21/15 (1/21/10)
Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation
Day 3
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)
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 81
"Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!... He says, " I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you,.." ( vs. 1, 6, 7a)
Sing for joy...
Be happy and excited about God and His strength...
No matter what is going on in our lives, we are to rejoice in the Lord. Circumstances will always let us down but God will not. We can always rejoice in Him for He removes our burdens. He frees up our hands from the slave labor of the world. He gives us a new perspective. He rescues us from all that would harm us including ourselves. God answers. God is worthy of our praise, always.
"Hear, O my people, and I will warn you - if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." (vs. 8-10)
Beyond rejoicing, we must listen and obey. There should be nothing that rivals God in our lives and in our hearts; nothing should get in the way to our obedience and worship. Work, schedules, exhaustion, ourselves - these things are not worth serving. Life will go on without us, but will we go on without God? Don't bow down to them. Remember it is God that has brought us here to this point in our lives and will continue to take care of us if we let Him. He brought us up out of our Egypts; our captivity. He is wanting to fill us up. We need to open wide our mouths. Give God the opportunity to work. There is no limit to God and how He works.
"But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices." (vs. 11-12)
The problem though, is that we struggle to listen. We forget God is speaking to us all the time and the world is so noisy that it is hard for us to hear His voice unless we are focusing intently on it. We need to make a concerted effort to hear and when we ask for something, we need to pay attention so that we can hear the answer. I think we are often like children who ask questions of their parents and then get so sidetracked that they never hear the answers. We need to be still and listen and then we will hear God. Beyond hearing, though, we need to obey. We have to submit our will to His because He knows what is best for us. If we ignore Him, eventually He will let us go our own way. He will give us over to our rebellion and self will but it will break His heart. We will wander like the Israelites in the desert until we die or have a change of heart.
Day 3
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)
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 81
"Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!... He says, " I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you,.." ( vs. 1, 6, 7a)
Sing for joy...
Be happy and excited about God and His strength...
No matter what is going on in our lives, we are to rejoice in the Lord. Circumstances will always let us down but God will not. We can always rejoice in Him for He removes our burdens. He frees up our hands from the slave labor of the world. He gives us a new perspective. He rescues us from all that would harm us including ourselves. God answers. God is worthy of our praise, always.
"Hear, O my people, and I will warn you - if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." (vs. 8-10)
Beyond rejoicing, we must listen and obey. There should be nothing that rivals God in our lives and in our hearts; nothing should get in the way to our obedience and worship. Work, schedules, exhaustion, ourselves - these things are not worth serving. Life will go on without us, but will we go on without God? Don't bow down to them. Remember it is God that has brought us here to this point in our lives and will continue to take care of us if we let Him. He brought us up out of our Egypts; our captivity. He is wanting to fill us up. We need to open wide our mouths. Give God the opportunity to work. There is no limit to God and how He works.
"But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices." (vs. 11-12)
The problem though, is that we struggle to listen. We forget God is speaking to us all the time and the world is so noisy that it is hard for us to hear His voice unless we are focusing intently on it. We need to make a concerted effort to hear and when we ask for something, we need to pay attention so that we can hear the answer. I think we are often like children who ask questions of their parents and then get so sidetracked that they never hear the answers. We need to be still and listen and then we will hear God. Beyond hearing, though, we need to obey. We have to submit our will to His because He knows what is best for us. If we ignore Him, eventually He will let us go our own way. He will give us over to our rebellion and self will but it will break His heart. We will wander like the Israelites in the desert until we die or have a change of heart.
"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the Lord would cringe before Him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." (vs. 13-16)
When we decide to change our minds, however, and begin listening to God, then He can come to our rescue. If we start putting His words into practice, we will see miracles. God's love for us is so clear as He speaks of how quickly He will subdue our enemies if we take His messages to heart. He is speaking to us relentlessly and waiting to bless us and take care of us. If we will listen and obey, God can and will turn anything around in our lives - illness, debt, clutter, lack of organization, ineffectiveness, bad schedules, bad parenting, bad marriages. God can transform any of these things in a minute. God is waiting. It's up to us now.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We long to be filled by You. Help us to rid ourselves of the idols in our lives and the things that we strive after instead of you. Help us to be still and hear Your voice. Help us to be still and know that you are God and we are not. Life will go on without us. We are not indispensable. Our relationship with You is all that really matter and You will take care of the rest. We want to obey. We want to rejoice. Help us. We are opening wide our mouths. We are waiting on You. We will let You lead us.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I praising God and focusing on all He has done for me? What did He set me free from? What was I in slave labor to and what burdens has He lifted from me?
2. Do I have idols in my life? What do I devote most of my time to? Is it worth it? How can I change my priorities to make sure God is in first place?
3. Am I listening to God's voice? What distracts me from hearing Him? Am I allowing myself quiet time in which I can meditate on His word? How can I incorporate more time for reflection into my life?
4. Am I obeying the voice of God in my life? Am I allowing Him to subdue my enemies? What enemies do I have that need subduing?
5. Am I remembering God's love for me in all of this? How has He shown His love in my life? How can I focus on this more?
Dear Lord,
We long to be filled by You. Help us to rid ourselves of the idols in our lives and the things that we strive after instead of you. Help us to be still and hear Your voice. Help us to be still and know that you are God and we are not. Life will go on without us. We are not indispensable. Our relationship with You is all that really matter and You will take care of the rest. We want to obey. We want to rejoice. Help us. We are opening wide our mouths. We are waiting on You. We will let You lead us.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I praising God and focusing on all He has done for me? What did He set me free from? What was I in slave labor to and what burdens has He lifted from me?
2. Do I have idols in my life? What do I devote most of my time to? Is it worth it? How can I change my priorities to make sure God is in first place?
3. Am I listening to God's voice? What distracts me from hearing Him? Am I allowing myself quiet time in which I can meditate on His word? How can I incorporate more time for reflection into my life?
4. Am I obeying the voice of God in my life? Am I allowing Him to subdue my enemies? What enemies do I have that need subduing?
5. Am I remembering God's love for me in all of this? How has He shown His love in my life? How can I focus on this more?
Thursday, September 17, 2015
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?
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?
Friday, September 11, 2015
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?
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?
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
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?
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?
Monday, September 7, 2015
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?
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?
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Daily Devotional - 9/5/15 (11/5/09)
Prayer Focus - Gratitude
Day 1
Pray for:
One thing I am grateful for about the country that I live in
Thank God for the effect that what I am grateful for has on:
my spiritual life
my physical life
my emotional life
my mental life
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 65
"O You who hear prayer, to You all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, You forgave our transgressions, Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple. You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas," ( vs. 2-5)
"You care for the land and water it; You enrich it abundantly. ..You crown the year with Your bounty and Your carts overflow with abundance." (vs. 9a ; 11)
We worship "O You who hear prayer." What a good way to describe God. He hears our prayers. He is waiting to hear from us. It is hard sometimes to find a person who can listen to us. Everyone is so busy these days and most people have so many things to deal with already. Yet, God always has time. Even silly little things are not unimportant to Him. I am grateful I can turn to Him and pour out my heart at anytime. I am never alone.
I am grateful that there is more to life than just the physical aspects; the seen. I know there is more, but many people can not get beyond the seen. This does not negate what is true, however. There is a greater truth that does exist and some day we will all know it. Some day, all men will come to God and bow down before Him, acknowledging that He is who the Bible says He is. We are blessed if we have been given the opportunity to know and follow God. He chose us, not the other way around. That should make us eternally grateful; that we were chosen and that we will be filled with all the good things that God has in His house. How grateful I am that He has chosen me now. I am grateful that He picked me. Why? I do not know but I thank Him daily. I truly am blessed.
I am also thankful that God forgives our sins. That is what makes Christianity so different. Many religions teach us how to live and have noble aspects to them but there is always the problem of sin. We have all sinned. We are all separated at some point because of this. We can never work our way to forgiveness or become good enough to pay for what we have done in the past and what we continue to do because of our human frailty. But in Christ, there is forgiveness of sin. This forgiveness comes through the death of Jesus on the cross.
God is the hope of all the earth. He is my hope. He can do anything and everything, even care for the land. I do not need to worry. God is the one who keeps this whole planet functioning and He cares for all that is alive on earth. He knows every single bird. He knows the number of hears on our heads. He knows everything about us and loves us just the same. Is there anyone else like our God? No, not one.
God's ways are right. God's ways are loving. Crown us with Your bounty, Lord. Yes, crown us as we strive to follow You. Surely Your cart does overflow.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful to have been chosen by You and brought close to You. We are so grateful that even though You are caring for everything n the world, You still have time for us. You have so much abundance and blessings. You are able to provide richly for us. Help us to remember that Your idea of riches and abundance are often different than ours. You are our hope.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I believe that God hears prayer? How is my prayer life? How can I improve it?
