Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 5
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your wellbeing even though you have never met
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 56
"When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" ( vs. 3 - 4)
"Record my lament; list my tears on Your scroll - are they not in Your record?" (vs. 8)
When I am afraid, I will trust in God. When I am afraid about Joelle's health, in God I will trust. When I am afraid about my husband's health, in God I will trust. I will praise God in place of worry. When I am tempted, I will praise instead. I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me? What bad can happen to me if I have God. Nothing. God knows all the tears I have cried. He says He has recorded each one on His scroll, in His record. What an amazing thought.
"I am under vows to You, O God; I will present thank offerings to You. For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling that I may walk before God in the light of life." (vs. 12-13)
I have a responsibility to God. I said that I would follow Him. I need to fulfill my vows, and they are not burdensome. I just need to follow. Jesus said His yoke was easy and His burden light. God's way should not be burdensome. It should be paved with gratitude for what He has done for us. He has delivered us and brought us out to freedom and light. I will walk in the light of life, because Jesus provides the life and the light. Death is dark. My old way of life was dark but thanks be to God, that way is gone and I am now walking with Him. Let us not turn back. Let us fulfill our vows. Let us be thankful.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are often afraid, but You are with us. Help us to feel Your continual presence in a greater way each day. There are many things that worry us and occupy our minds but You are what they should be fixed on. Guide our thoughts and turn us back to You. You know our struggles and our tears. How amazing that You have recorded each and every tear. You do care. We want to walk in gratitude and in the light of Your presence, the light of Your life. We turn away from our lives of darkness and death and want to live in the light. Help us to rid all darkness from our life so that we can fulfill our vows and have true joy and life. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What fears do I have? Am I turning to God with them?
2. What vows have I made to God? Am I fulfilling them?
3. What has God delivered me from? What was my life like before I was a Christian?
4. What do I have to be thankful about? What can I praise God for?
5. Am I walking in the light? Is there anything that is hidden in the darkness about my life? Do I have people that I can discuss anything with? Do I have a platform to be open and to get help? Where could I go for that?
Showing posts with label confession. Show all posts
Showing posts with label confession. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Friday, August 21, 2015
Daily Devotional for 8/21/15 (10/21/09)
Prayer Focus - Friends
Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 51
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." (vs. 1)
"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)
"Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 6 - 7)
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10 - 12)
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (vs. 16 - 17)
In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; Build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight You; (vs. 18 -19a)
True religion is something totally different than what most of us think. Often we think of going to church and a bunch of dos and don'ts. Definitely there are things that should and shouldn't be done but it all seems to boil down to love. What is the greatest commandment? Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22:37-39). This is what Jesus said summed it all up - Love.
God is love. Do we remember this?
I think we forget. We think - God is a taskmaster. God is far away. God does not care. God is not fair. God is mean. God hates. God just wants me to obey. But is this really true? Does God want our sacrifices? Will our hard work save us? Can we ever be good enough?
The answer to all these types of questions are no. No, no, no. God is love. God wants truth. God wants integrity. God wants us to come back and say, "Thank You. Do not cast me away from You." God wants us broken and contrite. Ready to be something different. Ready to turn away from all the secrets within us. Bottom line, God wants us to be with Him and He knows what that will take.
I think when we look deep into ourselves, we know this as well. There is an aching part in us that just wants to be known, loved, and changed. I think we long for transformation. We long to be clean - to be free from what ever it is that is binding us and keeping us from life.
But even though we know this, there is a barrier to us reaching the healing we seek. I believe this barrier is sin. Sometimes we think we are so clever. We do things we know are wrong and think it will never be found out. We think no one can really see what is going on within us. Well, that is not really true is it? God sees everything. God already knows, and sooner or later everyone else usually finds out too.
When I was a child, I used to think it would be a great parenting tool to have cameras in every room so that a parent could see what was going on at all times. Now of course, that is possible now but it wasn't back in the 70's. I was grateful back then that nothing like that existed because I did a lot of things in secret that I didn't what anyone seeing. It was quite a revelation to me when I finally realized that God saw everything and that He had seen every single thing I had ever done in secret. I was quite ashamed and embarrassed.
So in order to be transformed and healed, and since all the things we have done have been seen anyway, we need to deal with them. We need to seek repentance. We have to get these secrets out into the open and get help. We need to stop doing wrong and start doing right. That is what I had to do.
I had to come to grips with the fact that God wanted me. He wants us, all of us, and He wants us to be true believers. He wants our hearts, not just our outward acquiescence. But I didn't know how to get from where I was to where I needed to be? This is where Psalm 51 is essential. It is the cry for forgiveness and restoration that we all need to cry.
When I was finally trying to get my life right with God, I had a mentor who was working with me in my life. He knew just about everything about me and he gave me a key assignment. He challenged me to memorize this Psalm and repeat it as often as I could. He felt that when I could truly pray this Psalm from my heart, then I would probably be ready to become a Christian.
I would finally be ready to become a Christian, because I would finally be ready to deal with the sin in my life. My heart would be ready to change because it would have released the things that were at that time controlling it. Sin hardens us. Sin hardens and breaks us. This world is broken. I was broken. Sin breaks our communion with God, others, and even ourselves. It cuts us off from our heart and it sears our consciences. It destroys whatever good is in us and it destroys the good in this world. We can not be close to God and be in sin as well. It is impossible.
I was so hard at this point in my life from all the sin I had indulged in that I needed a transformation. I needed a new heart, and new spirit. I needed to come to God on His terms, not mine.
I took my friend's challenge and eventually I had a breakthrough. God did have mercy on me. He did restore to me the joy of my salvation and renew a steadfast spirit within me. God was faithful and created a pure heart within me. I had not been pure in a long time but now I was and I could be completely different. Instead of being religious, I could be righteous - right with God. I could have integrity. I could have truth. I could walk without fear of what I was hiding.
God was and is faithful. Thirty some years later, I am still walking this walk and striving to keep this prayer and all of God's word in my heart so that I will not sin against Him.
I praise God that He did restore and in His timing, He did make me prosper. He has given me so much and I would never have known all the good He had in store if I had not been willing to get on my knees and pray.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Have mercy on us we pray. Forgive us our sins. Cleanse us. Only You can do this. We thank You for forgiving us. We thank You for Your mercy and grace. We thank you for even caring at all. We know that we are completely unworthy. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What do I think God really wants from me? Why? Do I have a correct perspective of God? Why or why not? How can I get a more accurate view?
2. Do I realize how much I sin against God? Am I turning to Him for forgiveness? Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God? Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me? How can I remind myself of this fact?
3. Do I feel burdened by past sins? Have I been forgiven? How do I know? Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?
4. What does repentance mean to me? What do I do when I have done something wrong? How do I deal with it? Is this the best thing to do or could I do something differently?
5. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?
Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 51
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." (vs. 1)
"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)
"Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 6 - 7)
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10 - 12)
"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (vs. 16 - 17)
In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; Build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight You; (vs. 18 -19a)
True religion is something totally different than what most of us think. Often we think of going to church and a bunch of dos and don'ts. Definitely there are things that should and shouldn't be done but it all seems to boil down to love. What is the greatest commandment? Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22:37-39). This is what Jesus said summed it all up - Love.
God is love. Do we remember this?
I think we forget. We think - God is a taskmaster. God is far away. God does not care. God is not fair. God is mean. God hates. God just wants me to obey. But is this really true? Does God want our sacrifices? Will our hard work save us? Can we ever be good enough?
The answer to all these types of questions are no. No, no, no. God is love. God wants truth. God wants integrity. God wants us to come back and say, "Thank You. Do not cast me away from You." God wants us broken and contrite. Ready to be something different. Ready to turn away from all the secrets within us. Bottom line, God wants us to be with Him and He knows what that will take.
