Daily Devotional - 10/3/15

Prayer Focus - Needs



Day 1
Pray for:
One thing that you need to be grateful for but find it difficult to be



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



Psalms 93


"The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength.  The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.  Your throne was established long ago; You are from all eternity

The seas have lifted up. O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.  Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea - the Lord on high is mighty.

Your statutes stand firm; holiness adorns Your house for endless days, O Lord."  Psalm 93


God is in charge.  God is majestic, and God is strong.  The earth runs on fixed principles.  It is more ancient than we are.  It is established.  This psalm speaks to me of how life is so much more than we are.  We get caught up in our lives and our struggles and it is hard to have a true perspective of how small we really are.  If we can think about all the people that have come and gone through all generations, it helps a little.  If we stand by the ocean that helps as well.  When I am near the ocean, it calms me.  I look at the wide expanse in front of me and am amazed that this is only a small fraction of the water that covers this planet.  This planet is truly immense and we like tiny ants run around as if we control it.  How funny and sad we are at the same time.  We control nothing.

I love the comparison of God and the ocean.  The psalmist stresses the power of the ocean, its magnificent waves and the thunder they produce.  Waves can truly destroy as we saw with all the tsunamis in recent years.  It is amazing the power that is with in the ocean and yet the psalmist closes with God.  God is mighty.  God is mightier than the strongest things we see on our planet.  And God is consistent.  His statutes, His word doesn't change.  He does not change.  He is always holy and always good.  He is the only thing that we can trust in.  He is all we need.




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We are grateful that You are unchanging.  We are grateful that Your creation runs on fixed principles so that we can have consistency.  We are grateful for the cycles of life and we are grateful that You allow us to see the beauty of nature around us.  Nature speaks to Your power and glory.  It points out Your magnificence because it is powerful, and glorious, and magnificent.  You have created all of this. We can not fathom You and all that You are but we are grateful for You anyway, and we are grateful that You allow us to serve You.  We rest in You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  How do I feel about God reigning?  Do I have issues with authority?  Why or why not?  How can I come to appreciate authority?

2. How do I view God?  Do I think He is majestic, holy, and strong or do I have conflicting views?  Why do I see God as I do?  Does it have anything to do with how I see my father? 

3. Do I see God in the world around me?  How do I feel about nature and science?  Do I see God's hand in the laws of nature?  Do I see God's hand in science?  How can nature increase my love for God? 

4. What helps me to put life in perspective?  Am I tempted to view life from a narrow viewpoint and think it is all about me?  Do I see how not in control we are?  Does this turn me to God or just stress me out?  How can I turn to God more and let go of my desire to control everything?  How can I have a whole world perspective?

5. How do I feel about God's statutes?  Do I see them as consistent?  Do I see them as valuable?  Am I following them and putting them into practice in my life?  Why or why not?  How can I do this and what do I think I will gain from it?

Daily Devotional - 9/27/15 (1/27/10)

Prayer Focus - Wants



Day 2
Pray for:
One thing you want to understand about God
One characteristic you want to develop that will help you to be more loving towards others



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



Psalms 87


"The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.  Glorious things are said of you, O city of God.  "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me - Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush - and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.'"

Indeed, of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her, and the Most High himself will establish her."  The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: This one was born in Zion." ( vs. 2 - 6 )


In the Old Testament, Zion referred primarily to Jerusalem but was also used to refer to the Temple, and the Jewish nation; the people of God.  In the New Testament, Zion usually refers to the spiritual kingdom of God, which could also seen as the church if one does a more thorough study.  In Psalm 87, we see how much God cares about His people, whether His original people or those of us that have been grafted in.  God loves us.  God is desirous for all of us to belong to His kingdom, Zion.  He also desires for His kingdom to be glorious and He is committed to establishing and maintaining it.

Imagine, we can be a part of this.  We can have our names written in the register of the people and we can have our place of birth be recorded as Zion.  This is ultimately the desired end result, isn't it?  To have God acknowledge us as His own on that day when we will face Him.  For Him to say to everyone, "Yes, this one was born in Zion.  This child is mine!". Our national heritage often inspires us.  I know when I was just out of college, I contemplated becoming an Australian citizen so that I could further my water polo career there.  Even though at that time, I did not think that I cared that much about being an American, when I faced with the idea of having to renounce my citizenship to the United States, I couldn't.  It was then that I realized what my country did mean to me.  I thought of all my memories of growing up and of all the benefits that I had received, and I realized I loved my country, even with all of its faults.  How much more so should we feel about our spiritual heritage and our spiritual country. 

If we have been born again, we are citizens of Zion.  We have a new kingdom.  It is challenging to say to ourselves, "I have been born in Zion".   Do we realize what an amazing thing this is?  We have a fresh start and a new allegiance.  We have all the rights and privileges of citizens of the kingdom of God.  But do we live accordingly?  I think too often, we take for granted what we have, just as I had taken for granted what I had as an American citizen. We need to make a conscious effort to be grateful and to give back.  As John F. Kennedy said in his inaugural address in 1961:

"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility - I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our country and all who serve it -- and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."

Kennedy was calling Americans and the whole world higher.  Many responded to his plea.  As followers of God and citizens of His country, we should take our duty even more to heart because, besides being citizens of God's kingdom, we have also been called to become His ambassadors. We are representing Him.  "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (II Corinthians 5:20)  I have been given a job to do in my life.  I need to represent God.  I need to live in a way that will glorify Him.  I can not just do whatever I want anymore.  People are watching.  People will always watch. 