2. Am I asking God for forgiveness for my sins on a daily basis? Am I feeling overwhelmed or relieved? Can I make a daily list of what I need forgiving from for a week and then commit to praying about these needs?
3. Do I realize that I have been chosen by God? Am I living like a chosen one? How can my life reflect this in a greater way?
4. Do I realize that God is managing and running the whole world? List twenty of the things that God does on a day to day basis in keeping the earth functioning?
5. Do I think about the power of God that is available in my life if He is able to do all the things previously written down? What should I be bringing to Him in prayer if I believe He is truly in charge of everything?
Day 1
Pray for:
One thing I am grateful for about the country that I live in
Thank God for the effect that what I am grateful for has on:
my spiritual life
my physical life
my emotional life
my mental life
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 65
"O You who hear prayer, to You all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, You forgave our transgressions, Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple. You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas," ( vs. 2-5)
"You care for the land and water it; You enrich it abundantly. ..You crown the year with Your bounty and Your carts overflow with abundance." (vs. 9a ; 11)
We worship "O You who hear prayer." What a good way to describe God. He hears our prayers. He is waiting to hear from us. It is hard sometimes to find a person who can listen to us. Everyone is so busy these days and most people have so many things to deal with already. Yet, God always has time. Even silly little things are not unimportant to Him. I am grateful I can turn to Him and pour out my heart at anytime. I am never alone.
I am grateful that there is more to life than just the physical aspects; the seen. I know there is more, but many people can not get beyond the seen. This does not negate what is true, however. There is a greater truth that does exist and some day we will all know it. Some day, all men will come to God and bow down before Him, acknowledging that He is who the Bible says He is. We are blessed if we have been given the opportunity to know and follow God. He chose us, not the other way around. That should make us eternally grateful; that we were chosen and that we will be filled with all the good things that God has in His house. How grateful I am that He has chosen me now. I am grateful that He picked me. Why? I do not know but I thank Him daily. I truly am blessed.
I am also thankful that God forgives our sins. That is what makes Christianity so different. Many religions teach us how to live and have noble aspects to them but there is always the problem of sin. We have all sinned. We are all separated at some point because of this. We can never work our way to forgiveness or become good enough to pay for what we have done in the past and what we continue to do because of our human frailty. But in Christ, there is forgiveness of sin. This forgiveness comes through the death of Jesus on the cross.
God is the hope of all the earth. He is my hope. He can do anything and everything, even care for the land. I do not need to worry. God is the one who keeps this whole planet functioning and He cares for all that is alive on earth. He knows every single bird. He knows the number of hears on our heads. He knows everything about us and loves us just the same. Is there anyone else like our God? No, not one.
God's ways are right. God's ways are loving. Crown us with Your bounty, Lord. Yes, crown us as we strive to follow You. Surely Your cart does overflow.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful to have been chosen by You and brought close to You. We are so grateful that even though You are caring for everything n the world, You still have time for us. You have so much abundance and blessings. You are able to provide richly for us. Help us to remember that Your idea of riches and abundance are often different than ours. You are our hope.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I believe that God hears prayer? How is my prayer life? How can I improve it?
2. Am I asking God for forgiveness for my sins on a daily basis? Am I feeling overwhelmed or relieved? Can I make a daily list of what I need forgiving from for a week and then commit to praying about these needs?
3. Do I realize that I have been chosen by God? Am I living like a chosen one? How can my life reflect this in a greater way?
4. Do I realize that God is managing and running the whole world? List twenty of the things that God does on a day to day basis in keeping the earth functioning?
5. Do I think about the power of God that is available in my life if He is able to do all the things previously written down? What should I be bringing to Him in prayer if I believe He is truly in charge of everything?
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
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?
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?
Monday, September 6, 2010
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?
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?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/29/10 (9/29/09)
Prayer Focus - 9's
Pray for:
Nine things you are grateful for
Nine people that are on your heart or that need prayers
Nine places that are important to you
Nine characteristics to grow in
Nine characteristics/habits to get rid of
Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear and my eyes to see and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 29
"Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness." (vs. 1-2)
God is glorious. God deserves my worship and praise. I am amazed at all of the grand things He has done. A few years ago, I read a book entitled, The Gold of Exodus, by Howard Blum. It tells the story of two Americans who went in search of the true Mount Sinai by following the trail of Moses. The archaeological finds that the two adventurers discover are astounding. If you like Biblical archeology, this is a good book to pick up, but if not, I am mentioning it because it made me stand in awe of God. There are pictures of chariot wheels found at the bottom of the Red Sea. Perhaps from Pharaoh’s army? These are found near a submerged land bridge at the point where Moses and the Israelites probably passed over. There are so many other strange finds in their story as well. This, to me, is so exciting. Again and again, stories and facts found in the Bible have been proved to be true over the years. Archeology has backed up many passages. It inspires me to see the power of God. He is able to do all that He has written in His word, and this is what the Bible is. It is the word of God and it is powerful.
"The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic." (vs. 4)
The Bible is the voice or "Word of God" as it is often called and is the only truly living and active document (Hebrews 4:12-13). Everything is laid bare before God and He knows us. He has set out how we work best in this guidance manual. The Bible is the only true “self-help” book, if I can even call it that, because it is really a “God-help-us” book. Anything that works outside of the Bible does so because it is based on a Biblical principle. I am totally convinced of this. I have seen it in my studies of psychology (the subject I majored in in college). I have seen it in the teaching and discipline principles taught in the teaching courses I took for my teaching credential. I have seen it everywhere.
I am not surprised though, because God spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1, Hebrews 11:3, Psalms 33:6 & 9). He knows where wisdom resides. Nothing is hidden from Him (Job 28: 12-28). There are no secrets from God. If something works, it is His, whether it is used appropriately or not. Often the world or Satan takes one of God's principles and twists it around or else takes God out of the picture. The principle still works because it is like a law that God has instituted, similar to the law of gravity. Apples still fall to the earth whether we believe in God or not. His principles work and are faithful, whether we are or not. So, we need to take a look at everything and take it back to God and His word. The Bible says to tests everything and then hold onto the good ( I Thess 5:19-21).
" The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." (vs. 11)
And in the end, if we cling to God’s word and obey it, there will be strength and peace. I know. I know this is true, because there were moments today when I was completely at peace. How good it felt. In the midst of the craziness of this past week, a moment of calm was welcoming. I knew that the calm and peace came only from God, as nothing circumstantially had changed. I was still exhausted to some degree. I was still loaded down with work that I had to do at the school where I teach. When I came home from work, the house was still messy and my husband was still ill. My children were still struggling to obey, but today, I was able to handle most of it better.
I think a turning point came this morning when I became very upset with my daughter over her not helping me get everything ready for us to go. As usual, I went on and on about it, to her disgust. Finally, I forced myself to stop talking and I just drove to work in silence. As I drove and tried to pray, my heart changed. I meditated on some of my favorite verses and I became resolved to work out this problem. We ended up having a good talk and both of us recommitted to doing better in our relationship. It was good for us to part ways at school reunited again. I know this came about because of God and His word. He says it never comes back empty.
His word can work wonders in our lives if we will learn it and put it into our hearts so that we can meditate on it. From my obedience to the verses I thought about, and my repentance or change in action, I was able to gain the strength and peace that God offers us. There is a catch, though. God offers these promises to His people, not just to anyone. While God loves everyone, not everyone is in a covenant relationship with Him. We must enter into a relationship with Him to reap the rewards.
A covenant, just like my relationship with my daughter, goes two ways. There are things that are expected of us and there are things that we can expect from God. He offers promises that are reserved for "His People." Let us strive to be His people and let us strive to respect and honor, by obedience, the voice of the Lord. It is all-powerful and God is even so much more. If His voice can shake the earth, then what can all of Him do? Whatever it is we need, praise God for He can do it!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Help us to remember how glorious and powerful You are. We get so lost day to day. Your principles are so consistent. You are so faithful. We want to remember and honor You. We want to obey Your word for in it are the words of life. Help us to be Your people. We long for Your peace and strength in our lives. We know that You alone can truly fill us up.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I stand amazed at what God has done and created? Do I believe what is written in the Bible? Why or why not?
2. How is my study of God's word? Am I making time for it? Compared to the other reading I do, for work or pleasure, is my Bible study equal to this?
3. Am I putting into practice what I read in the Bible or is my study more of an academic pursuit? How can I put more into practice? What have I been thinking about changing lately due to my Bible study?
4. Am I experiencing God's strength and peace? Why or why not?
5. Would I consider myself one of "His people"? Why or why not? How can I be sure of this? How does it make me feel to know that can belong to God? Why?
