Prayer Focus - Wants
Day 1
Pray for:
One thing you want to understand about God
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 86
"Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to You. You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You.
The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life - men without regard for You. But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant Your strength to Your servant and save the son of Your maidservant. Give me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me." ( vs. 1-2, 14-17)
Sometimes we feel like we are being attacked on all fronts. We feel poor and needy and overwhelmed. I often find myself saying that my life is just too much for me, and I know there are so many people out there that have more difficulties than I do. But life can be overwhelming regardless. This is when it is good to remember who God is and meditate on His characteristics. God is good, always good and faithful, always faithful. He is slow to anger. He is strong. We also need to remember that He has given us a specific race to run that is already marked out for us. Everything is all in God's hands and He does know what He is doing.
God is also compassionate. He is not being mean to us when we face challenges. He is training us. I give my students a lot of work and push them because I want them to be excellent. I make them follow my directions so that they can become thorough and learn to complete projects. If I made things too easy for them, it would be as if I thought they were not intelligent enough or capable enough to do more. Difficulty is often a sign of the belief that one is able. God feels that we are able to handle whatever He has given to us. He knows exactly what we can take and He is faithful. He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (I Corinthians 10:13). He is training and disciplining us for our eternal benefit and also for His glory here on Earth. As we grow in our faith throughout our lives and through our struggles, we are being transformed and this points others to God as well.
God will also often push us to our limits because He wants us to rely on Him. As I go about my incredibly busy schedule, sometimes I look back and wonder how I got everything I did, done that day. I know it was only because of God because it seems too much for one person to accomplish. I laugh and think that I am walking on water. I do not know how long I can keep it up but I will focus on one day at a time and on the One who is able. He will grant me strength and He will save me. Each sunrise I see as I drive to work in the morning is His sign of goodness to me that I have another day. I am so grateful to be alive.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Continue to grant us Your strength. We are nothing without You. We appreciate all the signs of goodness that You bring us. The sunrises and sunsets remind us that we have another day. The ocean and mountains loom large and unfathomable. They are solid representations of the unchanging nature of You. We get so caught up in the now and forget to see You. When we look at You, everything else seems to fall away. Thank You for believing in us and for pushing us to be our best. We want to please You. We put our days in Your hands and we wait for Your salvation.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What is my view of God? What influences how I feel about Him? Why? How can I develop a more accurate vision of who He is?
2. Do I seek God's mercy and strength or am I trying to do it all on my own? What holds me back from relying on God? Why? When do I find I can easily trust God and when do I struggle with letting go?
3. What signs of God's goodness have I received? Do I miss some of God's signs? Why? How can I change my view of life so that I see the good more than the bad?
4. How do I feel about my struggles? Do I see them as an opportunity for growth and as training or do I blame God? Why? How can I improve my perspective?
5. Do I ever feel that God is not taking care of me or does not have control over the events of my life. How will trusting that nothing is outside of God's will affect how I react to difficulties?
Showing posts with label calling on God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calling on God. Show all posts
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Friday, September 25, 2015
Daily Devotional - 9/25/15 (1/25/10)
Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation
Day 7
Pray for:
One thing that you want to see improved in your relationship with God - (Love God)
One thing that you want to see improved in the way you relate to others - (with all your heart)
One past hurt that you want to see healed and overcome - (with all your soul)
One skill or topic you want to learn - (with all your mind)
One thing that you want to see improved about your health - (with all your strength)
One thing you want to do to help others around you - (Love your neighbor)
One thing you need to accept and be grateful for about yourself or your life - (as yourself)
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 85
"I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His people, His saints - but let them not return to folly. Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land." ( vs. 8-9)
"I will listen to God." Can I truly say that? Will I stop and hear. Will I stop listening to the world. So many messages bombard us day in and day out. We can even be sitting down to read our Bibles; trying to listen to God, but still walk away unchanged. I love the verse - "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10). Sometimes we just need to still everything. Sit and just be quiet for awhile. God does not speak in all the noise. He is the still small voice, the whisper. One story that always impacts me is the story of Elijah when he went to meet God. He had been fighting battles for God and then he became exhausted and depressed. God told him to go to a certain place, Mount Horeb, and there he would meet with God. When he was there, there was a great wind, and then an earthquake, and then a fire, but God was not in any of those things. After, the fire, there came a gentle whisper, and then Elijah knew it was God so he went out to speak with Him (I Kings 19). God is all around us but He is not loud. He speaks in whispers, it is up to us to hear and listen.
So when we finally hear God, what is He saying? He has blessings and commands. He promises peace yet He expects change. He has salvation and glory but He expects respect and honor. God has so much for us, but we must not go back to our old ways. This would be foolish but it is so tempting. We forget how miserable we were once we have cleaned up for awhile. We think things always must have been good for us and we think maybe it was better when we didn't have to worry about pleasing God, when we just did what we wanted to. We have to remember where we have come from. We must not put our hand to the plow and look back. God has salvation and everything else waiting for us. But it is up to us to respond and to do so correctly and consistently. This is when we will have peace. A Christian who is not in submission to God and His will and who has one foot in and one foot out of the kingdom of God will never experience peace. It is perhaps more frustrating than leaving God altogether. When we are finally all in, then we will see the glory of God.
"The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before Him and prepares the way for His steps." (vs. 12-13)
This is a bold statement. God will give what is good. There is no doubt about it in this psalm. Will we be able to receive it? That is the true question. God is faithful, we are not. The land will yield a harvest, but will we? Once again, it is not a question of God's ability or desire but of our obedience. Righteousness is necessary to prepare the way for God. Just as we read in an earlier psalm that praise helps bring about God's blessings, so it appears does righteousness. If I want to see my life yield a harvest, I must get myself ready to receive it by being righteous. God will only give what will be beneficial to me. He needs to see my desire to do and be right with Him. This is what God needs to see in order to bestow the blessings He wants to. By doing this, I am showing Him that I am ready to use His gifts appropriately and to use His blessings to give back to Him. He is always thinking long term and so must we. Let us prepare our lives for service and then see what happens. I believe it will astound us.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We need to listen to You. We will listen to You. Help us not to return to our folly. We have lived in it long enough. It does not produce the life we so desire. We long for peace. We do not want to look back. There is so much ahead to look to. Although the world often looks so dark, there is Your bright and shining light guiding us on. Help us to sow righteousness so that we may reap a harvest. We want our land, our lives, to yield a harvest. We know that is up to You but we need to do our part. Help us to work hard. We wait to see the good that You will give. You are great and we praise You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I still before God? Am I listening to Him? When is it hard for me to be still and listen? When is it easy? Do I obey what I hear?
2. Do I primarily have peace or frustration in my life? Am I looking back in any way to my old life? What areas seemed better then? Why? Is this the truth? What can I do to get my eyes focused forward and on God in a greater way?
3. Am I completely devoted to God or are there any parts of my life that I hold back from Him? What can I do about these areas if there are any? Am I devoted to His kingdom? How can I be more devoted?
4. Is my life yielding a harvest? Why or why not? What can I do to change or do better to be more fruitful?
5. Am I living a life that God can bless? In what ways am I being righteous? In what ways am I not? How can I improve? What is the necessary that I need to start doing? What is the possible in my life? What is holding me back from doing my all?
Day 7
Pray for:
One thing that you want to see improved in your relationship with God - (Love God)
One thing that you want to see improved in the way you relate to others - (with all your heart)
One past hurt that you want to see healed and overcome - (with all your soul)
One skill or topic you want to learn - (with all your mind)
One thing that you want to see improved about your health - (with all your strength)
One thing you want to do to help others around you - (Love your neighbor)
One thing you need to accept and be grateful for about yourself or your life - (as yourself)
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 85
"I will listen to what God the Lord will say; He promises peace to His people, His saints - but let them not return to folly. Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land." ( vs. 8-9)
"I will listen to God." Can I truly say that? Will I stop and hear. Will I stop listening to the world. So many messages bombard us day in and day out. We can even be sitting down to read our Bibles; trying to listen to God, but still walk away unchanged. I love the verse - "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10). Sometimes we just need to still everything. Sit and just be quiet for awhile. God does not speak in all the noise. He is the still small voice, the whisper. One story that always impacts me is the story of Elijah when he went to meet God. He had been fighting battles for God and then he became exhausted and depressed. God told him to go to a certain place, Mount Horeb, and there he would meet with God. When he was there, there was a great wind, and then an earthquake, and then a fire, but God was not in any of those things. After, the fire, there came a gentle whisper, and then Elijah knew it was God so he went out to speak with Him (I Kings 19). God is all around us but He is not loud. He speaks in whispers, it is up to us to hear and listen.
So when we finally hear God, what is He saying? He has blessings and commands. He promises peace yet He expects change. He has salvation and glory but He expects respect and honor. God has so much for us, but we must not go back to our old ways. This would be foolish but it is so tempting. We forget how miserable we were once we have cleaned up for awhile. We think things always must have been good for us and we think maybe it was better when we didn't have to worry about pleasing God, when we just did what we wanted to. We have to remember where we have come from. We must not put our hand to the plow and look back. God has salvation and everything else waiting for us. But it is up to us to respond and to do so correctly and consistently. This is when we will have peace. A Christian who is not in submission to God and His will and who has one foot in and one foot out of the kingdom of God will never experience peace. It is perhaps more frustrating than leaving God altogether. When we are finally all in, then we will see the glory of God.