I remember one of the most convicting moments of my high school days.  I was supposed to be a Christian.  I had been telling my friends about God in my junior year of school, but then in my senior year, I started partying and put aside my faith.  One night at a party, I had been drinking and was not behaving in a very Christian manner.  One of my friends stopped me in my tracks when they said, "Hey, I thought you were supposed to be a Christian."  I didn't know what to say at that point, because they were right.  I was supposed to be something but I wasn't living like it.  I realized I was as big a hypocrite as the people I was upset with in my church and in my life.  I kept partying that night, but that moment in time kept echoing in my head and eventually, I did become a true Christian.  But that memory was never forgotten.  I can still hear my friend asking me that question, even all these years later and that is okay because it is a good question.  I am supposed to be a Christian.  So, what does my life say?  I hope it says I am.  I hope it says that this is what is most important to me.  I hope now, I do have integrity.

Looking back, sometimes it is hard for me to believe that I was given a second chance.  I know I didn't deserve it.  But God gives us all second, and third, and fourth chances.  In fact, He is calling us until the day we die.  I love the part of this psalm that says, "I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me - Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush - and will say, 'This one was born in Zion.'" (vs. 4)  These countries were not friends of God.  They were the enemies of the Jews; the ones that enslaved and persecuted them.  But it appears that they are given a second chance.  They too had the opportunity to become children of Zion.  This speaks to me of the extreme love of God, that all of us, no matter how far we have fallen or where we have been, can start over.  We can be born again and receive a new country, a new life.

What an exciting thought and what a responsibility as well! Let us rise to the occasion so we can retain our citizenship in Zion and enjoy all of its blessings.



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


What a wonderful thought that we have been born in Zion. Help us to remember that we belong to such an awesome kingdom. We are a people now. We have a great heritage. Let us live so that others may see and worship You. Let us be worthy ambassadors for our spiritual homeland. Let us make You proud.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Have I been born in Zion? Is my name written in the register? How do I know? Are there any questions that I need to resolve about my conversion or any doubts in my mind? How can I clear these up so that I have full confidence in my citizenship?

2. Am I inspired by my spiritual heritage and belonging? Do I think about what an honor this is? How will dwelling on my citizenship in Zion help me to live better in the here and now?

3. Am I being a good ambassador for my spiritual country? What impression will others have of God and the kingdom because of me? Are there things I need to change to serve God better in my role as ambassador?

4. What blessings have I received due to my spiritual birth? What privileges do I enjoy because of this? Am I grateful or do I take advantage of my position in Christ?

5. What is my attitude about God's kingdom and the church.  Am I serving my spiritual country or am I looking for what I can receive from it?  What can I do to make my spiritual country, and my physical country a better place?

Daily Devotional - 9/18/15 (11/18/09)

Prayer Focus - Needs


Day 7

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


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


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




Psalms 78



"The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; they did not keep God's covenant and refused to live by His law. They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them. He did miracles in the sight of their fathers in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan." ( vs. 9-12)


"They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, 'Can God spread a table in the desert? When He struck the rock, water gushed out, and streams flowed abundantly. But can He also give us food? Can He supply meat for His people?' when the Lord heard them, He was very angry; His fire broke out against Jacob, and His wrath rose against Israel, for they did not believe in God or trust in His deliverance." (vs. 18-22)


"In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of His wonders, they did not believe. So He ended their days in futility and their years in terror. Whenever God slew them, they would seek Him; they eagerly turned to Him again. They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But then they would flatter Him with their mouths, lying to Him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to Him, they were not faithful to His covenant. Yet He was merciful; He forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time He restrained His anger and did not stir up His full wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return." (vs. 32-39)


There are many ways to displease God and this psalm uses the stories of the Israelites to remind us of what to avoid. The first thing to avoid is turning back on the day of battle. We are equipped for whatever we have to face because we have God with us. God has appointed a path for us, a race to run.  He does not give us more than we can handle.  We must go up to battle when it is time.

Next we must remember God's covenant and keep His laws. We have to obey if we want things to go well for us. The third pitfall to avoid is ingratitude. We have to remember the miracles and wonders God has done in our lives and in the lives of those around us. The fourth way to displease God is to put Him willfully to the test. He does not need to prove anything to us. He has already proved enough. We just need to start believing and living out His word. Then we will see the victories in Christ. Next we need to not speak against God. We do not need to doubt Him or be dissatisfied with what He provides. We can be so spoiled sometimes. We have our minds set on one thing and when God provides for us in a different way, we say, "Yeah, but what about this?" We can be displeased in the midst of plenty. This is just not right.

We can anger God. Sometimes we think that no matter what, God just keeps on forgiving and doesn't really care what happens in our lives, good or bad. As long as most of the time we are decent people, (by our standards of course), then we will be okay with God as well. This is just not true. God went to so much trouble and pain to save us that it does matter to Him. He is invested in us and what we do. Each time we sin, it is a reminder to Him of what Jesus had to go through. We need to realize this and realize that the Israelites wandered in the desert because of all of these previously mentioned sins. They did not get to go to the promised land because they did not go up to take what God had promised. They doubted God.  They doubted that He could get them into the promised land and, therefore, they received what they believed. Let us believe in God and trust in His deliverance. Let us enter into His rest. Let us strive to avoid these problems that brought the Israelites down. We can be faithful. We can make it, with God.

Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

The Israelites were Your promised people and You went to so much trouble to get them out of Egypt. You worked so many miracles in their lives and yet they still doubted and turned back on the day of battle. It is so important that we don't do this. We have to strive to believe and have faith. We want to enter into Your eternal rest. You have provided. Help us to live in such a way as to embrace Your will and covenants. You are great. We are grateful to be with You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

QFT


1. Do I turn back on the day of battle? Am I being a soldier of Christ? What battles am I being called to fight? What is my reaction? How can I be a better warrior?