Pray for:
Nine things you are grateful for
Nine people that are on your heart or that need prayers
Nine places that are important to you
Nine characteristics to grow in
Nine characteristics/habits to get rid of
Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear and my eyes to see and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 29
"Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness." (vs. 1-2)
God is glorious. God deserves my worship and praise. I am amazed at all of the grand things He has done. A few years ago, I read a book entitled, The Gold of Exodus, by Howard Blum. It tells the story of two Americans who went in search of the true Mount Sinai by following the trail of Moses. The archaeological finds that the two adventurers discover are astounding. If you like Biblical archeology, this is a good book to pick up, but if not, I am mentioning it because it made me stand in awe of God. There are pictures of chariot wheels found at the bottom of the Red Sea. Perhaps from Pharaoh’s army? These are found near a submerged land bridge at the point where Moses and the Israelites probably passed over. There are so many other strange finds in their story as well. This, to me, is so exciting. Again and again, stories and facts found in the Bible have been proved to be true over the years. Archeology has backed up many passages. It inspires me to see the power of God. He is able to do all that He has written in His word, and this is what the Bible is. It is the word of God and it is powerful.
"The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic." (vs. 4)
The Bible is the voice or "Word of God" as it is often called and is the only truly living and active document (Hebrews 4:12-13). Everything is laid bare before God and He knows us. He has set out how we work best in this guidance manual. The Bible is the only true “self-help” book, if I can even call it that, because it is really a “God-help-us” book. Anything that works outside of the Bible does so because it is based on a Biblical principle. I am totally convinced of this. I have seen it in my studies of psychology (the subject I majored in in college). I have seen it in the teaching and discipline principles taught in the teaching courses I took for my teaching credential. I have seen it everywhere.
I am not surprised though, because God spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1, Hebrews 11:3, Psalms 33:6 & 9). He knows where wisdom resides. Nothing is hidden from Him (Job 28: 12-28). There are no secrets from God. If something works, it is His, whether it is used appropriately or not. Often the world or Satan takes one of God's principles and twists it around or else takes God out of the picture. The principle still works because it is like a law that God has instituted, similar to the law of gravity. Apples still fall to the earth whether we believe in God or not. His principles work and are faithful, whether we are or not. So, we need to take a look at everything and take it back to God and His word. The Bible says to tests everything and then hold onto the good ( I Thess 5:19-21).
" The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." (vs. 11)
And in the end, if we cling to God’s word and obey it, there will be strength and peace. I know. I know this is true, because there were moments today when I was completely at peace. How good it felt. In the midst of the craziness of this past week, a moment of calm was welcoming. I knew that the calm and peace came only from God, as nothing circumstantially had changed. I was still exhausted to some degree. I was still loaded down with work that I had to do at the school where I teach. When I came home from work, the house was still messy and my husband was still ill. My children were still struggling to obey, but today, I was able to handle most of it better.
I think a turning point came this morning when I became very upset with my daughter over her not helping me get everything ready for us to go. As usual, I went on and on about it, to her disgust. Finally, I forced myself to stop talking and I just drove to work in silence. As I drove and tried to pray, my heart changed. I meditated on some of my favorite verses and I became resolved to work out this problem. We ended up having a good talk and both of us recommitted to doing better in our relationship. It was good for us to part ways at school reunited again. I know this came about because of God and His word. He says it never comes back empty.
His word can work wonders in our lives if we will learn it and put it into our hearts so that we can meditate on it. From my obedience to the verses I thought about, and my repentance or change in action, I was able to gain the strength and peace that God offers us. There is a catch, though. God offers these promises to His people, not just to anyone. While God loves everyone, not everyone is in a covenant relationship with Him. We must enter into a relationship with Him to reap the rewards.
A covenant, just like my relationship with my daughter, goes two ways. There are things that are expected of us and there are things that we can expect from God. He offers promises that are reserved for "His People." Let us strive to be His people and let us strive to respect and honor, by obedience, the voice of the Lord. It is all-powerful and God is even so much more. If His voice can shake the earth, then what can all of Him do? Whatever it is we need, praise God for He can do it!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Help us to remember how glorious and powerful You are. We get so lost day to day. Your principles are so consistent. You are so faithful. We want to remember and honor You. We want to obey Your word for in it are the words of life. Help us to be Your people. We long for Your peace and strength in our lives. We know that You alone can truly fill us up.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I stand amazed at what God has done and created? Do I believe what is written in the Bible? Why or why not?
2. How is my study of God's word? Am I making time for it? Compared to the other reading I do, for work or pleasure, is my Bible study equal to this?
3. Am I putting into practice what I read in the Bible or is my study more of an academic pursuit? How can I put more into practice? What have I been thinking about changing lately due to my Bible study?
4. Am I experiencing God's strength and peace? Why or why not?
5. Would I consider myself one of "His people"? Why or why not? How can I be sure of this? How does it make me feel to know that can belong to God? Why?
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/21/10 (9/21/09)
I wrote this post 11 months ago on the day my husband went into surgery on his liver. I have left it as it was and added a small commentary at the end about how he is doing now.
Focus Letter - U
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord- open my ears to hear, my eyes to see, and my heart to feel. Grant me the strength to obey.
Today is my husband's surgery. We would appreciate your prayers.
Psalms 21
9/21/09
"For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken" (vs. 7)
How great are the victories the Lord gives. As we go into surgery today, I am remembering the greatness of the Lord. I will rejoice that I have His strength to support me and that I can have joy in His victories whatever they may be. God does not withhold the requests of my lips and He knows the desires of my heart. He gives life. I can do nothing to add or subtract from my life, save for eating and living healthy, which is important. But worrying will do nothing. Worrying will not add a moment to my life and will dissipate the energy that I need to be strong.
Regardless what happens today, I will cling to Gods eternal blessing and be glad in the Lord. He is not changing and He is here with me today. God's love is unfailing; the only thing that is secure and eternal. I will not be shaken today. I will be there for my husband, my in laws, and my children. I will be their strength because God is mine. God will lay hold of my enemies and crush them. God can crush the cancer and even if He chooses not to, I will still trust in Him.
God will be exalted. In my life, God will be exalted. Amen.
8/21/10
"O Lord, the king rejoices in Your strength. How great is his joy in the victories You give! You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips." (vs. 1-2)
My husband stopped his chemotherapy right before Christmas last year. As of his first CAT scan, done in February, the doctors feel he is doing well and there is no obvious sign of cancer. We are gratefully getting back to life, as normal as it can be, in the shadow of cancer. God has been good and His victories are great. He is giving us what we need each day and we have learned to be at peace in a deeper way through it all. We are also grateful for all the support and prayers of our friends. His next CAT scan will be in October so I will update you at that time about any further developments.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
You are great. We are so grateful for the victories that You give and we are learning to wait on You. Help us to do this more and more. We praise You for the prayers that You answer with yes and also those that are no or wait. We are just grateful to know You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What enemies am I facing in my life today? How could the Lord conquer them?
2. When is it hardest for me to trust in God? Why?
3. What victories has God given me in the past? How has God blessed me?
4. How can God be exalted in my life, even in the difficult times? What can I do differently to ensure that this will happen?
5. What blessings do I have in my life that I can cling to during the difficult times? Why are these things so important to me and what would my life be like without them? How can I focus on them more and show my gratitude in a deeper way?
Focus Letter - U
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord- open my ears to hear, my eyes to see, and my heart to feel. Grant me the strength to obey.
Today is my husband's surgery. We would appreciate your prayers.
Psalms 21
9/21/09
"For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken" (vs. 7)
How great are the victories the Lord gives. As we go into surgery today, I am remembering the greatness of the Lord. I will rejoice that I have His strength to support me and that I can have joy in His victories whatever they may be. God does not withhold the requests of my lips and He knows the desires of my heart. He gives life. I can do nothing to add or subtract from my life, save for eating and living healthy, which is important. But worrying will do nothing. Worrying will not add a moment to my life and will dissipate the energy that I need to be strong.
Regardless what happens today, I will cling to Gods eternal blessing and be glad in the Lord. He is not changing and He is here with me today. God's love is unfailing; the only thing that is secure and eternal. I will not be shaken today. I will be there for my husband, my in laws, and my children. I will be their strength because God is mine. God will lay hold of my enemies and crush them. God can crush the cancer and even if He chooses not to, I will still trust in Him.
God will be exalted. In my life, God will be exalted. Amen.
8/21/10
"O Lord, the king rejoices in Your strength. How great is his joy in the victories You give! You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips." (vs. 1-2)
My husband stopped his chemotherapy right before Christmas last year. As of his first CAT scan, done in February, the doctors feel he is doing well and there is no obvious sign of cancer. We are gratefully getting back to life, as normal as it can be, in the shadow of cancer. God has been good and His victories are great. He is giving us what we need each day and we have learned to be at peace in a deeper way through it all. We are also grateful for all the support and prayers of our friends. His next CAT scan will be in October so I will update you at that time about any further developments.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
You are great. We are so grateful for the victories that You give and we are learning to wait on You. Help us to do this more and more. We praise You for the prayers that You answer with yes and also those that are no or wait. We are just grateful to know You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What enemies am I facing in my life today? How could the Lord conquer them?