I think when we look deep into ourselves, we know this as well. There is an aching part in us that just wants to be known, loved, and changed. I think we long for transformation. We long to be clean - to be free from what ever it is that is binding us and keeping us from life.
But even though we know this, there is a barrier to us reaching the healing we seek. I believe this barrier is sin. Sometimes we think we are so clever. We do things we know are wrong and think it will never be found out. We think no one can really see what is going on within us. Well, that is not really true is it? God sees everything. God already knows, and sooner or later everyone else usually finds out too.
When I was a child, I used to think it would be a great parenting tool to have cameras in every room so that a parent could see what was going on at all times. Now of course, that is possible now but it wasn't back in the 70's. I was grateful back then that nothing like that existed because I did a lot of things in secret that I didn't what anyone seeing. It was quite a revelation to me when I finally realized that God saw everything and that He had seen every single thing I had ever done in secret. I was quite ashamed and embarrassed.
So in order to be transformed and healed, and since all the things we have done have been seen anyway, we need to deal with them. We need to seek repentance. We have to get these secrets out into the open and get help. We need to stop doing wrong and start doing right. That is what I had to do.
I had to come to grips with the fact that God wanted me. He wants us, all of us, and He wants us to be true believers. He wants our hearts, not just our outward acquiescence. But I didn't know how to get from where I was to where I needed to be? This is where Psalm 51 is essential. It is the cry for forgiveness and restoration that we all need to cry.
When I was finally trying to get my life right with God, I had a mentor who was working with me in my life. He knew just about everything about me and he gave me a key assignment. He challenged me to memorize this Psalm and repeat it as often as I could. He felt that when I could truly pray this Psalm from my heart, then I would probably be ready to become a Christian.
I would finally be ready to become a Christian, because I would finally be ready to deal with the sin in my life. My heart would be ready to change because it would have released the things that were at that time controlling it. Sin hardens us. Sin hardens and breaks us. This world is broken. I was broken. Sin breaks our communion with God, others, and even ourselves. It cuts us off from our heart and it sears our consciences. It destroys whatever good is in us and it destroys the good in this world. We can not be close to God and be in sin as well. It is impossible.
I was so hard at this point in my life from all the sin I had indulged in that I needed a transformation. I needed a new heart, and new spirit. I needed to come to God on His terms, not mine.
I took my friend's challenge and eventually I had a breakthrough. God did have mercy on me. He did restore to me the joy of my salvation and renew a steadfast spirit within me. God was faithful and created a pure heart within me. I had not been pure in a long time but now I was and I could be completely different. Instead of being religious, I could be righteous - right with God. I could have integrity. I could have truth. I could walk without fear of what I was hiding.
God was and is faithful. Thirty some years later, I am still walking this walk and striving to keep this prayer and all of God's word in my heart so that I will not sin against Him.
I praise God that He did restore and in His timing, He did make me prosper. He has given me so much and I would never have known all the good He had in store if I had not been willing to get on my knees and pray.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Have mercy on us we pray. Forgive us our sins. Cleanse us. Only You can do this. We thank You for forgiving us. We thank You for Your mercy and grace. We thank you for even caring at all. We know that we are completely unworthy. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What do I think God really wants from me? Why? Do I have a correct perspective of God? Why or why not? How can I get a more accurate view?
2. Do I realize how much I sin against God? Am I turning to Him for forgiveness? Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God? Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me? How can I remind myself of this fact?
3. Do I feel burdened by past sins? Have I been forgiven? How do I know? Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?
4. What does repentance mean to me? What do I do when I have done something wrong? How do I deal with it? Is this the best thing to do or could I do something differently?
5. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Daily Devotional - 9/8/10 (10/8/09)
Prayer Focus - Family
Day 1
Pray for:
One family member that you feel close to
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Help me to listen to You each and every day and please grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 38
"My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning...My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. My friends avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away...For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin." (vs. 4-6, 10-11, 17 & 18)
Sin can damage us in more ways than one. Our sin can affect us physically, relationally, and emotionally. The psalmist points to this when he describes in detail how our bodies are impacted by our guilt and sinful folly. I know that when I have something that I have not dealt with in my life, I become very tired. I don't feel well. Some people get headaches and stomach aches. Many real illnesses have roots stemming from sin and wrongdoing that has been concealed. Some mental illnesses can arise from this as well.
Our friendships are also damaged by the things we cover up. The psalmist mentions that "my friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away (vs. 11)." First of all, when we have sin that we are distressed about, we can't be close to others, even if the sin have nothing to do with them. We are short tempered or else we tend to isolate ourselves so that no one will catch on to what is going on with us. Often we lie to keep from being found out. It is difficult to have good friendships when we are doing these things. Secondly, relationships are cut off by the things we do to hurt one another or often by the thoughts and attitudes we have towards others that they might not even aware of. Best friends drift apart because on some unresolved issue. Bitterness and jealousy also cause so much trouble in people's lives. If we let bitterness take any root in our hearts, it will take over.
Emotionally, the affects of undealt with sin are enormous as well. We lose our joy and can be driven to depression and isolation. We become afraid for anyone to see the real person inside of us because we think they will not be able to accept us for who we are and for all the bad things we have done in our life. We are truly walking in darkness. We don't even know what is causing the dark feeling sometimes. But sin festers and grows whether we realize it is there or not.
Since these are the affects of doing wrong, it is imperative that we strive to do right. We must long for righteousness because in it, there is true life. We can know others and be known ourselves. We can have clear consciences and walk with our head up. It is so refreshing to not have any nagging thoughts about something we did or didn't do. To live a life of no regrets would be truly amazing. It can be discouraging sometimes though because we are all so far from this and we fail daily. What are we to do? We must begin by doing as the psalmist recommends - by confessing our iniquity and by being troubled by it in a good way (vs. 18). We need to get everything that we are hiding out of our systems and get ourselves out into the light. Then we must repent or be truly sorry and troubled in a way that leads us to change. Repent means to turn 180 degrees and go in the other direction. It is a sorrow that leads to action and not just depression. Finally, we need to continue following this process so that we are staying in the light.
This seems so difficult and if we have never been open before, it may seem impossible. Without God it really is, but thankfully, He is there. He will answer us when we call and when we humble ourselves and ask for help. He will not be far from us and will come quickly to save us. He is waiting for us to take the first step back and then He will come running just like in the story of the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-32).
" I wait for You, O Lord; You will answer, O Lord my God." (vs. 15)
God is amazing. Let us wait for God. He will answer.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Come quickly to save us. We know we fail so often. We have such great intentions but such weak results. Help us to start anew tomorrow and strive to deal continuously with our sins. Help us to hate them and strive to live purely so that nothing hinders us from being close to You and others. We want to live in the light as You are in the light. We want to be pleasing to You. We are lifting our souls up to You and are confessing and repenting of everything we know that is displeasing to You. Forgive us as well for those things we have done that we do not even realize displeases You. We are waiting on You and we know that You will save us.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Is there any sin I am not dealing with at present that is making me feel guilty? Has sin damaged any of my relationships? How can I deal with these problems and make amends?
2. How do I feel when I finally confess or talk about something that has been bothering me? Why do I not do this more often?
3. Do I have someone who I can talk with on a daily basis to confess my sins to and get help from?
4. Am I striving for righteousness? Am I repenting or changing the things that I confess or am I struggling with the same sins over and over again?
5. Am I calling out to God for help or am I trying to deal with everything on my own? Am I waiting on the Lord for His answers? How can I start to do these two things?