"The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before Him and prepares the way for His steps." (vs. 12-13)
This is a bold statement. God will give what is good. There is no doubt about it in this psalm. Will we be able to receive it? That is the true question. God is faithful, we are not. The land will yield a harvest, but will we? Once again, it is not a question of God's ability or desire but of our obedience. Righteousness is necessary to prepare the way for God. Just as we read in an earlier psalm that praise helps bring about God's blessings, so it appears does righteousness. If I want to see my life yield a harvest, I must get myself ready to receive it by being righteous. God will only give what will be beneficial to me. He needs to see my desire to do and be right with Him. This is what God needs to see in order to bestow the blessings He wants to. By doing this, I am showing Him that I am ready to use His gifts appropriately and to use His blessings to give back to Him. He is always thinking long term and so must we. Let us prepare our lives for service and then see what happens. I believe it will astound us.
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible"
St. Francis of Assisi
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We need to listen to You. We will listen to You. Help us not to return to our folly. We have lived in it long enough. It does not produce the life we so desire. We long for peace. We do not want to look back. There is so much ahead to look to. Although the world often looks so dark, there is Your bright and shining light guiding us on. Help us to sow righteousness so that we may reap a harvest. We want our land, our lives, to yield a harvest. We know that is up to You but we need to do our part. Help us to work hard. We wait to see the good that You will give. You are great and we praise You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I still before God? Am I listening to Him? When is it hard for me to be still and listen? When is it easy? Do I obey what I hear?
2. Do I primarily have peace or frustration in my life? Am I looking back in any way to my old life? What areas seemed better then? Why? Is this the truth? What can I do to get my eyes focused forward and on God in a greater way?
3. Am I completely devoted to God or are there any parts of my life that I hold back from Him? What can I do about these areas if there are any? Am I devoted to His kingdom? How can I be more devoted?
4. Is my life yielding a harvest? Why or why not? What can I do to change or do better to be more fruitful?
5. Am I living a life that God can bless? In what ways am I being righteous? In what ways am I not? How can I improve? What is the necessary that I need to start doing? What is the possible in my life? What is holding me back from doing my all?
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Daily Devotional - 9/10/15 (11/10/15)
Prayer Focus - Gratitude
Day 6
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
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 70
"But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, 'Let God be exalted!' Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer;." ( vs. 4-5)
There is so much to rejoice and be glad about concerning God. His salvation is awesome and comforting, but sometimes, we are still poor and needy. In spite of all the good things, we find ourselves down and struggling. Our temptation is to hide away and lick our wounds at this time, but we need to not run away from God. We need to pray to Him and run to Him. We need to beg Him to come to us quickly. He will be our help and deliverer. He is not out to kick us when we are down. That is the world and sometimes what we have also experienced in our families and growing up, but it is not what we will find with God. He is not embarrassed by our weakness. We are not less because of our lack of perfection, in contrast, this is when God can work the most. Let us throw away our pride and run for help. It is okay. It is expected.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are weak. Even in our best of times, we are still weak and small and insignificant. Help us to remember this in the good times and help us to cling to this in the bad times. Help us to remember that You are the God of miracles. You are the God that calls things that are not as though they were. You are the God that turns our weaknesses into strengths. Help us to run to You and not away from You when we are struggling. We all struggle at times. It is lonely if we do not turn to You and the comforts that You provide through Your people and Your word. You are here for us. Help us to turn to You. Come quickly to us before we fade away.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Are there times when I feel down even when things are going well? What causes this in my life?
2. When I am feeling down, do I run to God or away? How does my past experiences affect my present relationship with God in these circumstances? What verses can I meditate on to help me change my thinking?
3. What situations make me feel down and needy? What am I struggling with right now that could draw me away from God?
4. Am I dealing with my troubles in a spiritual way? Do I need to rely more on God in prayer, scripture reading, or fellowship to deal with my needs and weaknesses? What is keeping me from doing what I need to do? What will I change to get the help I need?
5. Am I rejoicing? What do I have to rejoice about? How can I keep a positive focus?
Day 6
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
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 70
"But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, 'Let God be exalted!' Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer;." ( vs. 4-5)
There is so much to rejoice and be glad about concerning God. His salvation is awesome and comforting, but sometimes, we are still poor and needy. In spite of all the good things, we find ourselves down and struggling. Our temptation is to hide away and lick our wounds at this time, but we need to not run away from God. We need to pray to Him and run to Him. We need to beg Him to come to us quickly. He will be our help and deliverer. He is not out to kick us when we are down. That is the world and sometimes what we have also experienced in our families and growing up, but it is not what we will find with God. He is not embarrassed by our weakness. We are not less because of our lack of perfection, in contrast, this is when God can work the most. Let us throw away our pride and run for help. It is okay. It is expected.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are weak. Even in our best of times, we are still weak and small and insignificant. Help us to remember this in the good times and help us to cling to this in the bad times. Help us to remember that You are the God of miracles. You are the God that calls things that are not as though they were. You are the God that turns our weaknesses into strengths. Help us to run to You and not away from You when we are struggling. We all struggle at times. It is lonely if we do not turn to You and the comforts that You provide through Your people and Your word. You are here for us. Help us to turn to You. Come quickly to us before we fade away.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Are there times when I feel down even when things are going well? What causes this in my life?
2. When I am feeling down, do I run to God or away? How does my past experiences affect my present relationship with God in these circumstances? What verses can I meditate on to help me change my thinking?
3. What situations make me feel down and needy? What am I struggling with right now that could draw me away from God?
4. Am I dealing with my troubles in a spiritual way? Do I need to rely more on God in prayer, scripture reading, or fellowship to deal with my needs and weaknesses? What is keeping me from doing what I need to do? What will I change to get the help I need?
5. Am I rejoicing? What do I have to rejoice about? How can I keep a positive focus?
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/25/15 (10/25/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 4
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 55
"Listen to my prayer , O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger" (vs. 1 - 3)
The voice of the enemy. What a disturbing thought. Satan does speaks to us, often in our thoughts. Random strange thoughts that we wonder about and think "Where did that come from". Ideas that we know are not good for us. Temptations. Satan prowls like a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8-9) and we are definitely in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). We forget so easily about this and then we are easy victims for the evil forces that surround us. We think that our thoughts are just our thoughts, and so why shouldn't we indulge them. Why should we be so strict with ourselves, we reason. No one knows what I am thinking about so what will it matter? What will be the consequences? What will this one thought do?
But this is where all sin starts. It starts with just a thought indulged, a small desire, that over time grows and grows. James 1: 13 - 15 states, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Satan plants a little thought like - "I never do anything right" - in our heads and then we begin to dwell on it. Soon we are angry and frustrated. This eventually becomes depression and negativity. We stop functioning properly and become completely inward focused. Satan has won, all from that little thought. Or how about - my husband/wife doesn't act like he/she loves me. We take that thought which might run through our head and begin to dwell on it. Soon, our husbands/wives are the worst individuals alive and we are so upset that we respond very negatively towards them as well. And it gets worse from there.
We have to recognize that there is an enemy and it is not another human being. I repeat Ephesians 6: 12 ("For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms") almost daily so that I will remember that I am not fighting my husband, my children, my students, or even myself. I am fighting a spiritual enemy. There is more to this world than we can see. We have to remember that the next time someone is being mean to us or there is an irritating situation at work or at home. It is Satan trying to get at us and he will use whatever will work best. He knows what pushes our buttons. So since we know that we will hear his voice, that this is a definite reality, then we need to take every thought captive (II Cor. 10:3-5). This is where the battle starts. The victory in our lives will be won day by day here. We must take our thoughts captive, and then we need to take the next step - "Call on God".
"But I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." (vs. 16 -18)
We are in a spiritual battle, and although we are called to be spiritual warriors, we cannot win this struggle by ourselves. We are no match for Satan and we should not even try to battle him alone. We need God to win the battle. We need God's word and we need an active prayer life. We need to be calling out to God continuously - morning, noon, and night. God will hear us, but we have to call out to Him. We need to plead with Him. He will ransom us from this spiritual battle when we pray. His armies are much greater than Satan's.
There is a story in II Kings about Elisha and his servant that always encourages me. The town that Elisha was staying in was surrounded by the troops of the king of Aram. It appeared hopeless when seen with human eyes and Elisha's servant was terrified. Elisha comforted him and told him not to be afraid because the warriors of God were more numerous that the troops of Aram. Then he prayed for the servant's eyes to be opened. When the servant looked again to the hills, he saw them full of horses and chariots of fire. The troops of Aram were then miraculously over come. When I look at this story and the many others in the Old Testament, I realize that God is bigger than all of the struggles I face. I just do not always look in a spiritual way for the victories. (II Kings 6:8-23) I must go to God, and cling to God to win the battle.