2. What has God done for me in my life?  Do I recognize His blessings and His leading?  What is the race God has marked out for me like?  Am I satisfied with it? Why or why not?

3. Am I putting God to the test? Do I demand God prove Himself to me? In what areas am I tempted to do this?

4. What is my speech like towards God? Do I utter more praise or doubting? How can I focus more on praise and less on doubt?

5. Am I loyal to God? How do I show my loyalty? In what ways have I been unfaithful? How can I change this?

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

Prayer Focus - Gratitude



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


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


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



Psalms 71



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

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

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

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



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

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

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



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

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


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


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

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


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


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


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

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

Prayer Focus - Gratitude



Day 5
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the state/region that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the city that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the home that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about your family



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



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



Psalms 69



"My eyes fail, looking for my God...May those who hope in You not be disgraced because of me, ...But I pray to You, O Lord, in the time of Your favor; in Your great love, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation...Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of Your love; in Your great mercy turn to me. Do not hide Your face from Your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes...

The Lord hears the needy and does not despise His captive people. Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and all that move in them, for God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; the children of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will dwell there." ( vs. 3b, 6a, 13, 16, 33-36)


Sometime we are searching, and sometimes we are finding.  There are many seasons in our lives.  I love the scripture in Ecclesiastes that highlights this.

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:

 

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace."

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Psalm 69 contrasts two seasons - a season of struggle and a season of rebuilding.  Both are written by the same person.  I know I have been through both seasons and though I love the rebuilding, I do not regret the seasons of struggle.  I would not want to go through some of the valleys I have been through again, but I would never want to take them back.  They are why I am where I am at now and God has used them.  He has used them to humble me and to show me what life is truly about. 

I was very arrogant as a young person and I did not really understand struggle.  Many things came easy to me and so I became very prideful and sure of myself.  But we can not find God if there is no room for Him in our hearts; if we are too full of ourselves.  That was me.  I had been trained to be a student, not a person.  I was taught to achieve, not love.  I was taught that it was all about me.  There was no room for God in my life, even though I professed to be a Christian.  God had to allow me to face complete and utter moral failure so that I could truly see who I was.

All the things that I used to hide behind were stripped away in college.  It was there that I truly began to understand that I was not a "good person".  Whatever I had was not of my own doing.  I did not make myself intelligent.  That was a gift of God.  I did not make myself athletically talented.  That too was a gift of God.  What I had made of myself, however, was a mess.  I could finally see how I used people.  I could see how I thought so many mean and impure thoughts.  I could see how I thought I was better than others because of the gifts that God had given me.  I could finally see clearly. 

I did not want to bring shame and disgrace on those that hoped in God anymore.  I claimed to be a Christian, but in my actions I was denying Him.  I was as big of a hypocrite as the people I hated for being hypocritical.  In God's great mercy, He had allowed me to see this.  He did not show me this to destroy me, however.  He showed me this so that I could change.  He allowed me to start over.  He came to my rescue.  I had searched and searched for Him and He was found.  At the right time, when I was most open to see the truth, God was there.  God is here.  I was crushed so that I could rise to a better life.

God saved me from myself and He continues to save me from myself.  I can not believe how far I have come and I am so grateful that I can now understand life better and I know what it is to struggle.  I know what it is to have to climb that long ladder back up to normal; to be a successfully functioning human being.  God does restore and rebuild, even if everything right now lies in chaos around us and we struggle to get through each day. God will not despise us. The poor and needy will see and be glad. Our hearts will live. Our searching for God is not in vain. We will find Him and He will reward us if we are faithful.  I praise God every day for this.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We grow weary searching for You. We are looking. We are struggling but You are strong. You are waiting for us to come to You. You are not far from each one of us. Help us to clear all the fog from our vision and throw off the sin that so easily entangles us. Help us to run our race with perseverance and not lose sight of our goal to make it to be with You. Keep our sights eternal. We love You.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. What season am I in right now?  How do I know this?  What seasons have I gone through?  What have I learned from them?

2. Am I disgracing God and/or my brothers and sisters by the way I am living? What do I need to change to be living a life that pleases God?

3. Am I praying and pleading with God about my needs? How often am I praying? Can I make a schedule that would enable me to have more time to pray? When is the best time for me to pray? Where is most effective?

4. What do I need God to rebuild in my life? In what way am I like the cities of Judah that were torn down? How can God restore me? Do I believe God can and desires to do this?

5. How will I be able to help others better once I am rebuilt by God? What is my vision for what my life could be like and what is my vision for how God could use me?

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

Prayer Focus - Gratitude


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



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



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



Psalms 67



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



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

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



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


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


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



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

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

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

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

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

Daily Devotional - 9/5/15 (11/5/09)

Prayer Focus - Gratitude

Day 1
Pray for:
One thing I am grateful for about the country that I live in


Thank God for the effect that what I am grateful for has on:
my spiritual life
my physical life
my emotional life
my mental life



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



Psalms 65


"O You who hear prayer, to You all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, You forgave our transgressions, Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple. You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas," ( vs. 2-5)

"You care for the land and water it; You enrich it abundantly. ..You crown the year with Your bounty and Your carts overflow with abundance." (vs. 9a ; 11)



We worship "O You who hear prayer." What a good way to describe God. He hears our prayers.  He is waiting to hear from us.  It is hard sometimes to find a person who can listen to us.  Everyone is so busy these days and most people have so many things to deal with already.  Yet, God always has time.  Even silly little things are not unimportant to Him.  I am grateful I can turn to Him and pour out my heart at anytime.  I am never alone.