Day 1
Pray for:
One family member that you feel close to
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Help me to listen to You each and every day and please grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 38
"My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning...My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. My friends avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away...For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin." (vs. 4-6, 10-11, 17 & 18)
Sin can damage us in more ways than one. Our sin can affect us physically, relationally, and emotionally. The psalmist points to this when he describes in detail how our bodies are impacted by our guilt and sinful folly. I know that when I have something that I have not dealt with in my life, I become very tired. I don't feel well. Some people get headaches and stomach aches. Many real illnesses have roots stemming from sin and wrongdoing that has been concealed. Some mental illnesses can arise from this as well.
Our friendships are also damaged by the things we cover up. The psalmist mentions that "my friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away (vs. 11)." First of all, when we have sin that we are distressed about, we can't be close to others, even if the sin have nothing to do with them. We are short tempered or else we tend to isolate ourselves so that no one will catch on to what is going on with us. Often we lie to keep from being found out. It is difficult to have good friendships when we are doing these things. Secondly, relationships are cut off by the things we do to hurt one another or often by the thoughts and attitudes we have towards others that they might not even aware of. Best friends drift apart because on some unresolved issue. Bitterness and jealousy also cause so much trouble in people's lives. If we let bitterness take any root in our hearts, it will take over.
Emotionally, the affects of undealt with sin are enormous as well. We lose our joy and can be driven to depression and isolation. We become afraid for anyone to see the real person inside of us because we think they will not be able to accept us for who we are and for all the bad things we have done in our life. We are truly walking in darkness. We don't even know what is causing the dark feeling sometimes. But sin festers and grows whether we realize it is there or not.
Since these are the affects of doing wrong, it is imperative that we strive to do right. We must long for righteousness because in it, there is true life. We can know others and be known ourselves. We can have clear consciences and walk with our head up. It is so refreshing to not have any nagging thoughts about something we did or didn't do. To live a life of no regrets would be truly amazing. It can be discouraging sometimes though because we are all so far from this and we fail daily. What are we to do? We must begin by doing as the psalmist recommends - by confessing our iniquity and by being troubled by it in a good way (vs. 18). We need to get everything that we are hiding out of our systems and get ourselves out into the light. Then we must repent or be truly sorry and troubled in a way that leads us to change. Repent means to turn 180 degrees and go in the other direction. It is a sorrow that leads to action and not just depression. Finally, we need to continue following this process so that we are staying in the light.
This seems so difficult and if we have never been open before, it may seem impossible. Without God it really is, but thankfully, He is there. He will answer us when we call and when we humble ourselves and ask for help. He will not be far from us and will come quickly to save us. He is waiting for us to take the first step back and then He will come running just like in the story of the prodigal son. (Luke 15:11-32).
" I wait for You, O Lord; You will answer, O Lord my God." (vs. 15)
God is amazing. Let us wait for God. He will answer.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Come quickly to save us. We know we fail so often. We have such great intentions but such weak results. Help us to start anew tomorrow and strive to deal continuously with our sins. Help us to hate them and strive to live purely so that nothing hinders us from being close to You and others. We want to live in the light as You are in the light. We want to be pleasing to You. We are lifting our souls up to You and are confessing and repenting of everything we know that is displeasing to You. Forgive us as well for those things we have done that we do not even realize displeases You. We are waiting on You and we know that You will save us.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Is there any sin I am not dealing with at present that is making me feel guilty? Has sin damaged any of my relationships? How can I deal with these problems and make amends?
2. How do I feel when I finally confess or talk about something that has been bothering me? Why do I not do this more often?
3. Do I have someone who I can talk with on a daily basis to confess my sins to and get help from?
4. Am I striving for righteousness? Am I repenting or changing the things that I confess or am I struggling with the same sins over and over again?
5. Am I calling out to God for help or am I trying to deal with everything on my own? Am I waiting on the Lord for His answers? How can I start to do these two things?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Daily Devotional - 9/2/10 (10/2/09)
Prayer Focus - Leaders (any type - World, State, Local, Church, Business, Work)
Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear You and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 32
"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said,' I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' - and You forgave the guilt of my sin." (vs. 1-5)
We all want to be blessed. Here are some keys for us to consider. We are blessed if we are forgiven. We are blessed if we have no deceit. Why is this? First of all, we can be right with God and have a relationship with Him now and after death. But secondly, and quite relevant while we are here on earth, we can walk with out fear and guilt. It is a terrible state to be in when there is something we are hiding. The psalmist writes that when he was silent his bones wasted away and he groaned night and day. He was miserable. That is how undealt with sin affects us. We can think that eventually we will forget, but we are still haunted. Only when we get things out can we feel that light free feeling that comes with a transparent life. It is a truly blessed feeling. I have been in both places. I know. We need to be open channels for God's love to flow through us. There is so much that needs to be done in this world, that we just can't let sin, clutter, confusion, and disorder of any kind block us and stop us up. We will lose the strength and power that is available to us. We will miss the opportunities that God has in store for us. We need to just open up our lives and then call out to God to search us and heal us.
"Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him." (vs. 6-9)
We do this by confessing and then by going to God in prayer. We can't wait. We must pray while God can be found. There are opportunities when God is calling us and we can miss them. People miss out on God and eventually our hearts can get so hardened to everything that it will be almost impossible for us to change. Unfortunately, there are deadlines in life. Whether or not we want them to exist, they do. Thank God, however, that we can hide in Him. We don't have to run and hide somewhere when we are feeling guilty. We can go to Him because He is much better place to hide than any real physical place. God will protect us and restore us. He will make us into someone incredible if we let Him. He created us for great and glorious things and He will teach us and show us the way to go. He will counsel us and watch over us.
There is a catch to these incredible promises though. We have to receive His direction. We need to not be like an animal who has to be forced to go where its master wants it to go. God is longing for us to follow willingly. Our attitude should be, "I will do it!" Let's not force God anymore. The road is much easier for us when we are not rebellious. The way of the rebellious is hard the Bible states elsewhere, but unfailing love surrounds us if we trust in God.
"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!" (vs. 11)
If I am righteous and upright in my heart, I will be able to do this. I will rejoice and be glad. I will be able to see beauty in everything. This is God's world. Despite the sadness and difficulties, it still is good, and there is always hope.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful for Your forgiveness. Help us not to be deceitful. We are praying. Help us to pray more. We want to find You. You are our hiding place and it is good to be able to run to You. We do not want to run away any longer. Grant us the strength to face where we have gone wrong and turn to You. We need You and we long for Your unfailing love. We will rejoice in You for You are good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How am I deceitful? How can I become honest in all my ways?
2. Is there anything blocking the flow of God's love and communication through me? If so, how can I get rid of it?
3. Am I praying about my needs and the needs of others regularly? Why or why not? How can I get in the practice of praying for others on a regular basis?
4. How am I doing at receiving God's instruction? Am I willing to learn or am I like an animal that needs a bit and bridle in my mouth to force me to obey? Why am I like this and what results am I gaining from my attitude towards instruction?
5. Am I rejoicing daily? What is my attitude about life? Have I let undealt with sin make me bitter? How can I change and start seeing the beauty that God intended for us in the world?
Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear You and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 32
"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said,' I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' - and You forgave the guilt of my sin." (vs. 1-5)
We all want to be blessed. Here are some keys for us to consider. We are blessed if we are forgiven. We are blessed if we have no deceit. Why is this? First of all, we can be right with God and have a relationship with Him now and after death. But secondly, and quite relevant while we are here on earth, we can walk with out fear and guilt. It is a terrible state to be in when there is something we are hiding. The psalmist writes that when he was silent his bones wasted away and he groaned night and day. He was miserable. That is how undealt with sin affects us. We can think that eventually we will forget, but we are still haunted. Only when we get things out can we feel that light free feeling that comes with a transparent life. It is a truly blessed feeling. I have been in both places. I know. We need to be open channels for God's love to flow through us. There is so much that needs to be done in this world, that we just can't let sin, clutter, confusion, and disorder of any kind block us and stop us up. We will lose the strength and power that is available to us. We will miss the opportunities that God has in store for us. We need to just open up our lives and then call out to God to search us and heal us.
"Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him." (vs. 6-9)
We do this by confessing and then by going to God in prayer. We can't wait. We must pray while God can be found. There are opportunities when God is calling us and we can miss them. People miss out on God and eventually our hearts can get so hardened to everything that it will be almost impossible for us to change. Unfortunately, there are deadlines in life. Whether or not we want them to exist, they do. Thank God, however, that we can hide in Him. We don't have to run and hide somewhere when we are feeling guilty. We can go to Him because He is much better place to hide than any real physical place. God will protect us and restore us. He will make us into someone incredible if we let Him. He created us for great and glorious things and He will teach us and show us the way to go. He will counsel us and watch over us.
There is a catch to these incredible promises though. We have to receive His direction. We need to not be like an animal who has to be forced to go where its master wants it to go. God is longing for us to follow willingly. Our attitude should be, "I will do it!" Let's not force God anymore. The road is much easier for us when we are not rebellious. The way of the rebellious is hard the Bible states elsewhere, but unfailing love surrounds us if we trust in God.
"Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!" (vs. 11)
If I am righteous and upright in my heart, I will be able to do this. I will rejoice and be glad. I will be able to see beauty in everything. This is God's world. Despite the sadness and difficulties, it still is good, and there is always hope.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful for Your forgiveness. Help us not to be deceitful. We are praying. Help us to pray more. We want to find You. You are our hiding place and it is good to be able to run to You. We do not want to run away any longer. Grant us the strength to face where we have gone wrong and turn to You. We need You and we long for Your unfailing love. We will rejoice in You for You are good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How am I deceitful? How can I become honest in all my ways?
2. Is there anything blocking the flow of God's love and communication through me? If so, how can I get rid of it?
3. Am I praying about my needs and the needs of others regularly? Why or why not? How can I get in the practice of praying for others on a regular basis?
4. How am I doing at receiving God's instruction? Am I willing to learn or am I like an animal that needs a bit and bridle in my mouth to force me to obey? Why am I like this and what results am I gaining from my attitude towards instruction?
5. Am I rejoicing daily? What is my attitude about life? Have I let undealt with sin make me bitter? How can I change and start seeing the beauty that God intended for us in the world?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/28/10 (9/28/09)
Prayer Focus - 8's
Pray for:
Eight things that you are grateful for
Eight people that are on your heart
Eight places that you care about
Eight characteristics to grow in
Eight characteristics/habits to get rid of
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to follow through and obey.
Psalms 28
"He will tear them down and never build them up again." (vs. 5b)
This fragment of a verse in the middle of Psalms 28 catches my attention. Who will God tear down? This sounds so ominous and final and so I think, "Will it be the murders? The violent? The criminals?" When I look back to see exactly who the psalmist is talking about, I am convicted and challenged. Let's start looking in verse three.
"Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts." (vs. 3)
Wow! He is talking about people who are holding grudges against someone or have hatred, anger, or prejudice against another. I know I have sinned against others in this way. Maybe there is someone right now I need to clear things up with. I need to always search my heart to be sure it is clear. How often have we been upset with someone and then they come up to talk to us and we act like nothing is wrong. We speak nicely to them and all the while we are angry deep down. Or perhaps we just avoid them altogether. God is expressing just how He feels about that in this verse. What we are doing when we do this is evil and is putting us in danger of being torn down.
Why would this upset God so much? After all, isn't this exactly how the world works? This is so common. We are stabbed in the back continuously. People talk nice to us and as soon as we are gone gossip about us to their friends. We expect it. Sometimes we engage in it. In the church, we are tempted to do no differently. So why would it upset God so much? The answer lies in the first part of the psalm I quoted at the beginning of the devotional.
"Since they show no regard for the works of the Lord and what His hands have done," (vs. 5a)
The answer goes back to Psalms 24 which reminded us that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it is His as well (Psalms 24:1). Every person belongs to God and is special to Him; whether they have a relationship with Him or not. He created them and knit them together in their mother's womb (Psalms 139:13-16). They are important to God and as such deserve good treatment, especially from me as I profess to be a Christian. This is referring to my family, to strangers, and especially to those in the church. We are to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with special regard (Gal 6:10). But how is this possible?
"Hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your Most Holy Place." (vs. 2)
Thank goodness that God hears our cries for mercy (vs. 2). By myself, I cannot stand. I need the mercy of the Lord. I need His strength to do right, especially in this area; even after all this time. Conflicts will continue to happen in my life. As long as I am alive and interacting with people, I will have to deal with my heart, hurt feelings, and conflicts. I will never out grow it. Sometimes it will be my fault, sometimes it will be the other person's fault, and sometimes it will be just a misunderstanding. Even so, I need mercy and I need to give mercy.
When I do this and clear my heart so there is nothing false in me, I will be able to rejoice. My heart will leap for joy (vs. 7). It is so good to have a clear heart and a clear conscience. We can truly thank God then. He is our strength and will save and bless us when we are obedient. He will be our Shepherd and carry us forever.
Thank You Lord, because I cannot do it alone.
"Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one. Save You people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever." (vs. 6-9)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We want You to be our shepherd forever. Purify our hearts and help us to not harbor any ill will towards anyone. It is so easy to do wrong in this way. We struggle to value people as You do. It is easy to love those who love us but it is difficult to love everyone and keep our hearts pure. Grant us strength. We do not want to be torn down but rather built up. Have mercy on us we pray. We know You will do it.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What is my reaction to the seriousness of harboring ill feelings towards another person? Do I see it as as serious offense as God does?
2. Is there someone I need to speak to and work something out with? When will I do this?
3. Do I have any stereotypes or prejudices that are hindering my relationship with God and my effectiveness for Him? How can I change my attitude about these things?
4. How do I feel when I have a clear conscience? How can I strive to maintain this?
5. Am I treating everyone as a person that is special to God? Who is the most difficult for me to treat right? Why? How can I change this?
Pray for:
Eight things that you are grateful for
Eight people that are on your heart
Eight places that you care about
Eight characteristics to grow in
Eight characteristics/habits to get rid of
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to follow through and obey.
Psalms 28
"He will tear them down and never build them up again." (vs. 5b)
This fragment of a verse in the middle of Psalms 28 catches my attention. Who will God tear down? This sounds so ominous and final and so I think, "Will it be the murders? The violent? The criminals?" When I look back to see exactly who the psalmist is talking about, I am convicted and challenged. Let's start looking in verse three.
"Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts." (vs. 3)
Wow! He is talking about people who are holding grudges against someone or have hatred, anger, or prejudice against another. I know I have sinned against others in this way. Maybe there is someone right now I need to clear things up with. I need to always search my heart to be sure it is clear. How often have we been upset with someone and then they come up to talk to us and we act like nothing is wrong. We speak nicely to them and all the while we are angry deep down. Or perhaps we just avoid them altogether. God is expressing just how He feels about that in this verse. What we are doing when we do this is evil and is putting us in danger of being torn down.
Why would this upset God so much? After all, isn't this exactly how the world works? This is so common. We are stabbed in the back continuously. People talk nice to us and as soon as we are gone gossip about us to their friends. We expect it. Sometimes we engage in it. In the church, we are tempted to do no differently. So why would it upset God so much? The answer lies in the first part of the psalm I quoted at the beginning of the devotional.