"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall...But as for me, I trust in You." (vs. 22, 23b)
Finally, let us cast our worries on the Lord because He does care for us and He will sustain us. He will never let the righteous fall. Let us be righteous, and let us choose God. Let us be able to say like the psalmist, "Despite what is going on around me and even if no one else is willing to follow You anymore, God, I trust in You! I will follow."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We hear the voice of the enemy and often we don't recognize that it is an enemy at all. Help us to discern our thoughts and help us to take every thought captive. We know that what we dwell on impacts our lives and our actions. We want to dwell on what is wholesome, good, and lovely. Let us direct our thoughts to whatever is honorable and right. Guard our hearts and our minds and help us to turn continually to You for the help and the strength that we need to stand firm in this spiritual battle. Make us into mighty warriors, Father, because we know that that is what You desire for us. We desire it as well. You desire the victory for us and for others. Help us to be part of the solution. We are casting our cares onto You and turning to You. We know that You will ransom us and we will do our part as well. You are great. You are our God.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I recognize that Satan can feed me thoughts? Am I taking captive every thought and striving to dwell on what is good?
2. What thoughts from Satan am I especially prone to grab hold of and dwell on? What thoughts and verses can I use to counteract them?
3. Am I praying morning, noon, and night? What can I do to remind myself to pray more and especially at these three times? Where do I pray best? When have I felt most connected to God in prayer? How can I duplicate these times?
4. What cares do I need to cast on God in prayer? What verses can I memorize and meditate on that will remind me how much God does care for me?
5. Am I committed to trusting God no matter what happens? What would make me hesitate in my trust in God? What has made me turn back/look back in the past, even if it was just in my heart?
Day 4
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 55
"Listen to my prayer , O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger" (vs. 1 - 3)
The voice of the enemy. What a disturbing thought. Satan does speaks to us, often in our thoughts. Random strange thoughts that we wonder about and think "Where did that come from". Ideas that we know are not good for us. Temptations. Satan prowls like a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8-9) and we are definitely in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). We forget so easily about this and then we are easy victims for the evil forces that surround us. We think that our thoughts are just our thoughts, and so why shouldn't we indulge them. Why should we be so strict with ourselves, we reason. No one knows what I am thinking about so what will it matter? What will be the consequences? What will this one thought do?
But this is where all sin starts. It starts with just a thought indulged, a small desire, that over time grows and grows. James 1: 13 - 15 states, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Satan plants a little thought like - "I never do anything right" - in our heads and then we begin to dwell on it. Soon we are angry and frustrated. This eventually becomes depression and negativity. We stop functioning properly and become completely inward focused. Satan has won, all from that little thought. Or how about - my husband/wife doesn't act like he/she loves me. We take that thought which might run through our head and begin to dwell on it. Soon, our husbands/wives are the worst individuals alive and we are so upset that we respond very negatively towards them as well. And it gets worse from there.
We have to recognize that there is an enemy and it is not another human being. I repeat Ephesians 6: 12 ("For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms") almost daily so that I will remember that I am not fighting my husband, my children, my students, or even myself. I am fighting a spiritual enemy. There is more to this world than we can see. We have to remember that the next time someone is being mean to us or there is an irritating situation at work or at home. It is Satan trying to get at us and he will use whatever will work best. He knows what pushes our buttons. So since we know that we will hear his voice, that this is a definite reality, then we need to take every thought captive (II Cor. 10:3-5). This is where the battle starts. The victory in our lives will be won day by day here. We must take our thoughts captive, and then we need to take the next step - "Call on God".
"But I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." (vs. 16 -18)
We are in a spiritual battle, and although we are called to be spiritual warriors, we cannot win this struggle by ourselves. We are no match for Satan and we should not even try to battle him alone. We need God to win the battle. We need God's word and we need an active prayer life. We need to be calling out to God continuously - morning, noon, and night. God will hear us, but we have to call out to Him. We need to plead with Him. He will ransom us from this spiritual battle when we pray. His armies are much greater than Satan's.
There is a story in II Kings about Elisha and his servant that always encourages me. The town that Elisha was staying in was surrounded by the troops of the king of Aram. It appeared hopeless when seen with human eyes and Elisha's servant was terrified. Elisha comforted him and told him not to be afraid because the warriors of God were more numerous that the troops of Aram. Then he prayed for the servant's eyes to be opened. When the servant looked again to the hills, he saw them full of horses and chariots of fire. The troops of Aram were then miraculously over come. When I look at this story and the many others in the Old Testament, I realize that God is bigger than all of the struggles I face. I just do not always look in a spiritual way for the victories. (II Kings 6:8-23) I must go to God, and cling to God to win the battle.
"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall...But as for me, I trust in You." (vs. 22, 23b)
Finally, let us cast our worries on the Lord because He does care for us and He will sustain us. He will never let the righteous fall. Let us be righteous, and let us choose God. Let us be able to say like the psalmist, "Despite what is going on around me and even if no one else is willing to follow You anymore, God, I trust in You! I will follow."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We hear the voice of the enemy and often we don't recognize that it is an enemy at all. Help us to discern our thoughts and help us to take every thought captive. We know that what we dwell on impacts our lives and our actions. We want to dwell on what is wholesome, good, and lovely. Let us direct our thoughts to whatever is honorable and right. Guard our hearts and our minds and help us to turn continually to You for the help and the strength that we need to stand firm in this spiritual battle. Make us into mighty warriors, Father, because we know that that is what You desire for us. We desire it as well. You desire the victory for us and for others. Help us to be part of the solution. We are casting our cares onto You and turning to You. We know that You will ransom us and we will do our part as well. You are great. You are our God.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I recognize that Satan can feed me thoughts? Am I taking captive every thought and striving to dwell on what is good?
2. What thoughts from Satan am I especially prone to grab hold of and dwell on? What thoughts and verses can I use to counteract them?
3. Am I praying morning, noon, and night? What can I do to remind myself to pray more and especially at these three times? Where do I pray best? When have I felt most connected to God in prayer? How can I duplicate these times?
4. What cares do I need to cast on God in prayer? What verses can I memorize and meditate on that will remind me how much God does care for me?
5. Am I committed to trusting God no matter what happens? What would make me hesitate in my trust in God? What has made me turn back/look back in the past, even if it was just in my heart?
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/23/15 (10/23/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 2
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 53
"God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread and who do not call on God? There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread."
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad." ( vs. 2 - 5a, 6)
When we think about our lives and the lives of those around us, we see a lot of failure. Even the best of us, those of us who are really trying to be good, fail; sometimes miserably. What is interesting, however, is that, although the Bible speaks of the universality of sin, it also differentiates between those who sin. The psalms consistently speak of a difference between people. There are the "evildoers" and there are the "righteous". Yet we all have turned away and become corrupt this passage says. This seems contradictory but the psalmist in this psalm outlines two ways that we can become what is referred to as "evildoers".
The first way to become an "evildoers" is to use others ("Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread"). We eat bread. We use it to stay alive. So someone who is devouring people in this way must be using them to get what they need. I know in the past I have used people. I am not proud of this but I think it is probably more widespread than we would like to admit. How often do we call someone only when we need something from them. Isn't that a form of using them? We are not thinking of them or of how they are doing. We are only thinking of what we need. How about in our conversations? Are they all about us and what we are going through? Do we use others as a dumping ground and then leave after we feel better? Isn't that using others? I am sure that we could come up with even more ideas of how we do this. Take for example our involvement in church, our work, or even our citizenship. Are we focused more on what we are getting out of our church services or our small groups rather than what we are giving to them? At our work, are we known to be someone who gets involved and gives their best or are we just getting a paycheck. How about as citizens of our country? Are we just taking the benefits and not getting involved to help others and make the world a better place to live in? We need to stop being takers and users and start being givers if we do not want to become "evildoers". I know I do. Righteous people give. There are so many passages in the Bible about giving. This is one of the key differences that we have to pay attention to. We are by nature selfish so we need to deal with this daily. It is not something that will just go away once we make a commitment to God.
The second way to become an "evildoers" mentioned in this passage is to not acknowledge and turn to God (and who do not call on God). This little phrase is so easy to just read over and not pay that much attention too. It doesn't seem that serious. We can tell ourselves we are okay with God because we don't do any of the "BIG" sins like murder or adultery but here is this seemingly insignificant thing listed instead. Not calling on God or paying attention to Him is actually the root from which all the other sins grow out of. Because we do not value God, we do not care what we do to others or what we engage in. When we value God and are turning to Him on a regular basis, we do not want to do wrong. It is so easy to not call on God though. It is easy to not pray or listen to God. Often, no one even knows. Rarely do people ask us how we are doing spiritually these days. It is just not the focus of our society. If we are being selfish, someone usually is affected by it and we tend to feel worse about being mean but not calling on God is all within us. We can cover it up for quite awhile, perhaps even a whole lifetime.
But using people and not calling on God does have consequences. In eternity, there will be consequences, but here on earth right now as we live, we will also suffer. I believe these things cause dread. They cause an unsettled feeling to stay with us. Almost as if we are always looking over our shoulder; always worried about what people know or will find out. So when we are stressed out and feeling a nameless sense of dread about life, it is a good idea for us to look for these two qualities in our lives. There will not always be one of these issues at the root of our feelings but sometimes there will be a connection. I know when I make a deeper inspection of myself when I am feeling uneasy, I usually find some sin, selfishness, or abandonment of God occurring. Once I turn back to Him, and draw near again, the sense of dread disappears. Sin does make us feel guilty. Our consciences and the feelings of guilt we have sometimes were put in us by God and they help us to come back to Him. We need to stop searing our consciences and accept that they are there and that they are there for a good reason. Thank God we can change and deal with our lives and our characters. I am grateful that God can enable us to overcome our sinful natures and that He can transform us. We will feel peace when we walk with God. He is a God of peace. Salvation will come out of Zion. He can and will do it and we will feel joy.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do not want to be evildoers. As we look at the attitudes of our hearts and our actions, we pray that they will be those of a giver and not of a taker. We do not want to use people, even if it is advantageous to us. Help us to not think like the world does because to the world this is normal behavior. Help us to rise above and strive each and every day to be like Jesus. Although He was a part of You, He did not claim equality with You but made Himself nothing and became a servant to us all. He went the ultimate distance in dying for us and He calls us to do the same. Help us to rise to the challenge.