I am grateful that there is more to life than just the physical aspects; the seen.  I know there is more, but many people can not get beyond the seen.  This does not negate what is true, however.  There is a greater truth that does exist and some day we will all know it.  Some day, all men will come to God and bow down before Him, acknowledging that He is who the Bible says He is.  We are blessed if we have been given the opportunity to know and follow God. He chose us, not the other way around. That should make us eternally grateful; that we were chosen and that we will be filled with all the good things that God has in His house.  How grateful I am that He has chosen me now.  I am grateful that He picked me.  Why? I do not know but I thank Him daily.  I truly am blessed. 

I am also thankful that God forgives our sins. That is what makes Christianity so different. Many religions teach us how to live and have noble aspects to them but there is always the problem of sin.  We have all sinned.  We are all separated at some point because of this.  We can never work our way to forgiveness or become good enough to pay for what we have done in the past and what we continue to do because of our human frailty.  But in Christ, there is forgiveness of sin.  This forgiveness comes through the death of Jesus on the cross.

 God is the hope of all the earth. He is my hope. He can do anything and everything, even care for the land. I do not need to worry.  God is the one who keeps this whole planet functioning and He cares for all that is alive on earth. He knows every single bird. He knows the number of hears on our heads. He knows everything about us and loves us just the same.  Is there anyone else like our God?  No, not one.

God's ways are right.  God's ways are loving.  Crown us with Your bounty, Lord.  Yes, crown us as we strive to follow You. Surely Your cart does overflow.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

We are so grateful to have been chosen by You and brought close to You. We are so grateful that even though You are caring for everything n the world, You still have time for us. You have so much abundance and blessings. You are able to provide richly for us. Help us to remember that Your idea of riches and abundance are often different than ours. You are our hope.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. Do I believe that God hears prayer? How is my prayer life? How can I improve it?


2. Am I asking God for forgiveness for my sins on a daily basis? Am I feeling overwhelmed or relieved? Can I make a daily list of what I need forgiving from for a week and then commit to praying about these needs?


3. Do I realize that I have been chosen by God? Am I living like a chosen one? How can my life reflect this in a greater way?


4. Do I realize that God is managing and running the whole world? List twenty of the things that God does on a day to day basis in keeping the earth functioning?

5.  Do I think about the power of God that is available in my life if He is able to do all the things previously written down? What should I be bringing to Him in prayer if I believe He is truly in charge of everything?

Daily Devotional - 9/3/15 (11/3/09)

Prayer Focus - Strangers



Day 6
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
One person in politics
One person you always see but have never spoken to
One person that you have read about that is still alive



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 63



"O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for You, my body longs for You, in a dry and weary land where there is not water. 

I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and Your glory. Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You. I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You.

On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night.  Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings.  My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me."     ( vs. 1 - 6 )


I have seen the power of God. I have seen Him change me. I have seen Him change others. I have also seen great victories. I know I would be nothing without Him and that He is all that I have that is good. I don't know how I knew this at 17 but I did.  I had been wandering and I was thirsty and weary.  I had great achievements - valedictorian, athlete, popular.  I had been able to travel to Europe and Japan, among other places.  Basically, I had done everything that I wanted had wanted to.  I had accomplished all my goals up to that point, and yet I was dying.  I was so empty.  Life was meaningless to me.  I went from one party to the next trying to fill the ache inside; using and being used.  I made an ultimatum with God.  Show me this is real!  And He did.  When I finally saw the Bible being lived out, then I knew.  I had to respond.  I clung to God because I knew that He was my only hope for a better life and that if I walked away from Him, I would be walking away from the best thing that I ever would have.  I was right.  I have had many wonderful things in my life and even now, life is good; but I still  have never found anything like God.

I must always remember this.   God's love is better than life.  Life is a struggle, God's love is not.  I will be satisfied. I will choose to be satisfied.  Day in and day out.  It is a choice and I will make it.



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,



We will be satisfied. We will turn our eyes to You and our hearts to remembering. We have beheld Your power and Your glory. We will remember. Help us when we are faltering and forgetting. Help us when we wander. We choose today to be satisfied. Your love is better than anything that we have.  All our blessings have come from You. You are the great Giver. You are the perfect Father and Husband. We run to You and hide in the shelter of Your wings. Help us. We are damaged people longing to be healed. Help us to learn to sing again and to be mentally, emotionally, physically, and most important of all, spiritually healed so that we might be able to serve You.  We desire to worship You completely and acceptably. We come before You in humble adoration. Please accept us today and always.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. How am I feeling about life?  Do I feel weary, thirsty, and parched or do I feel refreshed and rejuvenated?  How is my relationship with God?

2. How has God's power been expressed in my life? Do I recognize God's glory? Am I praising Him daily?

3. Do I truly believe that God's love is better than life? How do I know this? How do I show it?

4. Am I satisfied with God alone? What tends to get me feeling dissatisfied? How can I stop allowing these things to distract me from God?

5. Am I clinging to God?  Am I letting God heal me? What do I need to be healed from? How can running to the shelter of God's wings heal me?

Daily Devotional - 9/2/15 (11/2/09)

Prayer Focus - Strangers


Day 5
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
One person in politics
One person you always see but have never spoken to


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 62



"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken." ( vs. 1-2 )

I am so tired tonight.  Going back to work from the summer break is hard as it brings long days and short nights.  Hours in the car fighting traffic and endless commitments.  I can hardly think, but I keep going.  What is important gets done and we keep moving on.  My time with God is my only time to myself, but most importantly, it is my lifeline. If I did not have God, I would surely be lost.  First of all, I would not have my family, my husband, or my beautiful children.  I would not be a teacher, and probably, I would not be alive.  I have found rest despite being exhausted.  I have a stronghold.  I have something beyond this life.  I always thought that if all we had to live for was the 9 to 5 and the grow old, get a job, raise a family, then die type of life than it was all so hopeless.  I am so glad that God showed me something different.