2. When is it hardest for me to trust in God? Why?
3. What victories has God given me in the past? How has God blessed me?
4. How can God be exalted in my life, even in the difficult times? What can I do differently to ensure that this will happen?
5. What blessings do I have in my life that I can cling to during the difficult times? Why are these things so important to me and what would my life be like without them? How can I focus on them more and show my gratitude in a deeper way?
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/5/10 ( 9/5/09)
Focus Letter - E
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic beginning with the focus letter that you would like to see you and your family grow in
Dear Lord, open my ears to Your voice and grant me the strength to obey
Psalm 5
"In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation." (vs. 3)
In the morning God should hear our voice. In the morning, we should come with our requests. It is so important to pray and meet with God in the morning. I must pray for my needs. I must make this a priority. God is waiting to meet me. Where am I? Am I still in bed when the Creator of the Universe waits? If He was my boss, would I be there and be on time? Probably. Would I blow him off and sleep in? Probably not.
I need God. I need this time to get ready for the day. He has never failed to provide me with the time and the energy for the day when I have made the time to be with Him for awhile. Even if I have gotten up very early and am really tired, I have still been able to accomplish what I need to and do well if I have set my heart on Him, even for a few moments.
Then, after I have gotten up and made my requests, had my prayers, listened to God's voice, I am not supposed to just forget what I prayed for. I am to wait in expectation! I am to be confident I will receive an answer. I need to be looking for it in everything I do and everything that happens that day.
Have you ever waited for an important letter to come, or maybe a check? Every day you check the mailbox eagerly, running out as soon as the mail truck comes by. I imagine I should be like this with God; excited, and waiting eagerly for the answer to come, focused on how He will provide. It will add a sense of mystery and fun to our days, looking for that answer, that message from God. Where will it be? How will it look? I hope I don't miss it.
"You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;with You the wicked cannot dwell...But I, by Your great mercy, will come into Your house; in reverence will I bow down toward Your holy temple."
(vs. 4 & 7)
Next, I need to focus on how God feels about evil and sin. He hates it. He hates arrogance. He hates wrongdoing. He hates lies. This is frightening because I know I do a lot of things wrong. I see these things in myself so very often. How can I stand before God when I fail so frequently? By myself, I cannot, but because of God's great mercy, I can. I can even come into His house and worship. His grace and mercy makes me feel so grateful. It allows me to have the reverence towards Him that I need because I know that I do not deserve to be close to Him, not now or in the past. I have never been good enough, nor will I ever be. It is a lost cause, but how amazing it is, I am not a lost cause.
"But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. For surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield." (vs. 11-12)
I can even be glad in spite of my sin and myself. I am not supposed to go around moping and feeling sorry for myself. I am to be rejoicing. I can sing for joy because I have taken refuge in God and in His merciful forgiveness. I have taken refuge in Him for protection from my enemies both external and internal. I can now let go of the past and strain on toward my goal of knowing Him. I am free to do right and to be righteous.
When we are dwelling on our sins and faults it is very hard to do right or be righteous. I know the hardest times for me to do right, especially as a wife and mother, are when I allow myself to worry (which is sin) or to be down and depressed (which is also sin). So instead of moping, I need to run to God, accept His forgiveness, love Him for His grace, worship Him for His mercy, and dwell in His house. When I do this, then His favor will surround me like a shield, and then He will bless me. His protection will be spread over me and I will be able to rejoice even more in what a great God we serve!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We praise You for listening to us. Help us to come to You each morning and remember our need for You daily. Help us to wait in expectation. You are good, always good, and we long to be close to You. You do not delight in evil so help us Lord to live correctly before You. Help us to turn away from worry and self pity. We have You and that is all we need. Help us to take refuge in You. We praise You for Your grace and mercy. Truly, You are good.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I coming before the Lord each morning? If not, what is getting in the way of this time? How can I devote some time to God each morning, or increase the time/quality I am spending?
2. Do I wait in expectation for the Lord? Do I forget what I have asked God for? Am I persistent in prayer? Why or why not? What answers to prayers have I received?
3. What is my attitude towards sin? Do I have the same hatred of it as God does? Are there some sins I tolerate in my life? Why?
4. How do I view God? Do I focus on only one of His characteristics or do I strive to understand Him in all of His complexity? Do I have reverence towards God or am I too casual with Him? How can I have a more appropriate attitude towards Him?
5. Do I rejoice in all that I do have? Am I grateful? How can I improve my attitude in general towards God and life? Do I feel blessed? Why or why not? How can I focus more on my blessings.
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic beginning with the focus letter that you would like to see you and your family grow in
Dear Lord, open my ears to Your voice and grant me the strength to obey
Psalm 5
"In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation." (vs. 3)
In the morning God should hear our voice. In the morning, we should come with our requests. It is so important to pray and meet with God in the morning. I must pray for my needs. I must make this a priority. God is waiting to meet me. Where am I? Am I still in bed when the Creator of the Universe waits? If He was my boss, would I be there and be on time? Probably. Would I blow him off and sleep in? Probably not.
I need God. I need this time to get ready for the day. He has never failed to provide me with the time and the energy for the day when I have made the time to be with Him for awhile. Even if I have gotten up very early and am really tired, I have still been able to accomplish what I need to and do well if I have set my heart on Him, even for a few moments.
Then, after I have gotten up and made my requests, had my prayers, listened to God's voice, I am not supposed to just forget what I prayed for. I am to wait in expectation! I am to be confident I will receive an answer. I need to be looking for it in everything I do and everything that happens that day.
Have you ever waited for an important letter to come, or maybe a check? Every day you check the mailbox eagerly, running out as soon as the mail truck comes by. I imagine I should be like this with God; excited, and waiting eagerly for the answer to come, focused on how He will provide. It will add a sense of mystery and fun to our days, looking for that answer, that message from God. Where will it be? How will it look? I hope I don't miss it.
"You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;with You the wicked cannot dwell...But I, by Your great mercy, will come into Your house; in reverence will I bow down toward Your holy temple."
(vs. 4 & 7)
Next, I need to focus on how God feels about evil and sin. He hates it. He hates arrogance. He hates wrongdoing. He hates lies. This is frightening because I know I do a lot of things wrong. I see these things in myself so very often. How can I stand before God when I fail so frequently? By myself, I cannot, but because of God's great mercy, I can. I can even come into His house and worship. His grace and mercy makes me feel so grateful. It allows me to have the reverence towards Him that I need because I know that I do not deserve to be close to Him, not now or in the past. I have never been good enough, nor will I ever be. It is a lost cause, but how amazing it is, I am not a lost cause.
"But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. For surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield." (vs. 11-12)
I can even be glad in spite of my sin and myself. I am not supposed to go around moping and feeling sorry for myself. I am to be rejoicing. I can sing for joy because I have taken refuge in God and in His merciful forgiveness. I have taken refuge in Him for protection from my enemies both external and internal. I can now let go of the past and strain on toward my goal of knowing Him. I am free to do right and to be righteous.
When we are dwelling on our sins and faults it is very hard to do right or be righteous. I know the hardest times for me to do right, especially as a wife and mother, are when I allow myself to worry (which is sin) or to be down and depressed (which is also sin). So instead of moping, I need to run to God, accept His forgiveness, love Him for His grace, worship Him for His mercy, and dwell in His house. When I do this, then His favor will surround me like a shield, and then He will bless me. His protection will be spread over me and I will be able to rejoice even more in what a great God we serve!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We praise You for listening to us. Help us to come to You each morning and remember our need for You daily. Help us to wait in expectation. You are good, always good, and we long to be close to You. You do not delight in evil so help us Lord to live correctly before You. Help us to turn away from worry and self pity. We have You and that is all we need. Help us to take refuge in You. We praise You for Your grace and mercy. Truly, You are good.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I coming before the Lord each morning? If not, what is getting in the way of this time? How can I devote some time to God each morning, or increase the time/quality I am spending?
2. Do I wait in expectation for the Lord? Do I forget what I have asked God for? Am I persistent in prayer? Why or why not? What answers to prayers have I received?
3. What is my attitude towards sin? Do I have the same hatred of it as God does? Are there some sins I tolerate in my life? Why?
4. How do I view God? Do I focus on only one of His characteristics or do I strive to understand Him in all of His complexity? Do I have reverence towards God or am I too casual with Him? How can I have a more appropriate attitude towards Him?
5. Do I rejoice in all that I do have? Am I grateful? How can I improve my attitude in general towards God and life? Do I feel blessed? Why or why not? How can I focus more on my blessings.
Daily Devotional - 8/4/10 (9/4/10)
The scripture reference for the story of the angel being delayed in coming that I mentioned yesterday is in Daniel 10:1 - 11:1, see especially verses 10 - 14. This is a very interesting story about the spiritual world and the spiritual warfare that goes on unbeknownst to us.