We also ask Your forgiveness for all of the times that we have not called on You. We get tired, weak, or lazy at times and neglect You, our ultimate power source. Help us to remember that it is all about You and not about us. We want to pray more. We want to commune with You and walk each day with You. Help us to not be so distracted. Our flesh is so weak. We are tired of walking around in dread. There is nothing to dread. There is no virus, no foreign government, no debt, not problem bigger than You. There is nothing to dread and here we are dreading. Forgive us and help us to turn away from this faithlessness and sin. You are here. You have always been here. Help us to see You in all that we do. You are surely woven into life. We pray for peace.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Have I used people in the past? What can I do to make amends? Can I see any situations where I am using people presently? Why do I do this? How can I stop?
2. Am I a giver or a taker in my relationships? Am I a giver or taker in my church, work, and social environment? What evidence is there for what I think I am? What can I do to become more of a giver?
3. Am I calling on God on a regular basis? How is my prayer life? Do I go to God first, or my friends? What can I do to improve my reliance on God?
4. Am I at peace or am I consistently in a state of dread? Do I have reason to dread? What am I fearing? Is God able to handle it?
5. Is there something I need to clear up/ resolve or repent of to eliminate the sense of dread that I am experiencing? What will I do to deal with this? When will I deal with it? If there is not an issue, how can I turn to God and trust Him more?
Day 2
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 53
"God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread and who do not call on God? There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread."
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad." ( vs. 2 - 5a, 6)
When we think about our lives and the lives of those around us, we see a lot of failure. Even the best of us, those of us who are really trying to be good, fail; sometimes miserably. What is interesting, however, is that, although the Bible speaks of the universality of sin, it also differentiates between those who sin. The psalms consistently speak of a difference between people. There are the "evildoers" and there are the "righteous". Yet we all have turned away and become corrupt this passage says. This seems contradictory but the psalmist in this psalm outlines two ways that we can become what is referred to as "evildoers".
The first way to become an "evildoers" is to use others ("Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread"). We eat bread. We use it to stay alive. So someone who is devouring people in this way must be using them to get what they need. I know in the past I have used people. I am not proud of this but I think it is probably more widespread than we would like to admit. How often do we call someone only when we need something from them. Isn't that a form of using them? We are not thinking of them or of how they are doing. We are only thinking of what we need. How about in our conversations? Are they all about us and what we are going through? Do we use others as a dumping ground and then leave after we feel better? Isn't that using others? I am sure that we could come up with even more ideas of how we do this. Take for example our involvement in church, our work, or even our citizenship. Are we focused more on what we are getting out of our church services or our small groups rather than what we are giving to them? At our work, are we known to be someone who gets involved and gives their best or are we just getting a paycheck. How about as citizens of our country? Are we just taking the benefits and not getting involved to help others and make the world a better place to live in? We need to stop being takers and users and start being givers if we do not want to become "evildoers". I know I do. Righteous people give. There are so many passages in the Bible about giving. This is one of the key differences that we have to pay attention to. We are by nature selfish so we need to deal with this daily. It is not something that will just go away once we make a commitment to God.
The second way to become an "evildoers" mentioned in this passage is to not acknowledge and turn to God (and who do not call on God). This little phrase is so easy to just read over and not pay that much attention too. It doesn't seem that serious. We can tell ourselves we are okay with God because we don't do any of the "BIG" sins like murder or adultery but here is this seemingly insignificant thing listed instead. Not calling on God or paying attention to Him is actually the root from which all the other sins grow out of. Because we do not value God, we do not care what we do to others or what we engage in. When we value God and are turning to Him on a regular basis, we do not want to do wrong. It is so easy to not call on God though. It is easy to not pray or listen to God. Often, no one even knows. Rarely do people ask us how we are doing spiritually these days. It is just not the focus of our society. If we are being selfish, someone usually is affected by it and we tend to feel worse about being mean but not calling on God is all within us. We can cover it up for quite awhile, perhaps even a whole lifetime.
But using people and not calling on God does have consequences. In eternity, there will be consequences, but here on earth right now as we live, we will also suffer. I believe these things cause dread. They cause an unsettled feeling to stay with us. Almost as if we are always looking over our shoulder; always worried about what people know or will find out. So when we are stressed out and feeling a nameless sense of dread about life, it is a good idea for us to look for these two qualities in our lives. There will not always be one of these issues at the root of our feelings but sometimes there will be a connection. I know when I make a deeper inspection of myself when I am feeling uneasy, I usually find some sin, selfishness, or abandonment of God occurring. Once I turn back to Him, and draw near again, the sense of dread disappears. Sin does make us feel guilty. Our consciences and the feelings of guilt we have sometimes were put in us by God and they help us to come back to Him. We need to stop searing our consciences and accept that they are there and that they are there for a good reason. Thank God we can change and deal with our lives and our characters. I am grateful that God can enable us to overcome our sinful natures and that He can transform us. We will feel peace when we walk with God. He is a God of peace. Salvation will come out of Zion. He can and will do it and we will feel joy.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do not want to be evildoers. As we look at the attitudes of our hearts and our actions, we pray that they will be those of a giver and not of a taker. We do not want to use people, even if it is advantageous to us. Help us to not think like the world does because to the world this is normal behavior. Help us to rise above and strive each and every day to be like Jesus. Although He was a part of You, He did not claim equality with You but made Himself nothing and became a servant to us all. He went the ultimate distance in dying for us and He calls us to do the same. Help us to rise to the challenge.
We also ask Your forgiveness for all of the times that we have not called on You. We get tired, weak, or lazy at times and neglect You, our ultimate power source. Help us to remember that it is all about You and not about us. We want to pray more. We want to commune with You and walk each day with You. Help us to not be so distracted. Our flesh is so weak. We are tired of walking around in dread. There is nothing to dread. There is no virus, no foreign government, no debt, not problem bigger than You. There is nothing to dread and here we are dreading. Forgive us and help us to turn away from this faithlessness and sin. You are here. You have always been here. Help us to see You in all that we do. You are surely woven into life. We pray for peace.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Have I used people in the past? What can I do to make amends? Can I see any situations where I am using people presently? Why do I do this? How can I stop?
2. Am I a giver or a taker in my relationships? Am I a giver or taker in my church, work, and social environment? What evidence is there for what I think I am? What can I do to become more of a giver?
3. Am I calling on God on a regular basis? How is my prayer life? Do I go to God first, or my friends? What can I do to improve my reliance on God?
4. Am I at peace or am I consistently in a state of dread? Do I have reason to dread? What am I fearing? Is God able to handle it?
5. Is there something I need to clear up/ resolve or repent of to eliminate the sense of dread that I am experiencing? What will I do to deal with this? When will I deal with it? If there is not an issue, how can I turn to God and trust Him more?
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Daily Devotional - 1/20/13 (10/20/09)
Prayer Focus - Friends
Day 6
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 50
"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors Me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." (vs. 23)
What is it that God requires? Sacrifice, work, hardship, toughing it out, denying ourselves, piety? We have many ideas in our heads, but God's words drown them out.
"God comes and will not be silent...Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
Then what does He say to us?
"Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me." ( vs 14-15)
The foremost thing on God's mind is thank offerings. He wants us to be thankful; to rejoice always. He says it again, Rejoice. When we rejoice, all the rest flows out naturally. Living our lives as a Christian is not a burden when we have a grateful heart. I know I gladly do things for those I appreciate; those to whom I am grateful for. When I lose gratitude for God and others, then everything becomes a burdensome chore. Besides enabling us to fulfill the rest of our vows, the thankfulness of our hearts honor God.
We must no longer think of this as an optional tenant of Christianity. I must be thankful. It is so easy to be ungrateful and complaining. It seems to be natural for us. But negative thinking spirals us down to depression and futility. Positive, grateful hearts enable us to see God and the ways He has laid out to help us in any and every situation. My gratitude and thanks enable God to usher in His salvation. The road to victory is paved with thanks. Let us call out to God in our times of trouble and do it with rejoicing since we are blessed to even have a life to be struggling with. God will answer.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank You for giving us life. We are grateful to exist and we are grateful that You care for us. Help us to remember that our gratitude opens the doors for Your salvation. Help us to not be like the Isrealites that wandered for years in the desert because of their ingratitude and unfaithfulness. They continued to complain in spite of all the miracles You brought to them. We can be no different. We want to amaze You with our faith and our good attitudes and happy hearts. We ask for Your strength and blessing as we strive to be pleasing to You in each and every moment of our days. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I sacrificing thank offerings to God? How often do I thank God for something?
2. Am I fulfilling my vows to God? What vows have I made to God? What do I need to change to fulfill them more completely?