"Since they show no regard for the works of the Lord and what His hands have done," (vs. 5a)
The answer goes back to Psalms 24 which reminded us that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it is His as well (Psalms 24:1). Every person belongs to God and is special to Him; whether they have a relationship with Him or not. He created them and knit them together in their mother's womb (Psalms 139:13-16). They are important to God and as such deserve good treatment, especially from me as I profess to be a Christian. This is referring to my family, to strangers, and especially to those in the church. We are to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with special regard (Gal 6:10). But how is this possible?
"Hear my cry for mercy as I call to You for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your Most Holy Place." (vs. 2)
Thank goodness that God hears our cries for mercy (vs. 2). By myself, I cannot stand. I need the mercy of the Lord. I need His strength to do right, especially in this area; even after all this time. Conflicts will continue to happen in my life. As long as I am alive and interacting with people, I will have to deal with my heart, hurt feelings, and conflicts. I will never out grow it. Sometimes it will be my fault, sometimes it will be the other person's fault, and sometimes it will be just a misunderstanding. Even so, I need mercy and I need to give mercy.
When I do this and clear my heart so there is nothing false in me, I will be able to rejoice. My heart will leap for joy (vs. 7). It is so good to have a clear heart and a clear conscience. We can truly thank God then. He is our strength and will save and bless us when we are obedient. He will be our Shepherd and carry us forever.
Thank You Lord, because I cannot do it alone.
"Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song. The Lord is the strength of His people, a fortress of salvation for His anointed one. Save You people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever." (vs. 6-9)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We want You to be our shepherd forever. Purify our hearts and help us to not harbor any ill will towards anyone. It is so easy to do wrong in this way. We struggle to value people as You do. It is easy to love those who love us but it is difficult to love everyone and keep our hearts pure. Grant us strength. We do not want to be torn down but rather built up. Have mercy on us we pray. We know You will do it.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What is my reaction to the seriousness of harboring ill feelings towards another person? Do I see it as as serious offense as God does?
2. Is there someone I need to speak to and work something out with? When will I do this?
3. Do I have any stereotypes or prejudices that are hindering my relationship with God and my effectiveness for Him? How can I change my attitude about these things?
4. How do I feel when I have a clear conscience? How can I strive to maintain this?
5. Am I treating everyone as a person that is special to God? Who is the most difficult for me to treat right? Why? How can I change this?
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/19/10 (9/19/09)
Focus Letter - S
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begin with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Please help me to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 19
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (vs. 14)
If I can please anyone in this world, if anyone is going to be happy with my life, I want that person/being to be God. I know I can't please everyone, and sometimes even pleasing those closest to me seems impossible. I used to worry about this quite a bit and compromise myself trying to make everyone happy. I wanted everyone to like me but in striving for this, I became someone even I didn't like. I came to the conclusion that I couldn't worry about it anymore. I had to live with myself and my conscience, and so I had to have integrity. I needed to be true to the one who matters the most - God.
Now I want everything about me to be pleasing to Him. How can I have this in my life? How can my words and even the thoughts of my heart be good and be pleasing to God? I fail so much in this area and I know that I only see the tip of the iceberg. As I mature as a Christian, I continue to see how far away I am and it seems impossible, but it is not.
"Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me." (vs. 12-13)
God knows we fall short. He can see all of it. I think He is so kind to us in letting us see only what we can handle. If we could see the complete depth of our sin and depravity all at once, I think that would be the end of us. Thankfully, He has mercy. But we do need to deal with our sins if we want to be pleasing to God.
In the verses written above, the author points out two types of wrongdoings that must be forgiven and dealt with. First he mentions our hidden faults. I equate this to what is often referred to as iniquity. These are those character issues and predispositions; those deeper controlling factors that lead to our outward sins. Often they can stem from family issues and perhaps even biological factors. A deeper study of this might be of interest. I know there have been times that I have done things and then wondered why on earth I did them. There was no conscious reason but there was a driving force hidden somewhere in me. We need these forgiven. We need to pray to be transformed and to have the deep core iniquities uprooted.
Next there are the willful sins. The psalmists asks God to keep him from them. The willful sins fall into two categories - sins of omission and sins of commission. Sins of commission are those things we do that we know we shouldn't. Basically, they consist of doing something wrong. They are spelled out by God in the Bible, so it is important we find out what they are. There are several lists of these types of sins in the New Testament. I have posted two of them below. One list consists of the "major sins"; the ones most people probably think deep down are wrong even if they are still doing them. The other is more intense as it lists the sins of the heart. Disobedience to our parents is on this list as is ingratitude and being a lover of ourselves. This list may surprise some as our society takes pride in many of them. The sins of omission are the second type. These are all of those things we know we should do and don't. This one is particularly frightening to me because I am excellent at having "good intentions". I always remember with trepidation the saying my mother used to tell me, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
So how can we deal with the sin in our lives so that we may be continually pleasing to our God? The first step is to turn to Him. The beginning of the psalm declares the awesome power of the Lord and the beauty of His creation. It reads as follows:
"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." (vs. 1-4)
When we turn our eyes to Him and His ultimate authority and strength, it makes more sense for us to obey and turn from our sins. Often we continue doing wrong because we do not realize the greatness of God and how He can fulfill us. We turn to sin to fulfill us and it cannot. We worry because we forget God. We turn to love in the wrong ways because we forget God has this love for us. We are mean and selfish because we forget God can take care of us. The root of all sin begins with us forgetting God and His power (Romans 1:18-32). So in order to deal with our lives, we need to remember God. We don't need the sins, we only need God.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." (vs. 7-8)
Next, we need to turn to His words which give us the directions for life. They tell us what to do and not to do. God was gracious enough to spell it out. He is not a God of confusion. He is the ultimate God of peace and order. He shows us the way. We need, then, to obey if we want to be free from sin. It is not enough to just look at the Word, we must do what it says (James 1:22-25).
In dealing with sin, the guidance given in I John 1:5-10 is a good place to start. It states that we need to get things out into the light. We need to confess our sins to someone. The power of this is so incredible. I think that is why Satan does whatever he can to prevent us from doing so. We fear that if people really knew us, they wouldn't like us. The exact opposite is true. We think nothing will change even if we are open. How wrong that is. Even modern psychology acknowledges the benefit of openness, which is what therapy is all about. It works because it is God's principle. He really does know.
Secondly, we need to accept God's forgiveness. We need to let it go and move on. If we continue to dwell on something, the likelihood of it repeating itself increases. If God, who is perfect can forgive us, who are we to not. Thirdly, we need to fill ourselves up with good things, the fruits of the Spirit. It is not enough to just empty ourselves of evil because then we leave ourselves open for more evil and sin to come right back in. We need to stuff ourselves so full of God and His good benefits that there is no more room for the sin and iniquity in our lives. (Luke 11:24-26)
There is great reward in keeping God's word. The sins and iniquities that plague us can be things of the past. I love I Cor 6:9-11 because it mentions some of the more serious sins that can plague us (and I was guilty of some on the list) and then it says - That is what some of you were! It is true. Our sins and iniquities can be in the past. They can be what we were, not what we are now. What an awesome truth this is. I know. It is worth it to please Him. Let us strive to do so!
Verses for reference:
Isaiah 53:5-6
"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His words we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
II Timothy 3: 1-5
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than overs of God -having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
James 4:17
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins"
Galatians 5: 19-25
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
I Cor 6:9-11
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful that You deal with our lives. We want to change but are unable to on our own. We are so grateful for the promises in Your word about how we can be transformed into Your likeness more and more each day. We want to please You. Help us to recognize and turn from our iniquities and willful sins so that we can say that the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouths are pleasing to You. We commit ourselves to You today.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Who am I striving to please? How do I know? Do my actions and words support this?