Daily Focus Letter - D
Pray for:
Five things you are thankful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A country, city, or place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that you would like to see your household grow in beginning with the focus letter
Dear Lord - help me to hear Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 4
"Answer me when I call to You, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer." (vs. 1)
It is okay to ask for relief from our distress. We don't have to just gut it out all the time. There definitely are times of battle or times of suffering that we will have to endure but then God provides times of refreshing. Even Jesus thought His disciples should go off for some time of relief when they returned from their missionary journey.
What we need to ask ourselves is am I really doing the work of the Lord or standing firm in some struggle so that a time of relief is merited. If so, great, but I know I have many times just fallen into relief mode and often struggles and problems came about because I was in relief mode and then I asked for more relief. I was just being spiritually lazy. What I really needed in order to start feeling better was to start doing something!
As for suffering, it is okay to ask for relief but then we need to be ready for God to say no, or not yet. The best example of this is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked, and asked some more, but in the end, thankfully, He said, "not my will, but Yours be done"(Luke 22:39-46). Paul asked for the thorn to be removed from him but God said no, that His power was made perfect in Paul's weakness. Paul finally surrendered it and was able to say he "delighted" in his weakness and other struggles which were quite astounding (see 2 Cor 12:7-10 & 6:3-10).
The bottom line is that we are set apart by God, for His purposes. We aren't here for ourselves and our hopes and dreams. There is the wonderful verse in Psalms 37:4 - "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart," but often we forget the first part - delighting ourselves in God - and focus primarily on God giving us the desires of our heart. We need to think more about how we can delight in God and less about our desires and dreams. When we do this, the two will start falling into place.
"Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call to Him." (vs. 3)
Secondly, we need to think about whether or not we are allowing ourselves to be set apart. Perhaps we are blending right into the world and everyone around us. What do our activities show, how about the TV shows we watch, and the movies we go to. What about the books we read and the places we hang out? I know when I first became I a Christian I was very sensitive towards what I was watching, wearing, and reading but then I got rather casual about it and even used the rationalization that I have to know what the world is into. After having children, I think I became more sensitive to these issues again because I started looking at the world from their eyes. When your child starts being able to read and starts asking what that vulgar saying on that person's t-shirt means, it begins to hit home. Or when you have to change the TV channel when they walk into the room, it makes you think.
"In your anger, do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." (vs. 4)
Sometimes the way the world is, and the baseness of our culture as it strays away from Godly principles gets me upset. Then I tend to feel guilty because when I was growing up, I was taught to not get angry. We were not even allowed to fight in my house. So, while I understand the reasoning behind the rule, (it is exhausting to have duelling siblings), being told to not fight or to not get angry did not stop the very human emotion of anger, nor should it have really. What it did produce was a lot of built up resentment and the victim mentality in me so that I was not able to be angry in appropriate situations or even say "no" when I needed to. This led to me allowing others to abuse me and also to me placing myself in bad situations.
Verse 4 of this psalm was a revelation to me because it says "in your anger, do not sin." It is just accepted that we will get angry. It is okay. Jesus got angry. He even acted on it, but He did not sin (Matt 21:12 -13). I can get angry, I just need to channel it right. I cannot have a temper tantrum, which I want to do. That would be sin. I cannot throw things, which I have to admit I have done. That would be sin. I cannot swear at someone and tell them off. That would be sin. I cannot reject the world in the sense of looking down on it and feeling that I am above it. Or I cannot look down on those of my friends that are involved with things I know are wrong. I can be upset, even angry, but then I must respond in love and concern. They are the ones that will ultimately suffer. I need to be concerned about their spiritual welfare, and as one who has been there myself, try to help them and reach out in love. How they respond is up to them but my love can not stop. In my anger, I cannot sin
Self evaluation is so important to handling our anger correctly. As it says in verse 4, at night I need to go over my day and search my heart. I need to be silent and let God speak to me about where I have been and what I have done. Then, I need to deal with whatever I find. We cannot let the sun go down on our anger, as this will give the Devil a foothold in our lives (Eph 4:26-27). When we get angry (whether or not it is justified), and then don't deal with it, we let bitterness grow and develop in our hearts. This can eventually lead us away from God. We are to make sure that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many (Heb 12:15). Unresolved anger is the start of this bitterness.
In all this, sometimes, it seems like life is just too much. Too many problems, too many personal issues to deal with, too many world problems. I remember a point in time in my husband's battle with cancer, right after we found out that the cancer had spread, that I saw something negative about the state of the world on TV and just started weeping. My husband couldn't understand why this little short TV segment could set me off. I just kept telling him, "I can't take anymore bad news." Everything was building up and I was asking just like the psalmist - "Who can show us any good?" (vs 6). I just couldn't see any good. After I finished my cry, I turned back to God. I had to look up because there was nowhere else to go. In all that I have gone through in the last 25 years of trying to truly follow God, this is where I have always ended up. Yes, there are many things around me but God. That's it "Yes, But God."
I have always loved the last verses of the psalm (vs 7 & 8) because of this. They state..
"Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
I have to stop looking around at the world and my circumstances as overwhelming as they may seem and look up at God, at the light coming from Him. I have to remember that I am supposed to focus on God, rejoice in God, know that in the world there will be troubles, but God has overcome the world. The world - the grain and new wine which can be enjoyable - will never fill me up. Even if everything is going great in my life, even then, I still won't be filled with as much as I can be with God.
So in the end, I can lie down and sleep in peace. In the midst of everything the Lord is making me dwell in safety. Everything is going to be alright.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We live in a troublesome world. Often there does not seem to be any good, but You are here and You are good. You have asked us to dwell on the positive, the honorable, the lovely. Help us to fix our eyes on those things and to keep our eyes focused on Your face. Only then will we be able to live our lives properly. Help us to live truly set apart lives. Help us to remember You. You fill us with what is greater than the world has to offer but we are so easily deceived. We do not want to be deceived any longer. Help us to seek the truth. Help us to seek You so that we may truly have peace.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I in distress right now? What is causing this if I am? Am I asking God for relief and help in this time?
2. Am I in the spiritual battle and am I doing the work of the Lord or am I being spiritually lazy? Are any of the problems/issues I am facing in my life right now due to my spiritual inactivity or weakness? If so, what can I do to get back to where I need to be or to grow?
3. Am I being set apart? Is there any difference in my life/activities as a Christian or am I just like those around me who do not claim to know God? Is there anything that I am doing right now that makes me feel guilty or that I think deep down is not the best for me spiritually? What can I do differently starting today?
4. How do I feel about anger? How do I deal with my anger? Do I have healthy boundaries? Can I say no to people or situations that aren't best for me spiritually or do I get sucked into them time and time again? Am I bitter? How can I get help with this? Do I have strong spiritual friends who can help me?
5. Do I have peace in my life? Am I sleeping well? What am I trying to use to bring me peace and joy? Do I believe that my spiritual life could make a difference in this? Am I focusing on God or circumstances? What can I do to start moving closer to God and the peace that He offers?
(If you know of someone that might want to also follow this blog that is not on Facebook, the website is http://www.lillianjacobs.blogspot.com/)
Daily Focus Letter - D
Pray for:
Five things you are thankful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A country, city, or place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that you would like to see your household grow in beginning with the focus letter
Dear Lord - help me to hear Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 4
"Answer me when I call to You, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer." (vs. 1)
It is okay to ask for relief from our distress. We don't have to just gut it out all the time. There definitely are times of battle or times of suffering that we will have to endure but then God provides times of refreshing. Even Jesus thought His disciples should go off for some time of relief when they returned from their missionary journey.
What we need to ask ourselves is am I really doing the work of the Lord or standing firm in some struggle so that a time of relief is merited. If so, great, but I know I have many times just fallen into relief mode and often struggles and problems came about because I was in relief mode and then I asked for more relief. I was just being spiritually lazy. What I really needed in order to start feeling better was to start doing something!
As for suffering, it is okay to ask for relief but then we need to be ready for God to say no, or not yet. The best example of this is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked, and asked some more, but in the end, thankfully, He said, "not my will, but Yours be done"(Luke 22:39-46). Paul asked for the thorn to be removed from him but God said no, that His power was made perfect in Paul's weakness. Paul finally surrendered it and was able to say he "delighted" in his weakness and other struggles which were quite astounding (see 2 Cor 12:7-10 & 6:3-10).
The bottom line is that we are set apart by God, for His purposes. We aren't here for ourselves and our hopes and dreams. There is the wonderful verse in Psalms 37:4 - "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart," but often we forget the first part - delighting ourselves in God - and focus primarily on God giving us the desires of our heart. We need to think more about how we can delight in God and less about our desires and dreams. When we do this, the two will start falling into place.
"Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself; the Lord will hear when I call to Him." (vs. 3)
Secondly, we need to think about whether or not we are allowing ourselves to be set apart. Perhaps we are blending right into the world and everyone around us. What do our activities show, how about the TV shows we watch, and the movies we go to. What about the books we read and the places we hang out? I know when I first became I a Christian I was very sensitive towards what I was watching, wearing, and reading but then I got rather casual about it and even used the rationalization that I have to know what the world is into. After having children, I think I became more sensitive to these issues again because I started looking at the world from their eyes. When your child starts being able to read and starts asking what that vulgar saying on that person's t-shirt means, it begins to hit home. Or when you have to change the TV channel when they walk into the room, it makes you think.
"In your anger, do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." (vs. 4)
Sometimes the way the world is, and the baseness of our culture as it strays away from Godly principles gets me upset. Then I tend to feel guilty because when I was growing up, I was taught to not get angry. We were not even allowed to fight in my house. So, while I understand the reasoning behind the rule, (it is exhausting to have duelling siblings), being told to not fight or to not get angry did not stop the very human emotion of anger, nor should it have really. What it did produce was a lot of built up resentment and the victim mentality in me so that I was not able to be angry in appropriate situations or even say "no" when I needed to. This led to me allowing others to abuse me and also to me placing myself in bad situations.
Verse 4 of this psalm was a revelation to me because it says "in your anger, do not sin." It is just accepted that we will get angry. It is okay. Jesus got angry. He even acted on it, but He did not sin (Matt 21:12 -13). I can get angry, I just need to channel it right. I cannot have a temper tantrum, which I want to do. That would be sin. I cannot throw things, which I have to admit I have done. That would be sin. I cannot swear at someone and tell them off. That would be sin. I cannot reject the world in the sense of looking down on it and feeling that I am above it. Or I cannot look down on those of my friends that are involved with things I know are wrong. I can be upset, even angry, but then I must respond in love and concern. They are the ones that will ultimately suffer. I need to be concerned about their spiritual welfare, and as one who has been there myself, try to help them and reach out in love. How they respond is up to them but my love can not stop. In my anger, I cannot sin
Self evaluation is so important to handling our anger correctly. As it says in verse 4, at night I need to go over my day and search my heart. I need to be silent and let God speak to me about where I have been and what I have done. Then, I need to deal with whatever I find. We cannot let the sun go down on our anger, as this will give the Devil a foothold in our lives (Eph 4:26-27). When we get angry (whether or not it is justified), and then don't deal with it, we let bitterness grow and develop in our hearts. This can eventually lead us away from God. We are to make sure that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many (Heb 12:15). Unresolved anger is the start of this bitterness.
In all this, sometimes, it seems like life is just too much. Too many problems, too many personal issues to deal with, too many world problems. I remember a point in time in my husband's battle with cancer, right after we found out that the cancer had spread, that I saw something negative about the state of the world on TV and just started weeping. My husband couldn't understand why this little short TV segment could set me off. I just kept telling him, "I can't take anymore bad news." Everything was building up and I was asking just like the psalmist - "Who can show us any good?" (vs 6). I just couldn't see any good. After I finished my cry, I turned back to God. I had to look up because there was nowhere else to go. In all that I have gone through in the last 25 years of trying to truly follow God, this is where I have always ended up. Yes, there are many things around me but God. That's it "Yes, But God."
I have always loved the last verses of the psalm (vs 7 & 8) because of this. They state..
"Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
I have to stop looking around at the world and my circumstances as overwhelming as they may seem and look up at God, at the light coming from Him. I have to remember that I am supposed to focus on God, rejoice in God, know that in the world there will be troubles, but God has overcome the world. The world - the grain and new wine which can be enjoyable - will never fill me up. Even if everything is going great in my life, even then, I still won't be filled with as much as I can be with God.
So in the end, I can lie down and sleep in peace. In the midst of everything the Lord is making me dwell in safety. Everything is going to be alright.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We live in a troublesome world. Often there does not seem to be any good, but You are here and You are good. You have asked us to dwell on the positive, the honorable, the lovely. Help us to fix our eyes on those things and to keep our eyes focused on Your face. Only then will we be able to live our lives properly. Help us to live truly set apart lives. Help us to remember You. You fill us with what is greater than the world has to offer but we are so easily deceived. We do not want to be deceived any longer. Help us to seek the truth. Help us to seek You so that we may truly have peace.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I in distress right now? What is causing this if I am? Am I asking God for relief and help in this time?
2. Am I in the spiritual battle and am I doing the work of the Lord or am I being spiritually lazy? Are any of the problems/issues I am facing in my life right now due to my spiritual inactivity or weakness? If so, what can I do to get back to where I need to be or to grow?
3. Am I being set apart? Is there any difference in my life/activities as a Christian or am I just like those around me who do not claim to know God? Is there anything that I am doing right now that makes me feel guilty or that I think deep down is not the best for me spiritually? What can I do differently starting today?
4. How do I feel about anger? How do I deal with my anger? Do I have healthy boundaries? Can I say no to people or situations that aren't best for me spiritually or do I get sucked into them time and time again? Am I bitter? How can I get help with this? Do I have strong spiritual friends who can help me?
5. Do I have peace in my life? Am I sleeping well? What am I trying to use to bring me peace and joy? Do I believe that my spiritual life could make a difference in this? Am I focusing on God or circumstances? What can I do to start moving closer to God and the peace that He offers?
(If you know of someone that might want to also follow this blog that is not on Facebook, the website is http://www.lillianjacobs.blogspot.com/)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/3/10 (9/3/09)
Daily Prayer - Focus Letter C
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name starts with focus letter
A country, city, or place that starts with the focus letter
An attitude you want to see grow and develop in you or your family with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Please let me hear your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalm 3
"Oh Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, 'God will not deliver him.'" (vs. 1)
Most people do not really understand God and waiting on Him. We are impatient and if we do not see it, we think nothing is happening. This is the world we live in. It only looks at the surface of life and believes what is seen. We have all heard the expression - I will believe it when I see it. But for God it is - Believe it, and then you will see it. We also live in a world currently mired in instant gratification. If something isn't happening immediately or in the time frame we map out, then in our minds, it isn't happening and will not happen in the future. But this is not God's way. God is the God of the unseen, of what is not. We must learn to see with new eyes and wait on Him.
"But You are a shield around me, Oh Lord; You bestow glory on me, and lift up my head." (vs. 2)
The key is to look beyond the surface, to know God is working even when we don't see evidence. He is our shield. He is bestowing glory on us. He is lifting up our heads. Although I do not see it now, I know it is happening. This is like the story in the Old Testament of the angel that was delayed in coming. He was coming, and God is helping us but we do not know what is going on behind the scenes in our own lives. We do not know how the trials are changing us and helping us to grow. Only after it is over, sometimes, we can look back and see God's unseen hand that was at work. Often even our friends and families will not understand how God is working if they do not know Him. But we know.
"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side...From the Lord comes deliverance. May Your blessing be on Your people." (vs. 5, 6 & 8)
The fact that we can go to sleep and wake up again the next day is because of God. Our mere existence is constant evidence to the working of God. We put no conscious thought into the most basic and important bodily functions and yet they keep going. Have you ever thought of what we would have to go through if we had to think about breathing or having our hearts beat in order to stay alive. There would be no time for anything else. How complex and amazing our bodies are, our hearts that beat away, and our lungs that draw in the air to give us the energy to function. This is God. This is God sustaining me every minute of every day. So even if His timing is not mine, if His answers do not come when I want, there is evidence of Him all around me if I am willing to look.
So I will not fear - disease, death, debt, clutter, or the faults that plague me - even tens of thousands drawn up on every side. Nothing is too much for God, or me, because I have God with me and His enormous power that can even raise the dead is at work in my life. What a thought!
We just need to call out for His deliverance. It is okay to do this. The psalmist is bold and says "Arise, O Lord! Deliver me" (vs. 7a). He was not afraid to ask. Most of the time, we do not have because we do not ask. We want but we forget to go to the one who can provide (James 4:2-3). We must remember that those who ask will receive (Matt 7:7-8). I will receive something and it will be good and good for me.
Finally, deliverance comes from the Lord. Everything else will fail us or let us down. People die, accidents happen. There are no guarantees except one - that the Lord will deliver - and that in itself should be enough.
Bless us Lord because no one else truly can.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that You are working even when we can not see anything. We are grateful that You are in control and that we do not have to fear anything. Help us to keep our focus on You and the unseen miracles that keep us alive. Help us to remember that there is a spiritual world around us. Come to us Lord and deliver us. Be our shield and bless us. Yes, bless us Lord, for we need You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QTF
1. What are the foes that are rising against me? Do I have anyone who tends to discourage me spiritually and cast doubt on my ablility to change and grow as a Christian?