3. Am I calling upon God in my times of trouble? Who do I turn to first when I am having a problem? Is it God or a friend/spouse?
4. Am I seeing victories in my life? What is my mental attitude like?
5. Do I see any correlation between when I am positive and grateful and when I see victories/ success in my life? If so, how can I do a better job at sustaining my gratitude level?
Day 6
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 50
"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors Me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." (vs. 23)
What is it that God requires? Sacrifice, work, hardship, toughing it out, denying ourselves, piety? We have many ideas in our heads, but God's words drown them out.
"God comes and will not be silent...Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
Then what does He say to us?
"Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me." ( vs 14-15)
The foremost thing on God's mind is thank offerings. He wants us to be thankful; to rejoice always. He says it again, Rejoice. When we rejoice, all the rest flows out naturally. Living our lives as a Christian is not a burden when we have a grateful heart. I know I gladly do things for those I appreciate; those to whom I am grateful for. When I lose gratitude for God and others, then everything becomes a burdensome chore. Besides enabling us to fulfill the rest of our vows, the thankfulness of our hearts honor God.
We must no longer think of this as an optional tenant of Christianity. I must be thankful. It is so easy to be ungrateful and complaining. It seems to be natural for us. But negative thinking spirals us down to depression and futility. Positive, grateful hearts enable us to see God and the ways He has laid out to help us in any and every situation. My gratitude and thanks enable God to usher in His salvation. The road to victory is paved with thanks. Let us call out to God in our times of trouble and do it with rejoicing since we are blessed to even have a life to be struggling with. God will answer.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank You for giving us life. We are grateful to exist and we are grateful that You care for us. Help us to remember that our gratitude opens the doors for Your salvation. Help us to not be like the Isrealites that wandered for years in the desert because of their ingratitude and unfaithfulness. They continued to complain in spite of all the miracles You brought to them. We can be no different. We want to amaze You with our faith and our good attitudes and happy hearts. We ask for Your strength and blessing as we strive to be pleasing to You in each and every moment of our days. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I sacrificing thank offerings to God? How often do I thank God for something?
2. Am I fulfilling my vows to God? What vows have I made to God? What do I need to change to fulfill them more completely?
3. Am I calling upon God in my times of trouble? Who do I turn to first when I am having a problem? Is it God or a friend/spouse?
4. Am I seeing victories in my life? What is my mental attitude like?
5. Do I see any correlation between when I am positive and grateful and when I see victories/ success in my life? If so, how can I do a better job at sustaining my gratitude level?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/20/10 (9/20/09)
Focus Letter - T
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 and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 20
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm." (vs. 7)
Even the most distrusting of us trust in something. It is really the defining element of our lives - what we trust in. For some it is career. We sink our souls and hopes in a job. It is who we are. It gives us authority. For some it is a spouse. We pour all of our love and devotion into that other person and expect them to bring us happiness and security. For some it is money. They rely on their cash to buy them happiness and friends. For some it is their physical health and strength. They work out, eat right, and focus on their appearance in the search for eternal youth. For others it is pleasure. That continual high of excitement and fun. They search for the next good time to keep them going. There is something for everyone whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Unfortunately all of these things will fail us at some time or another. They may succeed in bringing us what we seek for awhile but in the end they all fail.
There is only one who never fails and that is God. If we trust in the Lord our God we will rise up and stand firm. God will save us in the end.
And why do we trust? We were created to trust. We need to trust because if we are honest with ourselves, there are holes within us; gaps and spaces that need filling. Emptiness exists and the desire for security that resides in our souls eludes us. We know that we can do nothing to ensure we wake up tomorrow (Luke 12: 13-21). We know that time and chance happen to all of us (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12). We know that whether rich or poor, wise or foolish, all alike die (Psalms 49). We know about uncertainty but we do not like to dwell on it. We find what works for us or at least what we think works and we cling onto it. We create our version of the world and how it works. We find our truth. The problem with that is, however, truth is not relative. There is absolute truth. As surely as the sun is still shining on a cloudy day, truth is still shining whether we believe it or not.
And so we trust in something because we need to. That is why there has always been false gods throughout the ages and though we do not have images we bow down to today, we bow down regardless. We need a God, a Lord, and a Saviour. Psalms 20 states why. We need answers and protection (vs. 1). We need help and support (vs. 2). We need to be remembered and accepted (vs. 3). We need to have our desires filled and our plans validated (vs. 4). We need to celebrate victory and have a cause to live for (vs. 5). Finally, we need to have our prayers and requests heard (vs. 5). These are inborn desires and needs that we search to have filled. God put those desires there and He knows best how to fulfill them.
If we trust in Him, we will see them fulfilled and then we can know as the psalmist knew that the Lord does save His people and He does answer from Heaven. He will answer when we call.
Verses for reference:
"May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect You. May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests." (vs. 1-5)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that we can trust in You. We have trusted in so many things over the course of our life and they have not fulfilled us completely. Only You can do that. We are grateful for all the blessings that come with a relationship with You. You will answer us when we call.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What am I trusting in? How do I know? Is it fulfilling me?
2. Of all the needs mentioned in Psalms 20, which is my greatest right now? How can I turn to God to fulfill this need?
3. What concrete steps can I take to trust God more? Who can I ask help or advice from about this?
4. How can I celebrate the victories God has brought into my life? Why is this important?
5. Do I believe in absolute truth? Why or why not? Where do I find my truth? Do I believe the Bible is truth? Why or why not?
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 and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 20
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm." (vs. 7)
Even the most distrusting of us trust in something. It is really the defining element of our lives - what we trust in. For some it is career. We sink our souls and hopes in a job. It is who we are. It gives us authority. For some it is a spouse. We pour all of our love and devotion into that other person and expect them to bring us happiness and security. For some it is money. They rely on their cash to buy them happiness and friends. For some it is their physical health and strength. They work out, eat right, and focus on their appearance in the search for eternal youth. For others it is pleasure. That continual high of excitement and fun. They search for the next good time to keep them going. There is something for everyone whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Unfortunately all of these things will fail us at some time or another. They may succeed in bringing us what we seek for awhile but in the end they all fail.
There is only one who never fails and that is God. If we trust in the Lord our God we will rise up and stand firm. God will save us in the end.
And why do we trust? We were created to trust. We need to trust because if we are honest with ourselves, there are holes within us; gaps and spaces that need filling. Emptiness exists and the desire for security that resides in our souls eludes us. We know that we can do nothing to ensure we wake up tomorrow (Luke 12: 13-21). We know that time and chance happen to all of us (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12). We know that whether rich or poor, wise or foolish, all alike die (Psalms 49). We know about uncertainty but we do not like to dwell on it. We find what works for us or at least what we think works and we cling onto it. We create our version of the world and how it works. We find our truth. The problem with that is, however, truth is not relative. There is absolute truth. As surely as the sun is still shining on a cloudy day, truth is still shining whether we believe it or not.
And so we trust in something because we need to. That is why there has always been false gods throughout the ages and though we do not have images we bow down to today, we bow down regardless. We need a God, a Lord, and a Saviour. Psalms 20 states why. We need answers and protection (vs. 1). We need help and support (vs. 2). We need to be remembered and accepted (vs. 3). We need to have our desires filled and our plans validated (vs. 4). We need to celebrate victory and have a cause to live for (vs. 5). Finally, we need to have our prayers and requests heard (vs. 5). These are inborn desires and needs that we search to have filled. God put those desires there and He knows best how to fulfill them.
If we trust in Him, we will see them fulfilled and then we can know as the psalmist knew that the Lord does save His people and He does answer from Heaven. He will answer when we call.
Verses for reference:
"May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect You. May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests." (vs. 1-5)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that we can trust in You. We have trusted in so many things over the course of our life and they have not fulfilled us completely. Only You can do that. We are grateful for all the blessings that come with a relationship with You. You will answer us when we call.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What am I trusting in? How do I know? Is it fulfilling me?
2. Of all the needs mentioned in Psalms 20, which is my greatest right now? How can I turn to God to fulfill this need?
3. What concrete steps can I take to trust God more? Who can I ask help or advice from about this?
4. How can I celebrate the victories God has brought into my life? Why is this important?
5. Do I believe in absolute truth? Why or why not? Where do I find my truth? Do I believe the Bible is truth? Why or why not?
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/18/10 (9/18/09)
Focus Letter - Q (I skipped this letter... Oops)
Pray for:
Five things we 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 - Please speak to my soul and help me to hear and obey. You are good, always good.
Psalms 18
"I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and am saved from my enemies." (vs. 1-3)
I love God. I am not ashamed to say that. I am amazed at how He maintains me through everything. He is truly my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. I called to the Lord and He is saving me from my enemies - my lack of money, my daughter's illness, my husband's illness, my clutter, my worrying. He is working miracles.
"The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me...In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears." (vs. 4 & 6)
Yet, I have felt just like the psalmist, "the cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me." I have been so overwhelmed, that I could not even function. All I could do was go to sleep. My foes were too strong for me! My foes are too strong for me. I cannot defeat them by myself. I have tried for many years with some of them.