2. What sins do I need to deal with right now in my life? What are my sins of commission and omission?
3. What might be the iniquities in my life? How can I start to deal with them?
4. Am I being open about my life? Who am I open with? If I am not being open, is there someone I could open up to?
5. Am I accepting God's forgiveness? Is there anything in my life that I have not accepted forgiveness for? Is there anyone that I need forgiveness from? When will I ask them? If I am not ready to do so, how can I get myself in the place to do so? Do I need to forgive anyone? When will I do this?
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begin with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Please help me to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 19
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (vs. 14)
If I can please anyone in this world, if anyone is going to be happy with my life, I want that person/being to be God. I know I can't please everyone, and sometimes even pleasing those closest to me seems impossible. I used to worry about this quite a bit and compromise myself trying to make everyone happy. I wanted everyone to like me but in striving for this, I became someone even I didn't like. I came to the conclusion that I couldn't worry about it anymore. I had to live with myself and my conscience, and so I had to have integrity. I needed to be true to the one who matters the most - God.
Now I want everything about me to be pleasing to Him. How can I have this in my life? How can my words and even the thoughts of my heart be good and be pleasing to God? I fail so much in this area and I know that I only see the tip of the iceberg. As I mature as a Christian, I continue to see how far away I am and it seems impossible, but it is not.
"Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me." (vs. 12-13)
God knows we fall short. He can see all of it. I think He is so kind to us in letting us see only what we can handle. If we could see the complete depth of our sin and depravity all at once, I think that would be the end of us. Thankfully, He has mercy. But we do need to deal with our sins if we want to be pleasing to God.
In the verses written above, the author points out two types of wrongdoings that must be forgiven and dealt with. First he mentions our hidden faults. I equate this to what is often referred to as iniquity. These are those character issues and predispositions; those deeper controlling factors that lead to our outward sins. Often they can stem from family issues and perhaps even biological factors. A deeper study of this might be of interest. I know there have been times that I have done things and then wondered why on earth I did them. There was no conscious reason but there was a driving force hidden somewhere in me. We need these forgiven. We need to pray to be transformed and to have the deep core iniquities uprooted.
Next there are the willful sins. The psalmists asks God to keep him from them. The willful sins fall into two categories - sins of omission and sins of commission. Sins of commission are those things we do that we know we shouldn't. Basically, they consist of doing something wrong. They are spelled out by God in the Bible, so it is important we find out what they are. There are several lists of these types of sins in the New Testament. I have posted two of them below. One list consists of the "major sins"; the ones most people probably think deep down are wrong even if they are still doing them. The other is more intense as it lists the sins of the heart. Disobedience to our parents is on this list as is ingratitude and being a lover of ourselves. This list may surprise some as our society takes pride in many of them. The sins of omission are the second type. These are all of those things we know we should do and don't. This one is particularly frightening to me because I am excellent at having "good intentions". I always remember with trepidation the saying my mother used to tell me, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
So how can we deal with the sin in our lives so that we may be continually pleasing to our God? The first step is to turn to Him. The beginning of the psalm declares the awesome power of the Lord and the beauty of His creation. It reads as follows:
"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." (vs. 1-4)
When we turn our eyes to Him and His ultimate authority and strength, it makes more sense for us to obey and turn from our sins. Often we continue doing wrong because we do not realize the greatness of God and how He can fulfill us. We turn to sin to fulfill us and it cannot. We worry because we forget God. We turn to love in the wrong ways because we forget God has this love for us. We are mean and selfish because we forget God can take care of us. The root of all sin begins with us forgetting God and His power (Romans 1:18-32). So in order to deal with our lives, we need to remember God. We don't need the sins, we only need God.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." (vs. 7-8)
Next, we need to turn to His words which give us the directions for life. They tell us what to do and not to do. God was gracious enough to spell it out. He is not a God of confusion. He is the ultimate God of peace and order. He shows us the way. We need, then, to obey if we want to be free from sin. It is not enough to just look at the Word, we must do what it says (James 1:22-25).
In dealing with sin, the guidance given in I John 1:5-10 is a good place to start. It states that we need to get things out into the light. We need to confess our sins to someone. The power of this is so incredible. I think that is why Satan does whatever he can to prevent us from doing so. We fear that if people really knew us, they wouldn't like us. The exact opposite is true. We think nothing will change even if we are open. How wrong that is. Even modern psychology acknowledges the benefit of openness, which is what therapy is all about. It works because it is God's principle. He really does know.
Secondly, we need to accept God's forgiveness. We need to let it go and move on. If we continue to dwell on something, the likelihood of it repeating itself increases. If God, who is perfect can forgive us, who are we to not. Thirdly, we need to fill ourselves up with good things, the fruits of the Spirit. It is not enough to just empty ourselves of evil because then we leave ourselves open for more evil and sin to come right back in. We need to stuff ourselves so full of God and His good benefits that there is no more room for the sin and iniquity in our lives. (Luke 11:24-26)
There is great reward in keeping God's word. The sins and iniquities that plague us can be things of the past. I love I Cor 6:9-11 because it mentions some of the more serious sins that can plague us (and I was guilty of some on the list) and then it says - That is what some of you were! It is true. Our sins and iniquities can be in the past. They can be what we were, not what we are now. What an awesome truth this is. I know. It is worth it to please Him. Let us strive to do so!
Verses for reference:
Isaiah 53:5-6
"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His words we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
II Timothy 3: 1-5
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than overs of God -having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
James 4:17
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins"
Galatians 5: 19-25
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
I Cor 6:9-11
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful that You deal with our lives. We want to change but are unable to on our own. We are so grateful for the promises in Your word about how we can be transformed into Your likeness more and more each day. We want to please You. Help us to recognize and turn from our iniquities and willful sins so that we can say that the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouths are pleasing to You. We commit ourselves to You today.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Who am I striving to please? How do I know? Do my actions and words support this?
2. What sins do I need to deal with right now in my life? What are my sins of commission and omission?
3. What might be the iniquities in my life? How can I start to deal with them?
4. Am I being open about my life? Who am I open with? If I am not being open, is there someone I could open up to?
5. Am I accepting God's forgiveness? Is there anything in my life that I have not accepted forgiveness for? Is there anyone that I need forgiveness from? When will I ask them? If I am not ready to do so, how can I get myself in the place to do so? Do I need to forgive anyone? When will I do this?
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/15/10 (9/15/09)
Focus Letter - O
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 15
"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?" (vs 1)
This question is in the hearts of most people whether they acknowledge it or not. We wonder if we are really going to make it and what it takes. Compare this verse to the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18: 18-30 (also Matt 19:16-30). He had everything going for him in a worldly sense and yet he still came to Jesus asking, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (vs. 18 b)
Jesus told him to obey the commandments and the man said he had. Then Jesus took it higher and confronted the man's heart. He told him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me (vs 22b)." In Psalms 15, the psalmist also lays out several principles to follow that are very intensive. He then states that if we do these things, we will never be shaken - we will, in effect, make it.
In Luke, however, the rich young ruler walks away sad. He was not willing to part with his great wealth and often this is like us as well. We wonder in our hearts what it takes to be right with God and yet when we find out, we don't want to do what it takes to obey. We walk away sad or we feel overwhelmed and hopeless at the prospect of really trying to live an exceptional life. Many times we rationalize away the requirements of God by saying that the Bible was written a long time ago, or can be interpreted many ways. Sometimes we focus only on the passages about God being loving and we throw around the statement that if God is love, then how can He judge or condemn. We pick and chose what we will obey. But do these coping mechanisms really solve the questions that lie deep in our hearts?