2. Am I willing to wait for God to work out circumstances in my life or do I tend to force my will? How can I start to wait on the Lord more? What situations do I need to wait on right now?
3. How have I seen God deliver me in the past? How is He working to sustain me right now? How can this encourage me? What can I do to keep these victories in my mind during difficult times?
4. What do I fear? What are the ten thousands rising against me now? In what ways might God deal with these situations?
5. Am I willing to be bold and call on God when I need Him? How is my prayer life? Do I spend more time worrying or praying? How can I change this?
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name starts with focus letter
A country, city, or place that starts with the focus letter
An attitude you want to see grow and develop in you or your family with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Please let me hear your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalm 3
"Oh Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! Many are saying of me, 'God will not deliver him.'" (vs. 1)
Most people do not really understand God and waiting on Him. We are impatient and if we do not see it, we think nothing is happening. This is the world we live in. It only looks at the surface of life and believes what is seen. We have all heard the expression - I will believe it when I see it. But for God it is - Believe it, and then you will see it. We also live in a world currently mired in instant gratification. If something isn't happening immediately or in the time frame we map out, then in our minds, it isn't happening and will not happen in the future. But this is not God's way. God is the God of the unseen, of what is not. We must learn to see with new eyes and wait on Him.
"But You are a shield around me, Oh Lord; You bestow glory on me, and lift up my head." (vs. 2)
The key is to look beyond the surface, to know God is working even when we don't see evidence. He is our shield. He is bestowing glory on us. He is lifting up our heads. Although I do not see it now, I know it is happening. This is like the story in the Old Testament of the angel that was delayed in coming. He was coming, and God is helping us but we do not know what is going on behind the scenes in our own lives. We do not know how the trials are changing us and helping us to grow. Only after it is over, sometimes, we can look back and see God's unseen hand that was at work. Often even our friends and families will not understand how God is working if they do not know Him. But we know.
"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side...From the Lord comes deliverance. May Your blessing be on Your people." (vs. 5, 6 & 8)
The fact that we can go to sleep and wake up again the next day is because of God. Our mere existence is constant evidence to the working of God. We put no conscious thought into the most basic and important bodily functions and yet they keep going. Have you ever thought of what we would have to go through if we had to think about breathing or having our hearts beat in order to stay alive. There would be no time for anything else. How complex and amazing our bodies are, our hearts that beat away, and our lungs that draw in the air to give us the energy to function. This is God. This is God sustaining me every minute of every day. So even if His timing is not mine, if His answers do not come when I want, there is evidence of Him all around me if I am willing to look.
So I will not fear - disease, death, debt, clutter, or the faults that plague me - even tens of thousands drawn up on every side. Nothing is too much for God, or me, because I have God with me and His enormous power that can even raise the dead is at work in my life. What a thought!
We just need to call out for His deliverance. It is okay to do this. The psalmist is bold and says "Arise, O Lord! Deliver me" (vs. 7a). He was not afraid to ask. Most of the time, we do not have because we do not ask. We want but we forget to go to the one who can provide (James 4:2-3). We must remember that those who ask will receive (Matt 7:7-8). I will receive something and it will be good and good for me.
Finally, deliverance comes from the Lord. Everything else will fail us or let us down. People die, accidents happen. There are no guarantees except one - that the Lord will deliver - and that in itself should be enough.
Bless us Lord because no one else truly can.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that You are working even when we can not see anything. We are grateful that You are in control and that we do not have to fear anything. Help us to keep our focus on You and the unseen miracles that keep us alive. Help us to remember that there is a spiritual world around us. Come to us Lord and deliver us. Be our shield and bless us. Yes, bless us Lord, for we need You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QTF
1. What are the foes that are rising against me? Do I have anyone who tends to discourage me spiritually and cast doubt on my ablility to change and grow as a Christian?
2. Am I willing to wait for God to work out circumstances in my life or do I tend to force my will? How can I start to wait on the Lord more? What situations do I need to wait on right now?
3. How have I seen God deliver me in the past? How is He working to sustain me right now? How can this encourage me? What can I do to keep these victories in my mind during difficult times?
4. What do I fear? What are the ten thousands rising against me now? In what ways might God deal with these situations?
5. Am I willing to be bold and call on God when I need Him? How is my prayer life? Do I spend more time worrying or praying? How can I change this?
Monday, August 2, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/2/10 (9/2/09)
Prayer Focus - Letter B
(See yesterday's note for more background on this)
Pray for:
Five things that I am grateful for that starts with the letter
Five people whose first or last name starts with the letter
One place - city, state, or country- that begins with the letter
One character trait I would like to see my family and I grow in
Dear Lord, please let me hear your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalm 2
"The One enthroned in Heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them." (vs 2)
God is not afraid of people or nations or events. He is in control even if we can't see how or why. He has a plan even behind letting bad things happen. That sure is good to know because I can get so worried about current events, politics, and life in general. Often it just seems it is one crisis and tragedy after another almost to the breaking point but it is not. God is not afraid of all of this. He knows. He sees.
"Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling." (vs. 11)
I just need to serve God. I just need to fear Him rather than what is going on in the world. If He is the ultimate authority, then He is the one to worry about and strive to please. We tend to not like to think about fearing God and would rather focus on the loving nature of God. Even translating 'fear' as respect is not totally accurate. We do fear in our lives and often this is good. There is a place for fear because it can keep us out of danger and lead to wise planning.
I am not afraid to say "Fear God" anymore. I do not care what society says. We should fear God because He does have the ultimate authority. He has the power to create and destroy our souls. No one else on this earth can do what God can. People can only destroy our bodies. They can not destroy our souls. Only God has control over the destiny of our souls. Someone with this authority deserves my respect, awe, and yes, even fear.
Thank God, however, that He is a good God. We should fear, but not in the way we fear evil or evil people. We are to fear Him as we would a loving father who is willing to instruct and discipline us as we need, yet always loves us. Very few of us were blessed with fathers like this, but I can imagine what it would be like and come close to the feeling I believe I should have towards God. This is the same feeling I had towards a teacher that I really liked and respected. There was fear there, as well as respect, and this kept me from getting in trouble. I knew that if I did do something wrong, I would be disciplined, but it would not be unwarranted and it would not be unreasonable.
As the psalm ends, it brings to the blessings of God again. Although it speaks about the anger of God and the destruction of evil, it ends with...
"Blessed are all who take refuge in Him." (vs. 12b).
It is as if God knows that the talk of fear and destruction can be hard for many of us to understand so He comforts us by saying - 'Hey just take refuge in me. That will please me and I will bless you. Come here and let me protect you. Work with me, do what I ask of you because it is for your own good.' God is the perfect father, the one who will protect us, discipline us, and in the end lead us to victory, success, and true life. He knows the way to get us there so that is why He is so serious about us doing it His way and about righteousness and obedience.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful that You are in control of the world. It is too much for us. We are overwhelmed when we are honest with ourselves, because we know that we can do nothing really on our own power. Help us to put the affairs of the world in Your hands. Help us to fear You alone. You are great and You are loving. We praise You for all that You are. Help us to take refuge in You and live a life pleasing to You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How is my attitude about world affairs? Do I let them overwhelm me and discourage me? Do I offer them up in prayer? How can I change my perspective and trust in God's ability to deal with world matters?
2. How do I feel about the concept of fearing God? Does this bother me? Why? What do I think of when I think of fearing something. Is it always negative? When has fear been helpful to me? How can I transfer this to God?
3. Who am I more afraid of - God or people? How do I know? How do I see myself fearing people? How would my life be different if I was more afraid of God?
4. Is there a person I have 'feared' in a good way? What was that person like? How is God better than this person? How did I act around this person? How can I transfer this to God? If I have never feared anyone in a good way, why?
5. Am I taking refuge in God? To what degree? How can I start doing this or do it more? How will I be blessed?
(See yesterday's note for more background on this)
Pray for:
Five things that I am grateful for that starts with the letter
Five people whose first or last name starts with the letter
One place - city, state, or country- that begins with the letter
One character trait I would like to see my family and I grow in
Dear Lord, please let me hear your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalm 2
"The One enthroned in Heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them." (vs 2)
God is not afraid of people or nations or events. He is in control even if we can't see how or why. He has a plan even behind letting bad things happen. That sure is good to know because I can get so worried about current events, politics, and life in general. Often it just seems it is one crisis and tragedy after another almost to the breaking point but it is not. God is not afraid of all of this. He knows. He sees.
"Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling." (vs. 11)
I just need to serve God. I just need to fear Him rather than what is going on in the world. If He is the ultimate authority, then He is the one to worry about and strive to please. We tend to not like to think about fearing God and would rather focus on the loving nature of God. Even translating 'fear' as respect is not totally accurate. We do fear in our lives and often this is good. There is a place for fear because it can keep us out of danger and lead to wise planning.