In the midst of all my trouble, I finally cried out to God. Sometimes that is what it takes for us turn to Him completely. We have to be stripped of everything. I advise we do not make Him do this. It hurts. But however we get there, we need to cry out to God like a little child crying out to his or her father. And God will come in a mighty display. He does things in a big way sometimes. (see vs. 7-15) God rescues us from our powerful enemies that are confronting us and making our life miserable. The Lord grabs us and pulls us out of those bad situations and sets us in a spacious place. There is a place of rest, a time for recuperation after the struggles.
"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me." (vs. 16-19)
He does this because He delights in us. God enjoys and delights in me. I love that thought. I am special to God. He knows me and everything about me and He still loves me. He even likes me. He wants to be with me. He wants to know my thoughts. He is that perfect father that none of our earthly fathers could be. They tried the best they could, but God is perfect and I belong to Him.
"The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight...You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." (vs. 24 & 28-29)
It is good to know that what I do in my life is not in vain. I am not in vain and my efforts are not in vain. God does not forget our hard work (Heb 6: 10). He knows everything I do and have done. He knows my heart; sometimes I don't even know that but He does. He knows our deeds, whether they are good or bad, and He rewards us accordingly. Our works do not save us but they are evidence to a faith that is deep and alive. If I truly believe in something I act on it.
And besides rewarding us, He keeps our lamps burning - He keeps us going. With God's help, we can advance against a troop. We can scale walls. We can do remarkable things with God. It is God who arms us with strength and makes our way perfect. God even stoops down to make us great. God truly cares. No one stoops down, takes all that effort, to do something that is not important to them. It is too much trouble. We are not too much trouble to God. He is willing and able. I praise Him that He is on my side.
God does turns my darkness into light. I can see where I am going because I can see God. God will never leave me or forsake me. I love God. I am not ashamed.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
You are so amazing. We read about Your power and Your concern for us and we are overwhelmed. Thank You for hearing us when we call. We are defeated so easily by ourselves and yet You provide us with the opportunity for victory. Help us to grab hold of it and win. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I crying out to God about my problems, my enemies? Why or why not? How is my prayer life?
2. Do I feel that God delights in me? Is there anything in my life that I believe is not delightful to God? How can I change that?
3. Am I attempting to serve God? How am I serving God? Do I need help to do these things or to start something new?
4. What are some ways that God has given me strength or trained me in the past? How is He strengthening and training me now?
5. Is my love for God evident in the way I live my life? Why or why not? Am I ashamed in anyway of God or my relationship with Him? Why or why not? What would others say about the priorities and loves of my life?
Pray for:
Five things we 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 - Please speak to my soul and help me to hear and obey. You are good, always good.
Psalms 18
"I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and am saved from my enemies." (vs. 1-3)
I love God. I am not ashamed to say that. I am amazed at how He maintains me through everything. He is truly my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. I called to the Lord and He is saving me from my enemies - my lack of money, my daughter's illness, my husband's illness, my clutter, my worrying. He is working miracles.
"The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me...In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears." (vs. 4 & 6)
Yet, I have felt just like the psalmist, "the cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me." I have been so overwhelmed, that I could not even function. All I could do was go to sleep. My foes were too strong for me! My foes are too strong for me. I cannot defeat them by myself. I have tried for many years with some of them.
In the midst of all my trouble, I finally cried out to God. Sometimes that is what it takes for us turn to Him completely. We have to be stripped of everything. I advise we do not make Him do this. It hurts. But however we get there, we need to cry out to God like a little child crying out to his or her father. And God will come in a mighty display. He does things in a big way sometimes. (see vs. 7-15) God rescues us from our powerful enemies that are confronting us and making our life miserable. The Lord grabs us and pulls us out of those bad situations and sets us in a spacious place. There is a place of rest, a time for recuperation after the struggles.
"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me." (vs. 16-19)
He does this because He delights in us. God enjoys and delights in me. I love that thought. I am special to God. He knows me and everything about me and He still loves me. He even likes me. He wants to be with me. He wants to know my thoughts. He is that perfect father that none of our earthly fathers could be. They tried the best they could, but God is perfect and I belong to Him.
"The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight...You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." (vs. 24 & 28-29)
It is good to know that what I do in my life is not in vain. I am not in vain and my efforts are not in vain. God does not forget our hard work (Heb 6: 10). He knows everything I do and have done. He knows my heart; sometimes I don't even know that but He does. He knows our deeds, whether they are good or bad, and He rewards us accordingly. Our works do not save us but they are evidence to a faith that is deep and alive. If I truly believe in something I act on it.
And besides rewarding us, He keeps our lamps burning - He keeps us going. With God's help, we can advance against a troop. We can scale walls. We can do remarkable things with God. It is God who arms us with strength and makes our way perfect. God even stoops down to make us great. God truly cares. No one stoops down, takes all that effort, to do something that is not important to them. It is too much trouble. We are not too much trouble to God. He is willing and able. I praise Him that He is on my side.
God does turns my darkness into light. I can see where I am going because I can see God. God will never leave me or forsake me. I love God. I am not ashamed.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
You are so amazing. We read about Your power and Your concern for us and we are overwhelmed. Thank You for hearing us when we call. We are defeated so easily by ourselves and yet You provide us with the opportunity for victory. Help us to grab hold of it and win. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I crying out to God about my problems, my enemies? Why or why not? How is my prayer life?
2. Do I feel that God delights in me? Is there anything in my life that I believe is not delightful to God? How can I change that?
3. Am I attempting to serve God? How am I serving God? Do I need help to do these things or to start something new?
4. What are some ways that God has given me strength or trained me in the past? How is He strengthening and training me now?
5. Is my love for God evident in the way I live my life? Why or why not? Am I ashamed in anyway of God or my relationship with Him? Why or why not? What would others say about the priorities and loves of my life?
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?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Daily Devotional - 11/10
Prayer Focus - Gratitude
Day 6
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
Thank God for how what you are grateful for affects:
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 70
"But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, 'Let God be exalted!' Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer;." ( vs. 4-5)
There is so much to rejoice and be glad about concerning God. His salvation is awesome and comforting, but sometimes, we are still poor and needy. In spite of all the good things, we find ourselves down and struggling. Our temptation is to hide away and lick our wounds at this time, but we need to not run away from God at these times. We need to pray to Him and run to Him. We need to beg Him to come to us quickly. He will be our help and deliverer. He is not out to kick us when we are down. That is the world and sometimes what we also experienced in our families and our growing up experience, but it is not what we will find with God. He is not embarrassed by our weakness. We are not less because of our lack of perfection, in contrast, this is when God can work the most. Let us throw away our pride and run for help. It is okay. It is expected.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are weak Lord. Even in our best of times, we are still weak and small and insignificant. Help us to remember this in the good times and help us to cling to this in the bad times. Help us to remember that You are the God of miracles and of those that are not. You are the God that turns our weaknesses into strengths and who calls that which is not as though it were. Help us to run to You and not away when we are struggling. We all struggle at times. It is lonely if we do not turn to You and the comforts You provide in Your people and Your word. You are here for us. Help us to turn to You. Come quickly to us before we fade away.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Are there times when I feel down even when things are going well? What causes this in my life?
2. When I am feeling down, do I run to God or away? How does my past experiences affect my present relationship with God in these circumstances? What verses can I meditate on to help me change my thinking?
3. What situations make me feel down and needy? What am I struggling with right now that could draw me away from God?
4. Am I dealing with my troubles in a spiritual way? Do I need to rely more on God in prayer, scripture reading, or fellowship to deal with my needs and weaknesses? What is keeping me from doing what I need to do? What will I change to get the help I need?
Day 6
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
Thank God for how what you are grateful for affects:
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 70
"But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, 'Let God be exalted!' Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer;." ( vs. 4-5)
There is so much to rejoice and be glad about concerning God. His salvation is awesome and comforting, but sometimes, we are still poor and needy. In spite of all the good things, we find ourselves down and struggling. Our temptation is to hide away and lick our wounds at this time, but we need to not run away from God at these times. We need to pray to Him and run to Him. We need to beg Him to come to us quickly. He will be our help and deliverer. He is not out to kick us when we are down. That is the world and sometimes what we also experienced in our families and our growing up experience, but it is not what we will find with God. He is not embarrassed by our weakness. We are not less because of our lack of perfection, in contrast, this is when God can work the most. Let us throw away our pride and run for help. It is okay. It is expected.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are weak Lord. Even in our best of times, we are still weak and small and insignificant. Help us to remember this in the good times and help us to cling to this in the bad times. Help us to remember that You are the God of miracles and of those that are not. You are the God that turns our weaknesses into strengths and who calls that which is not as though it were. Help us to run to You and not away when we are struggling. We all struggle at times. It is lonely if we do not turn to You and the comforts You provide in Your people and Your word. You are here for us. Help us to turn to You. Come quickly to us before we fade away.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Are there times when I feel down even when things are going well? What causes this in my life?
2. When I am feeling down, do I run to God or away? How does my past experiences affect my present relationship with God in these circumstances? What verses can I meditate on to help me change my thinking?
3. What situations make me feel down and needy? What am I struggling with right now that could draw me away from God?
4. Am I dealing with my troubles in a spiritual way? Do I need to rely more on God in prayer, scripture reading, or fellowship to deal with my needs and weaknesses? What is keeping me from doing what I need to do? What will I change to get the help I need?