"My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty Rock, my Refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." ( vs. 7-8 )

Besides rest, my honor comes from God as well.  If I had been left to myself, I wouldn't have had any honor.  I was not a very nice person before I became a Christian.  I used people and all I cared about was myself and my desires.  I was full of anger and rage and had a seared conscience.  I was so hardened by sin, that my spiritual transformation took a long time.  I did not change overnight when I decided to follow God.  Yes, I had grace, but the real work was just beginning.  The consequences of only 17 years of godless living have now taken thirty plus years to overcome.  It is hard for me to imagine, but I have been trying to do this since 1983; all of my adult life has been dedicated to becoming closer and closer to God.  It has taken all that time to develop, through God, whatever honor I have now.  What a thought!  My integrity has come through walking through the furnaces and learning the hard way what it means to serve Him

One thing I am especially grateful for is that during all of this time, I have always had God to run to and to hide in.  When the going got rough, as it often did, I poured out my heart to Him and then just slept an empty sleep, letting His spirit burn off the dross of my soul.  In the morning when I would awake, I would be a little bit better; a little closer to the woman of integrity that I longed to be.  The sun always seemed to shine brighter on those days and everything was a bit clearer.  It was as if I could see God shining through.

"One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving. Surely You will reward each person according to what he has done." (vs. 11-12 )


Finally, I will remember that God is strong. That fact is a given which I need to always remember. He is not like me. He is more than capable. He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). God is huge and powerful. God is able!  I will also remember that God is loving. He loves me. He loves You. All of what He does day to day in maintaining and running the universe is in an effort to try and bring people back to Him. That is His ultimate goal and desire. He desires that all men are saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (I Tim 2:3-4). Let us be faithful.  It is worth it.  I know.  God will reward us if we are faithful. He will reward us for what we have done! Let us do something worthy of being rewarded today!




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We are coming to You. Our souls find rest in You alone. Thank You for providing us with the refuge that we so long for. We are lonely, weary travelers here. We are so different that sometimes it is tiresome. But You know. You are strong and You are loving. You will be here for us and provide for us. You are our fortress and refuge. We will trust in You. We will pour out our hearts to You. We will commit with our hearts and souls to serving You. We know You will reward us.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT




1. Am I finding rest in God alone? What other things do I try to find rest in? How can I turn more to God for the rest and refreshing that I need?

2. Am I easily shaken? What does my stability say about my relationship with God? How can I become more stable?

3. Which of the names of God mentioned here do I most identify with? What does it mean to me to know that God has these qualities? How can this help me to trust in Him at all times?

4. Am I remembering that God is strong and loving? Which of these is harder for me to remember? Why?

5.  Am I living as if I believed He was going to reward me according to what I have done? What would I change if I truly believed He was going to do this?

Daily Devotional - 8/26/15 (10/26/09)

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?

Daily Devotional - 8/24/15 (10/24/09)

Prayer Focus - Enemies


Day 3
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble at some point in time

Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not


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



Psalms 54

This post was originally written in 2009.  I have left it much as it was.  My daughter is now a healthy 11 year old and her asthma rarely bothers her.  In 2009, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer which had spread to his liver.  He had two surgeries and two rounds of chemotherapy.  He was cancer free for four years and then had a reoccurrence in 2014.  This was followed by another surgery and more chemotherapy [see Daily Devotional - 8/22/10 (9/22/09) if you are interested in learning more about his cancer].  Thankfully, he has been cancer free for a year now.  My schedule is still very hectic and long, yet God always provides what I need to take care of all of my responsibilities.  If you are interested in reading the background information which prompted me to start these devotionals in 2009, please see ("Background Information" - published 8/31/09.)



"Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me....I will sacrifice a freewill offering to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good. For He has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes." ( vs. 4, 6-7)


God is my help. I have to repeat this to myself daily, hourly, and moment by moment. God is my help. He is the one who sustains me. I can not do this on my own.  There is so much to be done daily.  If I look at my life, I am overwhelmed; if I look at God, I can make it through.  God does supply my daily needs.  However, I must learn to separate the urgent from the important. I must learn to prioritize. I can not do everything and so I must do the most important.  Sometimes I do not even know what that is.  Therefore, I must learn to rely more and more on the Lord who sustains me.

I am learning to look at the worst that could happen and then look at it through God's eyes.  Heaven knows, I am getting quite a bit of practice.  For example, if my daughter should get sick with H1N1, which happens to be something on my mind right now, what would be the worst that could happen? Having asthma, she could get very sick. She could even die. I have had to think of this before. I have thought of this every time I have had to take her to the hospital because she can't breathe.  So if the worst would happen to my child, I have to realize, she would be in heaven. She would be happy and at peace forever. Since she is only five, she would be with God and would be spared all the heart ache that we face living on earth. I would be heartbroken but at least I would know that she was safe and no longer had to suffer. I would not have to worry about whether or not she would grow up to know God. She would be there waiting for me.  Sometimes remembering this helps me to face the uncertainty of each day.  I can make it through the worst, day by day, holding on to God's hand and striving to look at life through an eternal perspective.  And so it is with each problem I face.  I try to keep this focus.  I look at the worst that could happen and then I take that to God, for I do know that He is good.  He has kept me safe this far.