I am not afraid to say "Fear God" anymore. I do not care what society says. We should fear God because He does have the ultimate authority. He has the power to create and destroy our souls. No one else on this earth can do what God can. People can only destroy our bodies. They can not destroy our souls. Only God has control over the destiny of our souls. Someone with this authority deserves my respect, awe, and yes, even fear.
Thank God, however, that He is a good God. We should fear, but not in the way we fear evil or evil people. We are to fear Him as we would a loving father who is willing to instruct and discipline us as we need, yet always loves us. Very few of us were blessed with fathers like this, but I can imagine what it would be like and come close to the feeling I believe I should have towards God. This is the same feeling I had towards a teacher that I really liked and respected. There was fear there, as well as respect, and this kept me from getting in trouble. I knew that if I did do something wrong, I would be disciplined, but it would not be unwarranted and it would not be unreasonable.
As the psalm ends, it brings to the blessings of God again. Although it speaks about the anger of God and the destruction of evil, it ends with...
"Blessed are all who take refuge in Him." (vs. 12b).
It is as if God knows that the talk of fear and destruction can be hard for many of us to understand so He comforts us by saying - 'Hey just take refuge in me. That will please me and I will bless you. Come here and let me protect you. Work with me, do what I ask of you because it is for your own good.' God is the perfect father, the one who will protect us, discipline us, and in the end lead us to victory, success, and true life. He knows the way to get us there so that is why He is so serious about us doing it His way and about righteousness and obedience.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful that You are in control of the world. It is too much for us. We are overwhelmed when we are honest with ourselves, because we know that we can do nothing really on our own power. Help us to put the affairs of the world in Your hands. Help us to fear You alone. You are great and You are loving. We praise You for all that You are. Help us to take refuge in You and live a life pleasing to You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How is my attitude about world affairs? Do I let them overwhelm me and discourage me? Do I offer them up in prayer? How can I change my perspective and trust in God's ability to deal with world matters?
2. How do I feel about the concept of fearing God? Does this bother me? Why? What do I think of when I think of fearing something. Is it always negative? When has fear been helpful to me? How can I transfer this to God?
3. Who am I more afraid of - God or people? How do I know? How do I see myself fearing people? How would my life be different if I was more afraid of God?
4. Is there a person I have 'feared' in a good way? What was that person like? How is God better than this person? How did I act around this person? How can I transfer this to God? If I have never feared anyone in a good way, why?
5. Am I taking refuge in God? To what degree? How can I start doing this or do it more? How will I be blessed?
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Daily Devotional - 8/1/10 (9/1/09)
I am reposting my daily devotionals that I started in September of last year. Since I never was able to finish the entire book of Psalms in a timely manner, I thought this would be a good way to restart them.
Prayer Focus - Letter A
I always start my quiet time with a written prayer. I usually make most of it a letter of gratitude so that I can get my heart right so early in the morning or at any time really. This month I am doing something a little different. I am focusing on a different letter of the alphabet each morning to get a little diversity in my prayer life. Today was the letter A, of course, and I tried to think of five things I was grateful for that began with the letter A. Then I prayed for five people whose first or last name began with A. I prayed for a country or city beginning with the letter and then I prayed for a characteristic that I wanted to see grow in my family and I that began with A. It was a challenge and fun. Tomorrow I will do the same with the letter B. At the end of my prayer, I always ask God to let me hear His voice and message and then grant me the strength to obey it.
Dear Lord,
Help me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 1
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers." (Psalms 1:1)
We will be blessed if we stay away from evil - even hate it. It is okay to hate some things.
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." (1:2)
I need to focus on loving God's law, not just reading it, knowing it, or obeying it. Sometimes I do what I am supposed to do, because, well, I am supposed to. This motivation will not last long. I need to love what God loves and hate what He hates because I want to know Him and because I enjoy and delight in Him.
How can I do this?
First, I can meditate on God and His word. We are what we think about. If I am thinking more about God's word as I go, such as in the car, I will be able to hear Him speaking to me. I know I have had this experience where I was thinking about some verse on the way to or from work and all of a sudden I had this new insight that was very helpful. It is just like God speaking to me because I know that wasn't something I had ever thought of before.
Also, I need to delight in His word, really get enjoyment out of it. I think this is often different for each one of us. I love to read so that is one way I enjoy and delight in His word. I study it out. Others might find it in other ways but the bottom line is that we have to find out how we delight in something and transfer that to God and His word.
There are so many promises that are linked to these few directions. The ones highlighted in this verse are as follows:
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (1:3)
"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous." (1:6a)
The man who is able to delight in God's law will be blessed and I know that is what we all want. We will always bear fruit, we will make a difference, and all we do will prosper. What great promises.
God is faithful and He watches over the way of the righteous. He knows how to take care of me but I need to do my part. I need to be righteous. Enough of this worrying about circumstances, I need to worry about righteousness. God will take care of the rest! All the little troubles and inconveniences of the day are not lost to God. He knows and all things do work to the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We long to be pleasing to You but it is so easy to stray away. Help us to delight in Your word. Help us to make it our priority each day. Help us to truly seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Help us to meditate on Your law. We have had enough of the dry seasons and long to be trees planted by streams of water. We know You are able and You desire to do this. Grant us the strength and desire to do our part.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How am I walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the way of sinners, or sitting in the seat of mockers? How can I change this? Why am I doing this?
2. How can I delight in God's word? What ways do I find most effective? How can I begin to incorporate the meditation of scripture into my time with God or enhance it if I already do meditate?
3. What will my life be like when I am like this tree planted by streams of water? What do I envision for myself?
4. What am I attempting to accomplish in my life? Is it prospering? If not why? Am I not delighting in God in some way?
5. Do I believe God is watching over me? What holds me back from trusting Him? When do I find myself having the greatest confidence that God is watching over me? Why? How can I have this confidence more often?
Prayer Focus - Letter A
I always start my quiet time with a written prayer. I usually make most of it a letter of gratitude so that I can get my heart right so early in the morning or at any time really. This month I am doing something a little different. I am focusing on a different letter of the alphabet each morning to get a little diversity in my prayer life. Today was the letter A, of course, and I tried to think of five things I was grateful for that began with the letter A. Then I prayed for five people whose first or last name began with A. I prayed for a country or city beginning with the letter and then I prayed for a characteristic that I wanted to see grow in my family and I that began with A. It was a challenge and fun. Tomorrow I will do the same with the letter B. At the end of my prayer, I always ask God to let me hear His voice and message and then grant me the strength to obey it.
Dear Lord,
Help me to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 1
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers." (Psalms 1:1)
We will be blessed if we stay away from evil - even hate it. It is okay to hate some things.
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." (1:2)
I need to focus on loving God's law, not just reading it, knowing it, or obeying it. Sometimes I do what I am supposed to do, because, well, I am supposed to. This motivation will not last long. I need to love what God loves and hate what He hates because I want to know Him and because I enjoy and delight in Him.
How can I do this?
First, I can meditate on God and His word. We are what we think about. If I am thinking more about God's word as I go, such as in the car, I will be able to hear Him speaking to me. I know I have had this experience where I was thinking about some verse on the way to or from work and all of a sudden I had this new insight that was very helpful. It is just like God speaking to me because I know that wasn't something I had ever thought of before.
Also, I need to delight in His word, really get enjoyment out of it. I think this is often different for each one of us. I love to read so that is one way I enjoy and delight in His word. I study it out. Others might find it in other ways but the bottom line is that we have to find out how we delight in something and transfer that to God and His word.
There are so many promises that are linked to these few directions. The ones highlighted in this verse are as follows:
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (1:3)
"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous." (1:6a)
The man who is able to delight in God's law will be blessed and I know that is what we all want. We will always bear fruit, we will make a difference, and all we do will prosper. What great promises.
God is faithful and He watches over the way of the righteous. He knows how to take care of me but I need to do my part. I need to be righteous. Enough of this worrying about circumstances, I need to worry about righteousness. God will take care of the rest! All the little troubles and inconveniences of the day are not lost to God. He knows and all things do work to the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We long to be pleasing to You but it is so easy to stray away. Help us to delight in Your word. Help us to make it our priority each day. Help us to truly seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Help us to meditate on Your law. We have had enough of the dry seasons and long to be trees planted by streams of water. We know You are able and You desire to do this. Grant us the strength and desire to do our part.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How am I walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing in the way of sinners, or sitting in the seat of mockers? How can I change this? Why am I doing this?
2. How can I delight in God's word? What ways do I find most effective? How can I begin to incorporate the meditation of scripture into my time with God or enhance it if I already do meditate?
3. What will my life be like when I am like this tree planted by streams of water? What do I envision for myself?
4. What am I attempting to accomplish in my life? Is it prospering? If not why? Am I not delighting in God in some way?
5. Do I believe God is watching over me? What holds me back from trusting Him? When do I find myself having the greatest confidence that God is watching over me? Why? How can I have this confidence more often?
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