Friday, November 6, 2009
Daily Devotional - 11/6
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 the state/region that you live in
Thank God for how what you are grateful for affects:
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 66
"Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of His praise be heard; He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For You, O God, tested us; You refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." ( vs. 8-12)
Once again we are reminded that sometimes God allows us to go through hard times in order to train and refine us. He lets testing go on to see what is in our hearts. Sometimes the testing is very intense but this does not mean God is upset or being mean to us. It is tough love that is willing to allow another to go through struggles so that in the long run they will win.
Our society has moved so far from this concept and many of the problems we see arising stem from this lack of the ability to endure. We don't want to have to struggle for anything. Instant gratification is king. No one wants to wait til they have money to spend it. I know that was me til I racked up a credit card debt that was insurmountable. No one wants to wait to get married in order to be involved physically. Very few people want to put in long hours of study and practice on order to learn a subject, skill, or trade (except of course if it's in athletics which is fun anyway and promises millions to the right individuals).
But God wants to change us from the inside out. He knows that nothing good comes without sacrifice and struggle. He allows this to happen because He wants us in heaven. If we can start living with eternity in our minds continually, our troubles will become light and momentary. Our entire lives will become a momentary spot on eternity and none of this will matter so much anymore. The only thing that matters is being right with God. He will bring us out to a place of abundance someday, and when that happens, we will be ready for it.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We will shout for joy today because we are alive. We will praise Your name because You are powerful. We will be grateful for all of the challenges and trials that come along because we know that they are refining us and making us into the men and women that will make a difference in the world. We praise you for not letting us go about in our own ways. We praise you for all of your guidance and all the second chances that You have given us. I will not cherish sin in my heart. I will keep a clear pathway for You to travel between where I am and where I need to be. You are good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How do I praise God? How can I praise Him more?
2. What is going well in my life? What am I being tested in?
3. What prisons am I in? What burdens are on my back? Who is riding over my head? How am I dealing with all of these things?
4. Has God brought me out to my place of abundance yet? Am I cherishing any sin in my heart and therefore hindering God's ability to do work?
Day 2
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for the state/region that you live in
Thank God for how what you are grateful for affects:
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 66
"Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of His praise be heard; He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For You, O God, tested us; You refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." ( vs. 8-12)
Once again we are reminded that sometimes God allows us to go through hard times in order to train and refine us. He lets testing go on to see what is in our hearts. Sometimes the testing is very intense but this does not mean God is upset or being mean to us. It is tough love that is willing to allow another to go through struggles so that in the long run they will win.
Our society has moved so far from this concept and many of the problems we see arising stem from this lack of the ability to endure. We don't want to have to struggle for anything. Instant gratification is king. No one wants to wait til they have money to spend it. I know that was me til I racked up a credit card debt that was insurmountable. No one wants to wait to get married in order to be involved physically. Very few people want to put in long hours of study and practice on order to learn a subject, skill, or trade (except of course if it's in athletics which is fun anyway and promises millions to the right individuals).
But God wants to change us from the inside out. He knows that nothing good comes without sacrifice and struggle. He allows this to happen because He wants us in heaven. If we can start living with eternity in our minds continually, our troubles will become light and momentary. Our entire lives will become a momentary spot on eternity and none of this will matter so much anymore. The only thing that matters is being right with God. He will bring us out to a place of abundance someday, and when that happens, we will be ready for it.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We will shout for joy today because we are alive. We will praise Your name because You are powerful. We will be grateful for all of the challenges and trials that come along because we know that they are refining us and making us into the men and women that will make a difference in the world. We praise you for not letting us go about in our own ways. We praise you for all of your guidance and all the second chances that You have given us. I will not cherish sin in my heart. I will keep a clear pathway for You to travel between where I am and where I need to be. You are good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How do I praise God? How can I praise Him more?
2. What is going well in my life? What am I being tested in?
3. What prisons am I in? What burdens are on my back? Who is riding over my head? How am I dealing with all of these things?
4. Has God brought me out to my place of abundance yet? Am I cherishing any sin in my heart and therefore hindering God's ability to do work?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Daily Devotional - 10/25
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 4
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 55
"Listen to my prayer , O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger" ( vs 1 - 3)
The voice of the enemy. What a disturbing thought. Satan speaks to us, often in our thoughts. Random strange thoughts that we wonder about and think "Where did that come from". Ideas that we know are not good for us. Temptations. Satan prowls like a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8-9)and we are definitely in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). We forget so easily and then we are easy victims. We think that our thoughts are just our thoughts, and so why not indulge them. Why should we be so strict with what we think about, we reason. No one knows. What will this one thought do? But that is where all sin starts. It starts with just a thought indulged, a small desire, that over time grows and grows. James 1: 13 - 15 states, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Satan plants a little thought like - I never do anything right - in our heads and then we begin to dwell on it. Soon we are angry and frustrated. This eventually becomes depression and negativity. We stop functioning properly and become completely inward focused. Satan has won, all from that little thought. Or how about - my husband/wife doesn't act like he/she loves me. We take that thought which might run through our head and begin to dwell on it. Soon, our husbands/wives are the worst individuals alive and we are so upset that we are the worst spouses alive as well. And it gets worse from there. We have to recognize that there is an enemy and it is not another human being. It is Satan and he will use whatever will work on us. We need to remember that we will hear his voice. That is why the Bible and God has said to take every thought captive (II Cor 10:3-5). It is that important.
"But I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." (vs. 16-18)
We cannot win this battle alone though. We are no match for Satan and we should not even try to battle him alone. We need God to win the battle. We need God's word and we need an active prayer life. We need to be calling out to God continuously, morning, noon, and night. God will hear us but we have to call out to Him. We need to plead with Him. He will ransom us from this spiritual battle. His armies are much greater than Satan's. The story in Kings of when Elisha opened the servants eyes to see all the armies of the Lord can remind us of that fact and we can be comforted in our smaller troubles! (II Kings 6:8-23)
"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. But You, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption;...But as for me, I trust in You." (vs. 22-23)
Let us cast our cares on the Lord because He cares for us and He will sustain us. He will never let the righteous fall. Let us be righteous, and let us choose God. Let us be able to say like the psalmist, despite what is going on around us and even if no one else was willing to follow God anymore, "But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord"
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are distraught, Lord, at the voice of the enemy and we are even more distraught that often we don't recognize that it is the enemy. Sharpen our ability to discern our thoughts and help us to take every thought captive. We know that what we dwell on impacts our lives and our actions. We want to dwell on what is wholesome, good, and lovely. Let us direct our thoughts to whatever is honorable and right. Guard our hearts and our minds and help us to turn continually to You for the help and the strength that we need to stand firm in this spiritual battle. Make us into mighty warriors, Father, because we know that that is what You desire for us. You desire the victory for us and for others. Help us to be part of the solution. We are casting our cares onto You and turning to You. We know that You will ransom us and we will do our part as well. You are great. You are our God.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I recognize that Satan can feed me thoughts? Am I taking captive every thought and striving to dwell on what is good? What thoughts from Satan am I especially prone to grab hold of and dwell on? What thoughts and verses can I use to counteract them?
2. Am I praying morning, noon, and night? What can I do to remind myself to pray more and especially at these three times? Where do I pray best? When have I felt most connected to God in prayer? How can I duplicate these times?
3. What cares do I need to cast on God in prayer? What verses can I memorize and meditate on that will remind me how much God does care for me?
4. Am I committed to trusting God no matter what happens? What would make me hesitate in my trust in God? What has made me turn back/look back in the past, even if it was just in my heart?
Day 4
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 55
"Listen to my prayer , O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger" ( vs 1 - 3)
The voice of the enemy. What a disturbing thought. Satan speaks to us, often in our thoughts. Random strange thoughts that we wonder about and think "Where did that come from". Ideas that we know are not good for us. Temptations. Satan prowls like a roaring lion (I Peter 5:8-9)and we are definitely in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). We forget so easily and then we are easy victims. We think that our thoughts are just our thoughts, and so why not indulge them. Why should we be so strict with what we think about, we reason. No one knows. What will this one thought do? But that is where all sin starts. It starts with just a thought indulged, a small desire, that over time grows and grows. James 1: 13 - 15 states, "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Satan plants a little thought like - I never do anything right - in our heads and then we begin to dwell on it. Soon we are angry and frustrated. This eventually becomes depression and negativity. We stop functioning properly and become completely inward focused. Satan has won, all from that little thought. Or how about - my husband/wife doesn't act like he/she loves me. We take that thought which might run through our head and begin to dwell on it. Soon, our husbands/wives are the worst individuals alive and we are so upset that we are the worst spouses alive as well. And it gets worse from there. We have to recognize that there is an enemy and it is not another human being. It is Satan and he will use whatever will work on us. We need to remember that we will hear his voice. That is why the Bible and God has said to take every thought captive (II Cor 10:3-5). It is that important.