So I will sacrifice a freewill offering to God in gratitude for sustaining me. I will freely come and bring Him whatever I have to offer. Sometimes it is not much but I will bring it.  Like the poor widow that only dropped a few coins in the offering, I will give what I can, what I have ( Luke 21:1-4 ).  God will not have to force me to follow, or to come, or to sacrifice. I am so grateful that I am even allowed to participate in this life.   I would have nothing without God and I look forward to seeing how He will deliver me from all of my present troubles.  He has amazed me up until now with how He has gotten me out of my past troubles. I am certain that I will look in triumph on my foes someday. And what a great day that will be!



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We look forward to the day that we will be able to look with triumph on our foes. You have delivered us so far and You will continue to deliver us. You are good, always good and we praise You. You are our help. You do sustain us. You get us up and put us to bed. You keep our hearts beating and our lungs pulling in oxygen. You are great and You deserve all the freewill offerings I can bring. Help us to not be like horses or mules that have to be pulled along. Help us to come willingly and eagerly to serve You. Forgive us in our failures to please You. We need You and praise You for Your mercy. Continue to walk with us and carry us when we are weak. We worship You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. How often do I think about God actually being with me in each present moment? Do I turn to Him for help in the moment or do I forget He is there?

2. Am I allowing God to prioritize my day and my time? Do I let Him get involved with the mundane areas of my life like house work or do I feel that God is only interested in the "big issues"?

3. What am I worrying about?  What is the worst thing that could happen in that situation?  How can I see this from an eternal perspective?  Does this help me?  Why or why not?

4. How can I bring a freewill offering to God? Is my service and worship a joy or burden to me? What can I change to improve my attitude of joy when I am serving or worshiping God?

5. What are the foes in my life? What am I doing to conquer them? How will I feel when I am delivered and can look at them in triumph?

Daily Devotional - 1/20/13 (10/20/09)

Prayer Focus - Friends


Day 6
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you


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

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


Psalms 50


"He who sacrifices thank offerings honors Me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." (vs. 23)



What is it that God requires?  Sacrifice, work, hardship, toughing it out, denying ourselves, piety?  We have many ideas in our heads, but God's words drown them out. 

"God comes and will not be silent...Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

Then what does He say to us?

"Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me." ( vs 14-15)




The foremost thing on God's mind is thank offerings.  He wants us to be thankful; to rejoice always.  He says it again, Rejoice.  When we rejoice, all the rest flows out naturally.  Living our lives as a Christian is not a burden when we have a grateful heart.  I know I gladly do things for those I appreciate; those to whom I am grateful for.  When I lose gratitude for God and others, then everything becomes a burdensome chore. Besides enabling us to fulfill the rest of our vows, the thankfulness of our hearts honor God.
 
We must no longer think of this as an optional tenant of Christianity.  I must be thankful. It is so easy to be ungrateful and complaining. It seems to be natural for us. But negative thinking spirals us down to depression and futility. Positive, grateful hearts enable us to see God and the ways He has laid out to help us in any and every situation. My gratitude and thanks enable God to usher in His salvation. The road to victory is paved with thanks. Let us call out to God in our times of trouble and do it with rejoicing since we are blessed to even have a life to be struggling with. God will answer.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

Thank You for giving us life. We are grateful to exist and we are grateful that You care for us. Help us to remember that our gratitude opens the doors for Your salvation. Help us to not be like the Isrealites that wandered for years in the desert because of their ingratitude and unfaithfulness. They continued to complain in spite of all the miracles You brought to them. We can be no different. We want to amaze You with our faith and our good attitudes and happy hearts. We ask for Your strength and blessing as we strive to be pleasing to You in each and every moment of our days. We love You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. Am I sacrificing thank offerings to God? How often do I thank God for something?


2. Am I fulfilling my vows to God? What vows have I made to God? What do I need to change to fulfill them more completely?


3. Am I calling upon God in my times of trouble? Who do I turn to first when I am having a problem? Is it God or a friend/spouse?


4. Am I seeing victories in my life? What is my mental attitude like?


5. Do I see any correlation between when I am positive and grateful and when I see victories/ success in my life? If so, how can I do a better job at sustaining my gratitude level?

Daily Devotional - 9/3/10 (10/3/09)

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
One leader from another country


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


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



Psalms 33



"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him." (vs. 1)


I was not very happy today. It was just one of those down days we have now and then and I struggled even to sit down and write. As I read the Psalm, I was reminded once again that I am to be joyful, I am to rejoice, not just when my emotions back me up on it, but always. I am reminded that it is fitting for me to praise God and rejoice in Him. I do not have to be happy about circumstances that are negative, but I am to be happy about a God who is consistent. It is fitting. If I have the being who created me at my side, if I have a book full of promises that He has plans for me, if I have the security of forgiveness and the cross before me, what is there that I cannot get through. I will sing joyfully to Him and I will praise Him. I will go beyond that also.



"Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." (vs. 3)



I will sing a new song to Him as well. I will not get stuck doing things the same way over and over again. In my blueness today, I thought of giving up writing this devotional. I thought it was too difficult and I was so busy. I thought I had no more ideas. Then I sat down and read the psalm again. I was reminded that this is my new song to God. This is something that I have wanted to do for years and have been afraid. This is my way of communicating all that is inside me and that will never get out otherwise. This is for God, not me. This is His blog and for Him, I will keep it going. It is my new song. We all need a new song; something that inspires us and challenges us. Something that we think is impossible. I love the quote by Saint Francis of Assisi, "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." We need to get a new song going today. What will my new song be today? What will your new song be today?