I don't believe they do. It reminds me of the line by Thoreau in Walden (1854) - "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." We go about our business and say everything is fine but deep down, a nagging feeling sits within us, rising occasionally, and so we too ask, "What will it take for me to make it?"
So, let's take a look at the different conditions in the psalm. This is who will make it:
"He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord,
who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
who lends money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent." (vs. 2-5)
This is a high calling. This is probably not what we expect. Often we think of salvation we focus on the big things, "the externals". We figure if we don't murder, or steal, if we go to church once in awhile, if we are a good person (according to our definition) then we are okay. But God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7). The requirements in this psalm are like those in Luke and also those in the greatest commandment - "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Luke 10:27)" It is all about who we are deep down. Can we say we are blameless? I can not. Can we say we speak the truth and never slander or say bad things about someone? I can not. Do we hate what God hates and honor what is good? Often it is the opposite for us. Do we keep our oath, even when it is hard to do? Or is it easy to just blow things off? Are we above reproach? No. We cover up all these shortcomings with the bandaid of outwardly appearing good or together, and so the question nags at us. We know what we are really like. Even the best of us, if we are willing to be honest with ourselves, are far from the mark.
So what are we to do? The disciples in the story about the rich young ruler also asked this question when the man went away sad. Jesus said as he left, "'How hard it was for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' Those who heard this asked, 'Who then can be saved?' (Luke 18:24b-26)" A good question to ask when we look at what is needed. The passage goes on - "Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.' (Luke 18:27)"
And with this we praise God. We can be saved. We can be purified from the inside and we can be forgiven. Then we can walk in continual forgiveness as we strive to do our best at obeying God. He knows we will sin; that is why Jesus died. We are to walk in the light of God and walk in openness, and then the blood of Jesus will purify us from all unrighteousness. The key is to acknowledge our sin and turn away from that which is wrong in our lives and strive to be different. With God, we can do it. The impossible will be possible. Then as we grow, we will become more and more like the person in this psalm and we truly will, never be shaken.
This passage in I John is a great summary of this miracle.
"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." (I John 1:5 - 2:6)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We thank You for the miracle of being able to have a relationship with You. We are not able to meet the requirements of heaven alone and so we praise You for providing a way for us to make it. All things are possible with You. Help us to strive our best to walk in the light and to confess our sins so that we may be healed. We have all fallen short. We are so grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus. We are so grateful that He is interceding for us and that his blood covers over our sins. We long to never be shaken. Grant us the strength to stay on the path to You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Which of these requirements of God are most difficult for me? Why?
2. Do I hate evil? How can I hate evil without being self-righteous? Do I honor what God honors? Do I honor those who fear the Lord? Why or why not? How can I change?
3. In what ways do I find myself getting "bought" or accepting bribes? What do I compromise my values for? Why? How can I stop?
4. Am I a man or woman of your word? When do I struggle most with letting my yes be yes, and my no, be no" (Matt 5:37)? How can I overcome this?
5. Am I walking in the light? Am I open about my sins with anyone? Do I have any accountability in my life? Why or why not? Who can I talk to about issues I may have? How will this help me?
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 15
"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?" (vs 1)
This question is in the hearts of most people whether they acknowledge it or not. We wonder if we are really going to make it and what it takes. Compare this verse to the story of the rich young ruler in Luke 18: 18-30 (also Matt 19:16-30). He had everything going for him in a worldly sense and yet he still came to Jesus asking, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (vs. 18 b)
Jesus told him to obey the commandments and the man said he had. Then Jesus took it higher and confronted the man's heart. He told him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me (vs 22b)." In Psalms 15, the psalmist also lays out several principles to follow that are very intensive. He then states that if we do these things, we will never be shaken - we will, in effect, make it.
In Luke, however, the rich young ruler walks away sad. He was not willing to part with his great wealth and often this is like us as well. We wonder in our hearts what it takes to be right with God and yet when we find out, we don't want to do what it takes to obey. We walk away sad or we feel overwhelmed and hopeless at the prospect of really trying to live an exceptional life. Many times we rationalize away the requirements of God by saying that the Bible was written a long time ago, or can be interpreted many ways. Sometimes we focus only on the passages about God being loving and we throw around the statement that if God is love, then how can He judge or condemn. We pick and chose what we will obey. But do these coping mechanisms really solve the questions that lie deep in our hearts?
I don't believe they do. It reminds me of the line by Thoreau in Walden (1854) - "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." We go about our business and say everything is fine but deep down, a nagging feeling sits within us, rising occasionally, and so we too ask, "What will it take for me to make it?"
So, let's take a look at the different conditions in the psalm. This is who will make it:
"He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord,
who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
who lends money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent." (vs. 2-5)
This is a high calling. This is probably not what we expect. Often we think of salvation we focus on the big things, "the externals". We figure if we don't murder, or steal, if we go to church once in awhile, if we are a good person (according to our definition) then we are okay. But God does not look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7). The requirements in this psalm are like those in Luke and also those in the greatest commandment - "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Luke 10:27)" It is all about who we are deep down. Can we say we are blameless? I can not. Can we say we speak the truth and never slander or say bad things about someone? I can not. Do we hate what God hates and honor what is good? Often it is the opposite for us. Do we keep our oath, even when it is hard to do? Or is it easy to just blow things off? Are we above reproach? No. We cover up all these shortcomings with the bandaid of outwardly appearing good or together, and so the question nags at us. We know what we are really like. Even the best of us, if we are willing to be honest with ourselves, are far from the mark.
So what are we to do? The disciples in the story about the rich young ruler also asked this question when the man went away sad. Jesus said as he left, "'How hard it was for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' Those who heard this asked, 'Who then can be saved?' (Luke 18:24b-26)" A good question to ask when we look at what is needed. The passage goes on - "Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.' (Luke 18:27)"
And with this we praise God. We can be saved. We can be purified from the inside and we can be forgiven. Then we can walk in continual forgiveness as we strive to do our best at obeying God. He knows we will sin; that is why Jesus died. We are to walk in the light of God and walk in openness, and then the blood of Jesus will purify us from all unrighteousness. The key is to acknowledge our sin and turn away from that which is wrong in our lives and strive to be different. With God, we can do it. The impossible will be possible. Then as we grow, we will become more and more like the person in this psalm and we truly will, never be shaken.
This passage in I John is a great summary of this miracle.
"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." (I John 1:5 - 2:6)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We thank You for the miracle of being able to have a relationship with You. We are not able to meet the requirements of heaven alone and so we praise You for providing a way for us to make it. All things are possible with You. Help us to strive our best to walk in the light and to confess our sins so that we may be healed. We have all fallen short. We are so grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus. We are so grateful that He is interceding for us and that his blood covers over our sins. We long to never be shaken. Grant us the strength to stay on the path to You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Which of these requirements of God are most difficult for me? Why?
2. Do I hate evil? How can I hate evil without being self-righteous? Do I honor what God honors? Do I honor those who fear the Lord? Why or why not? How can I change?
3. In what ways do I find myself getting "bought" or accepting bribes? What do I compromise my values for? Why? How can I stop?
4. Am I a man or woman of your word? When do I struggle most with letting my yes be yes, and my no, be no" (Matt 5:37)? How can I overcome this?
5. Am I walking in the light? Am I open about my sins with anyone? Do I have any accountability in my life? Why or why not? Who can I talk to about issues I may have? How will this help me?
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?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Daily Devotional - 10/21
Prayer Focus - Friends
Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 51
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." ( vs 1)
We need God's forgiveness. The fact that He is willing to forgive us at all is all about Him and not us. We don't deserve it but because His love is unfailing and because He has great compassion, we have hope. I am grateful for God's mercy and do not want to take it for granted.