"But I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me." (vs. 16-18)
We cannot win this battle alone though. We are no match for Satan and we should not even try to battle him alone. We need God to win the battle. We need God's word and we need an active prayer life. We need to be calling out to God continuously, morning, noon, and night. God will hear us but we have to call out to Him. We need to plead with Him. He will ransom us from this spiritual battle. His armies are much greater than Satan's. The story in Kings of when Elisha opened the servants eyes to see all the armies of the Lord can remind us of that fact and we can be comforted in our smaller troubles! (II Kings 6:8-23)
"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. But You, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption;...But as for me, I trust in You." (vs. 22-23)
Let us cast our cares on the Lord because He cares for us and He will sustain us. He will never let the righteous fall. Let us be righteous, and let us choose God. Let us be able to say like the psalmist, despite what is going on around us and even if no one else was willing to follow God anymore, "But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord"
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are distraught, Lord, at the voice of the enemy and we are even more distraught that often we don't recognize that it is the enemy. Sharpen our ability to discern our thoughts and help us to take every thought captive. We know that what we dwell on impacts our lives and our actions. We want to dwell on what is wholesome, good, and lovely. Let us direct our thoughts to whatever is honorable and right. Guard our hearts and our minds and help us to turn continually to You for the help and the strength that we need to stand firm in this spiritual battle. Make us into mighty warriors, Father, because we know that that is what You desire for us. You desire the victory for us and for others. Help us to be part of the solution. We are casting our cares onto You and turning to You. We know that You will ransom us and we will do our part as well. You are great. You are our God.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I recognize that Satan can feed me thoughts? Am I taking captive every thought and striving to dwell on what is good? What thoughts from Satan am I especially prone to grab hold of and dwell on? What thoughts and verses can I use to counteract them?
2. Am I praying morning, noon, and night? What can I do to remind myself to pray more and especially at these three times? Where do I pray best? When have I felt most connected to God in prayer? How can I duplicate these times?
3. What cares do I need to cast on God in prayer? What verses can I memorize and meditate on that will remind me how much God does care for me?
4. Am I committed to trusting God no matter what happens? What would make me hesitate in my trust in God? What has made me turn back/look back in the past, even if it was just in my heart?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Daily Devotional - 10/23
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 2
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 53
"Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread and who do not call on God? There they were overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread." ( vs 4-5a)
This psalm outlines two ways that we can become evildoers and the consequences of these actions or any sinful behavior on our part really. The first qualification for being an evildoers is being someone who uses others. We eat bread. We use it to stay alive, so someone who is devouring people in this way must be using them to get what they need. I know in the past I have used people. I am not proud of this but I think it is probably more widespread than we would like to admit. How often do we just call someone when we need something from them. Isn't that a form of using them. We are not thinking of them and how they are doing, just what we need. How about in our conversations? Are they all about us and what we are going through? Do we use others as a dumping ground and then after we feel better, leave? Isn't that using others. I am sure that we could come up with more as well; times when we are using those around us in some manner. This can even go as far as our involvement in church, our work, and our country. Are we focused on what we are getting out of the service or small group rather than what we are giving? At our work, are we known to be someone who gets involved and gives their best or are we just getting a paycheck. How about in our country? Are we just taking the benefits and not being willing to get involved and change it for the better or fight for some cause we believe in. We need to stop being takers and users and start being givers. I know I do. We are by nature selfish. Thank God that He has overcome our sinful natures and can transform us.
The second qualification for becoming an evildoers is to not call on God. That is more frightening to me. It is so easy to not pray and to not turn to God. Often, no one even knows. If we are being selfish, someone usually is affected by it and we tend to feel worse about this so we try and curb it. Not calling on God is all within us and we can cover it up for quite awhile. Eventually it will come out in a number of ways such as the dread mentioned in the next verse. When we are stressed out and feeling a nameless sense of dread about life, it would be a good idea for us to look at these two qualifications and see if we are wandering into the evil doer zone. I know I have felt dread often and sometimes there is no real reason for it. On deeper inspection, I usually find some sin, selfishness, or abandonment of God occurring. Once I turn back to God, start calling on Him, and drawing near to Him, the sense of dread disappears. Sin does make us feel guilty. Guilt and our consciences were put in us by God and help us to come back to Him. We need to stop searing them and accept that they are there and are there for a good reason. We will feel peace when we walk with God. He is a God of peace. He will do it.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do not want to be evildoers. As we look at the attitudes of our hearts and our actions, we pray that they will be those of a giver and not of a taker. We do not want to use people, even if it is advantageous to us. Help us to not think like the world does because to the world this is normal behavior. Help us to rise above and strive each and every day to be like Jesus. Although He was a part of You, He did not claim equality with You but made Himself nothing and became a servant to us all. He went the ultimate distance in dying for us and He calls us to do the same. Help us to rise to the challenge.
We also ask Your forgiveness for all of the times that we have not called on You. We get tired, weak, or lazy at times and neglect You, our ultimate power source. Help us to remember that it is all about You and not about us. We want to pray more. We want to commune with You and walk each day with You. Help us to not be so distracted. Our flesh is so weak. We are tired of walking around in dread. There is nothing to dread. There is no virus, no foreign government, no debt, not problem bigger than You. There is nothing to dread and here we are dreading. Forgive us and help us to turn away from this faithlessness and sin. You are here. You have always been here. Help us to see You in all that we do. You are surely woven into life. We pray for peace.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Have I used people in the past? Can I see any situations where I am using people presently? Why do I do this?
2. Am I a giver or a taker in my relationships? Am I a giver or taker in my church, work, and social environment? What can I do to become more of a giver?
3. Am I calling on God on a regular basis? How is my prayer life? Do I go to God first, or my friends? What can I do to improve my reliance on God?
4. Am I at peace or am I consistently in a state of dread? Do I have reason to dread? What am I fearing? Is God able to handle it? Is there something I need to clear up/ resolve or repent of to eliminate the sense of dread that I am experiencing? If not, how can I turn to God and trust Him more?
Day 2
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 53
"Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread and who do not call on God? There they were overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread." ( vs 4-5a)
This psalm outlines two ways that we can become evildoers and the consequences of these actions or any sinful behavior on our part really. The first qualification for being an evildoers is being someone who uses others. We eat bread. We use it to stay alive, so someone who is devouring people in this way must be using them to get what they need. I know in the past I have used people. I am not proud of this but I think it is probably more widespread than we would like to admit. How often do we just call someone when we need something from them. Isn't that a form of using them. We are not thinking of them and how they are doing, just what we need. How about in our conversations? Are they all about us and what we are going through? Do we use others as a dumping ground and then after we feel better, leave? Isn't that using others. I am sure that we could come up with more as well; times when we are using those around us in some manner. This can even go as far as our involvement in church, our work, and our country. Are we focused on what we are getting out of the service or small group rather than what we are giving? At our work, are we known to be someone who gets involved and gives their best or are we just getting a paycheck. How about in our country? Are we just taking the benefits and not being willing to get involved and change it for the better or fight for some cause we believe in. We need to stop being takers and users and start being givers. I know I do. We are by nature selfish. Thank God that He has overcome our sinful natures and can transform us.
The second qualification for becoming an evildoers is to not call on God. That is more frightening to me. It is so easy to not pray and to not turn to God. Often, no one even knows. If we are being selfish, someone usually is affected by it and we tend to feel worse about this so we try and curb it. Not calling on God is all within us and we can cover it up for quite awhile. Eventually it will come out in a number of ways such as the dread mentioned in the next verse. When we are stressed out and feeling a nameless sense of dread about life, it would be a good idea for us to look at these two qualifications and see if we are wandering into the evil doer zone. I know I have felt dread often and sometimes there is no real reason for it. On deeper inspection, I usually find some sin, selfishness, or abandonment of God occurring. Once I turn back to God, start calling on Him, and drawing near to Him, the sense of dread disappears. Sin does make us feel guilty. Guilt and our consciences were put in us by God and help us to come back to Him. We need to stop searing them and accept that they are there and are there for a good reason. We will feel peace when we walk with God. He is a God of peace. He will do it.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do not want to be evildoers. As we look at the attitudes of our hearts and our actions, we pray that they will be those of a giver and not of a taker. We do not want to use people, even if it is advantageous to us. Help us to not think like the world does because to the world this is normal behavior. Help us to rise above and strive each and every day to be like Jesus. Although He was a part of You, He did not claim equality with You but made Himself nothing and became a servant to us all. He went the ultimate distance in dying for us and He calls us to do the same. Help us to rise to the challenge.
We also ask Your forgiveness for all of the times that we have not called on You. We get tired, weak, or lazy at times and neglect You, our ultimate power source. Help us to remember that it is all about You and not about us. We want to pray more. We want to commune with You and walk each day with You. Help us to not be so distracted. Our flesh is so weak. We are tired of walking around in dread. There is nothing to dread. There is no virus, no foreign government, no debt, not problem bigger than You. There is nothing to dread and here we are dreading. Forgive us and help us to turn away from this faithlessness and sin. You are here. You have always been here. Help us to see You in all that we do. You are surely woven into life. We pray for peace.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Have I used people in the past? Can I see any situations where I am using people presently? Why do I do this?
2. Am I a giver or a taker in my relationships? Am I a giver or taker in my church, work, and social environment? What can I do to become more of a giver?
3. Am I calling on God on a regular basis? How is my prayer life? Do I go to God first, or my friends? What can I do to improve my reliance on God?
4. Am I at peace or am I consistently in a state of dread? Do I have reason to dread? What am I fearing? Is God able to handle it? Is there something I need to clear up/ resolve or repent of to eliminate the sense of dread that I am experiencing? If not, how can I turn to God and trust Him more?
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