Once I have figured out what my new song is, I will play skillfully at it. I will play skillfully on this new song and my old songs as well for that matter. Often my goal is just to play with no regard to the way I do things. I think, "If I can just get by and get something done, I will be happy." I must broaden my sights. I need to embrace living skillfully. It is possible because all things are possible through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). I need to not live haphazardly any more. I need to remember, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Col 3:23-24).


Right now I am a teacher and so I am teaching for God. He wants me teaching, although it is not something I ever planned to do. I must embrace it and become excellent and skillful at it. It is my job and service to God. He has shut all the other doors at this time. I am also writing. I must write and become skillful at it as it is a talent that God has given me. It is my job of service as well. In everything I do, I want to be skillful. I want to remember that I am doing everything, even the mundane tasks, like cleaning my house and doing laundry for the Lord and not just for my family. It is my goal to do it all skillfully. And I will shout for joy that I have been given these tasks to accomplish; that I have been deemed worthy to carry it out. I want to be found faithful. I will shout for joy for this and other reasons such as the following.


"For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does." (vs. 4)


I will shout for joy because God's word is right and true. I am not doing this for naught. I am not obeying God for nothing. He will not forget all of my hard work (Gal 6:7-10)! He is faithful in all He does. This is not some farce I have been on. This is true and right. God is here and He is faithful. I can look to all of His promises and know that the more I obey His word, the more He will be able to bless me. I have seen His principles bring great rewards in my life, marriage, and parenting when I have been willing to step it up and follow more accurately His teachings. This includes the ones that I may not understand, or like, on first glance. It is crucial to turn away from doing our own thing and turn back to His will because that is what will win in the end anyway.


"The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance." (vs. 12)


God loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of His unfailing love. I need to fear and revere God because He is great. His plans will happen, not ours. I need to get on board the winning team. God foils and thwarts our plans and purposes. He foils and thwarts even the plans of nations. If we would turn back to God, we could be blessed. We aren't going to be blessed by politics or laws but by getting our heart and soul back to God. We need to go back to our foundation and principles; those that are based on Him and His principles. Blessed are the people He chose. He chose me. He really picked me. What an amazing thought. I need to get with His game plan because I was chosen. I am important in all of this! It is so amazing that God would use me; that God would use any of us since He is so big and grand.


"From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; From His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth - He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You." (vs. 13-22)


Finally, God is watching all of us. He sees everything. God formed my heart. He knows me and He is considering everything that I do. No one here can save themselves; not any king, not any strong warrior or horse. The strongest of men and created things are as nothing to God. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him; on those whose hope is in His unfailing love. His eyes are on those who trust in Him to deliver us from death and keep us alive. Only God can really do these things. We wait in hope for the Lord, not impatiently, - in hope. He is our help and our shield. In Him we can rejoice.


Be happy because of God. Trust in His name. It is who you know that gets you somewhere in life and we know that best.


May Your love be on us all as we trust in You, dear Lord.




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

We are grateful that You are watching us.  We are grateful that You save us.  We know, when we are honest with ourselves, that we are powerless.  Only You can control the universe both inside and outside of us.  It is fitting that we praise You and we want to praise You more and more.  We are putting our hope in You and we know that we will not be disappointed.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. What will my new song be today? How can I get started with it?

2. In my life, what is the necessary? What is the possible? What is the impossible that I would like to see happen?

3. Am I joyful? Am I praising God, even when my emotions are not supporting me in it? How can I change this if I am not joyful and how can I incorporate more praise into my life?

4. Am I playing skillfully, or just playing? How can I start playing skillfully? What training or help do I need and in what areas?

5. What am I hoping in?  What do I rely on to save me?  Is it always God?  If not, why?  How can I put my trust completely in Him and stop relying on my own strength?

Daily Devotional - 9/1/10 (10/1/09)

Prayer Focus - Leaders



Pray for:
One leader who inspires you

Specifically:
their physical strength and needs
their emotional strength and needs
their mental strength and needs
their spiritual strength and needs


Dear Lord - I pray that you would open my ears to the messages You want to share with me today. I also ask for the strength to obey.




Psalms 31



"I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place." (vs . 7-8)


"My times are in Your hands;" (vs. 15a)



Everything is in God's hands. He has determined the times and places for me so that I would turn and seek Him (Acts 17: 26-27). Nothing is done away from the eyes of God. He has seen everything about my life and has been calling me all along. My times are truly in His hands. When I was 17, I made an ultimatum with God. I had grown up going to church and had gone to a Christian school from 1st through 8th grade. I knew the Bible. I knew what a Christian should be. I had tried at times. I had given my testimony before a large crowd at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes my junior year of high school. I had taught people to pray the prayer. I had tried, but the next year found me at every party I could find, drinking anything I could find. I was a hypocrite and almost everyone else I knew that professed to be a Christian was pretty hypocritical as well. I was done with it.


I went to Europe as a graduation present that year and proceeded to party across the continent. While in utter desperation with my life one night in Paris, I told God that I would give it one more try. I was going to go away to college where no one knew me. I would start over. If I could find people truly being Christians as the Bible said, and if I could actually do it myself and find freedom from the many sins that plagued me, then I would be a Christian and give it my whole heart. If I could not find it, then I would become an atheist. I reasoned that if God was real, He would answer this prayer, although I didn't really believe I would find anything different in San Diego. I would then become an atheist because there was no God and the Bible was false since it offered something that didn't exist. There was no grey area for me. Either God and His word were real and true and really did offer freedom as it said, or it was all a lie and I was going to live my life however I wanted and not worry about it anymore. It would be "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow I die." I prayed that prayer and I finished my trip out unchanged.