"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)
Whenever we sin, we are sinning against God. Sometimes we forget this and feel justified in doing wrong if the person we are sinning against is evil or has sinned against us. We are never justified. Our sin is always an affront to God. We need to remember that as it may help us to curb many of our more flagrant misdeeds. The sins of the heart are harder to deal with but are also done against God as well. He is justified when He says that we deserve death. He is not mean or evil. He is just and fair. We earn our condemnation. Praise God that He does not treat us as our sins deserve
"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 7)
We can start over. God makes us like new and erases all of our filth. We do not have to have those burdens of regret around our necks any longer. We can be free, but let us not use this freedom to sin. Let us be like the sinful woman, who when pardoned by Jesus, was still challenged to go and sin no more and did allow her life to be transformed. We need to change and strive with all of our hearts to no longer sin.
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me...Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10-11)
We need help to do this. God can create a pure heart in me. He can renew a steadfast spirit within me. He can restore my joy and help me get through by granting me a willing spirit. I cannot make it on my own. I am too weak, but God is my strength and God can change and strengthen anything in me. He is able. I want these gifts from Him so that I can please Him, now and forever.
"In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem." (vs. 18)
In God's good pleasure, He will make us prosper. It is all in His timing. I don't need to force anything. I just need to live and to do my best. I need to humble myself and keep going with a broken and contrite heart. He will lift me up.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank You for forgiving us. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. We know that we are completely unworthy and we are so grateful that You care for us anyway. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. We can't keep it going by ourselves. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We are unworthy, but we know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I realize how much I sin against God? Am I turning to Him for forgiveness?
2. Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God? Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me? How can I remind myself of this fact?
3. Do I feel burdened by past sins? Have I been forgiven? Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?
4. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?
Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 51
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." ( vs 1)
We need God's forgiveness. The fact that He is willing to forgive us at all is all about Him and not us. We don't deserve it but because His love is unfailing and because He has great compassion, we have hope. I am grateful for God's mercy and do not want to take it for granted.
"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)
Whenever we sin, we are sinning against God. Sometimes we forget this and feel justified in doing wrong if the person we are sinning against is evil or has sinned against us. We are never justified. Our sin is always an affront to God. We need to remember that as it may help us to curb many of our more flagrant misdeeds. The sins of the heart are harder to deal with but are also done against God as well. He is justified when He says that we deserve death. He is not mean or evil. He is just and fair. We earn our condemnation. Praise God that He does not treat us as our sins deserve
"Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 7)
We can start over. God makes us like new and erases all of our filth. We do not have to have those burdens of regret around our necks any longer. We can be free, but let us not use this freedom to sin. Let us be like the sinful woman, who when pardoned by Jesus, was still challenged to go and sin no more and did allow her life to be transformed. We need to change and strive with all of our hearts to no longer sin.
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me...Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10-11)
We need help to do this. God can create a pure heart in me. He can renew a steadfast spirit within me. He can restore my joy and help me get through by granting me a willing spirit. I cannot make it on my own. I am too weak, but God is my strength and God can change and strengthen anything in me. He is able. I want these gifts from Him so that I can please Him, now and forever.
"In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem." (vs. 18)
In God's good pleasure, He will make us prosper. It is all in His timing. I don't need to force anything. I just need to live and to do my best. I need to humble myself and keep going with a broken and contrite heart. He will lift me up.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank You for forgiving us. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. We know that we are completely unworthy and we are so grateful that You care for us anyway. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. We can't keep it going by ourselves. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We are unworthy, but we know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I realize how much I sin against God? Am I turning to Him for forgiveness?
2. Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God? Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me? How can I remind myself of this fact?
3. Do I feel burdened by past sins? Have I been forgiven? Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?
4. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Daily Devotional - 10/8
Prayer Focus - Family
Day 1
Pray for:
One family member that you feel close to
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Help me to listen to You each and every day and please grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 38
" I wait for You, O Lord; You will answer, O Lord my God." (vs. 15)
I wait for God. He will answer. Sin can damage us in more ways than one. Our sin can affect us physically, relationally, and emotionally. The psalmist points to this when he describes in detail how our bodies are impacted by our guilt and sinful folly. He also mentions that "my friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away (vs. 11)." Relationships are cut off by the things we do to damage them. Sin festers and grows. Since this is the affect of doing wrong, it is imperative that we strive to do right. We must long for righteousness because in it, is true life. It is so refreshing to not have any nagging thoughts about something we did or didn't do. To live a life of no regrets would be amazing. Of course, we are all so far from this and we fail daily. What then? We must confess our iniquity (vs. 18). We need to get it out of our system and then repent which means to turn 180 degrees. We need to go in the other direction. This is impossible in many ways without God, but thankfully, He is there. He will answer. He will not be far from us and will come quickly to save us. He is waiting for us to take the first step back and then He will come running (Luke 15:11-32).
Daily Prayer
O Lord, Come quickly to save us. We know we fail so often. We have such great intentions but such weak results. Help us to start anew tomorrow and strive to deal continuously with our sins. Help us to hate them and strive to live purely so that nothing hinders us from being close to You and others. We want to live in the light as You are in the light. We want to be pleasing to You. We are lifting our souls up to You and are confessing and repenting of everything we know that is displeasing to You. Forgive us as well for those things we have done that we do not even realize displeases You. We are waiting on You and we know that You will save us.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Is there any sin I am not dealing with at present that is making me feel guilty? Has sin damaged any of my relationships? How can I deal with these problems and make amends?
2. How do I feel when I finally confess or talk about something that has been bothering me?
3. Do I have someone who I can talk with on a daily basis to confess my sins to and get help from?
4. Am I striving for righteousness? Am I repenting or changing the things that I confess or am I struggling with the same sins over and over again?
Day 1
Pray for:
One family member that you feel close to
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Help me to listen to You each and every day and please grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 38
" I wait for You, O Lord; You will answer, O Lord my God." (vs. 15)
I wait for God. He will answer. Sin can damage us in more ways than one. Our sin can affect us physically, relationally, and emotionally. The psalmist points to this when he describes in detail how our bodies are impacted by our guilt and sinful folly. He also mentions that "my friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away (vs. 11)." Relationships are cut off by the things we do to damage them. Sin festers and grows. Since this is the affect of doing wrong, it is imperative that we strive to do right. We must long for righteousness because in it, is true life. It is so refreshing to not have any nagging thoughts about something we did or didn't do. To live a life of no regrets would be amazing. Of course, we are all so far from this and we fail daily. What then? We must confess our iniquity (vs. 18). We need to get it out of our system and then repent which means to turn 180 degrees. We need to go in the other direction. This is impossible in many ways without God, but thankfully, He is there. He will answer. He will not be far from us and will come quickly to save us. He is waiting for us to take the first step back and then He will come running (Luke 15:11-32).
Daily Prayer
O Lord, Come quickly to save us. We know we fail so often. We have such great intentions but such weak results. Help us to start anew tomorrow and strive to deal continuously with our sins. Help us to hate them and strive to live purely so that nothing hinders us from being close to You and others. We want to live in the light as You are in the light. We want to be pleasing to You. We are lifting our souls up to You and are confessing and repenting of everything we know that is displeasing to You. Forgive us as well for those things we have done that we do not even realize displeases You. We are waiting on You and we know that You will save us.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Is there any sin I am not dealing with at present that is making me feel guilty? Has sin damaged any of my relationships? How can I deal with these problems and make amends?
2. How do I feel when I finally confess or talk about something that has been bothering me?
3. Do I have someone who I can talk with on a daily basis to confess my sins to and get help from?
4. Am I striving for righteousness? Am I repenting or changing the things that I confess or am I struggling with the same sins over and over again?
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