I went away to college at UCSD that September and the first night I was there met someone from the church I now attend. What a surprise! My times were in God's hand! I went to church and was amazed, although I did not like it the first time. These people were truly different I was soon to discover. Initially, I had hope that perhaps I could be different, but I was not convinced. I studied the Bible, and although no one particularly thought I would become a Christian, one person from the church stuck it out with me. I remember one particular study, she challenged me about some issues in my life and I became angry with her. I did not even see her out of my apartment. But when she left, I went and took some inappropriate pictures down off my wall. I sat on my bed and looked at the empty wall for quite awhile. I felt a strange emotion. I felt relief and I was surprised. For the first time in a long time, someone had called me on something that was wrong and I was so happy. Not even my parents were willing to ask me why I had these types of photos up, but here was a stranger that cared enough to lay our friendship on the line. It was the beginning of a great change for me.

I was so grateful to become a true Christian not much later. I had called out to God in desperation and He had truly answered me. I knew that finally. God did exist. The Bible was real. God would not let me be put to shame and God has not let me be put to shame all these years. At the precise time that I was most open, God was there. He put me where I needed to be back then so that today, I would be here where I am now. I praise God for never letting go of me. Despite all the years of ups and downs, there is nothing I would trade my life for. There is nothing I would trade my relationship with God for. I have spent all of my adult life trying to do this. Trying to be a disciple of Christ, and I can truly say with the psalmist:


"How great is Your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you,...Praise be to the Lord, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city...The Lord preserves the faithful, ...Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." (vs. 19, 21, & 23-24)


I hope and pray that everyone reading my posts may someday feel the same, if you do not already. Amen.




Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

Thank You for continually reaching out to us.  You have placed us exactly where You want us to be so that hopefully we will find You and come to know You.  We are so grateful for Your unseen hand.  A life with You is truly the best life we could find.  We praise You for Your faithfulness.  You are good.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. How did I become a Christian? Has there been a change in my life? What has it been?

2. Have I experienced God placing me in a particular place so that I might turn to Him and find Him? What happened and how did I become closer to God from this event?

3. How do I feel about God's faithfulness and about the truth of the Bible? What holds me back from trusting completely? What can I do to develop greater trust in both?

4. How do I feel about my relationship with God? What is great about it and what could be improved?

5. Have I ever shared with anyone how I became a Christian?  If not, why?  What would I gain by letting others know about my experiences?

Daily Devotional - 8/21/10 (9/21/09)

I wrote this post 11 months ago on the day my husband went into surgery on his liver.  I have left it as it was and added a small commentary at the end about how he is doing now.


Focus Letter - U



Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter



Dear Lord- open my ears to hear, my eyes to see, and my heart to feel. Grant me the strength to obey.


Today is my husband's surgery. We would appreciate your prayers.



Psalms 21


9/21/09


"For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken" (vs. 7)



How great are the victories the Lord gives. As we go into surgery today, I am remembering the greatness of the Lord. I will rejoice that I have His strength to support me and that I can have joy in His victories whatever they may be. God does not withhold the requests of my lips and He knows the desires of my heart. He gives life. I can do nothing to add or subtract from my life, save for eating and living healthy, which is important. But worrying will do nothing. Worrying will not add a moment to my life and will dissipate the energy that I need to be strong.


Regardless what happens today, I will cling to Gods eternal blessing and be glad in the Lord. He is not changing and He is here with me today. God's love is unfailing; the only thing that is secure and eternal. I will not be shaken today. I will be there for my husband, my in laws, and my children. I will be their strength because God is mine. God will lay hold of my enemies and crush them. God can crush the cancer and even if He chooses not to, I will still trust in Him.


God will be exalted. In my life, God will be exalted. Amen.



8/21/10

"O Lord, the king rejoices in Your strength.  How great is his joy in the victories You give!  You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips." (vs. 1-2)

My husband stopped his chemotherapy right before Christmas last year.  As of his first CAT scan, done in February, the doctors feel he is doing well and there is no obvious sign of cancer.  We are gratefully getting back to life, as normal as it can be, in the shadow of cancer.  God has been good and His victories are great.  He is giving us what we need each day and we have learned to be at peace in a deeper way through it all.  We are also grateful for all the support and prayers of our friends.  His next CAT scan will be in October so I will update you at that time about any further developments.



Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

You are great.  We are so grateful for the victories that You give and we are learning to wait on You.  Help us to do this more and more.  We praise You for the prayers that You answer with yes and also those that are no or wait.  We are just grateful to know You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. What enemies am I facing in my life today? How could the Lord conquer them?

2. When is it hardest for me to trust in God? Why?

3. What victories has God given me in the past? How has God blessed me?

4. How can God be exalted in my life, even in the difficult times? What can I do differently to ensure that this will happen?

5.  What blessings do I have in my life that I can cling to during the difficult times?  Why are these things so important to me and what would my life be like without them? How can I focus on them more and show my gratitude in a deeper way?

Daily Devotional - 8/5/10 ( 9/5/09)

Focus Letter - E


Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic beginning with the focus letter that you would like to see you and your family grow in


Dear Lord, open my ears to Your voice and grant me the strength to obey


Psalm 5


"In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation." (vs. 3)

In the morning God should hear our voice. In the morning, we should come with our requests. It is so important to pray and meet with God in the morning. I must pray for my needs. I must make this a priority. God is waiting to meet me. Where am I? Am I still in bed when the Creator of the Universe waits? If He was my boss, would I be there and be on time? Probably. Would I blow him off and sleep in? Probably not.

I need God. I need this time to get ready for the day. He has never failed to provide me with the time and the energy for the day when I have made the time to be with Him for awhile. Even if I have gotten up very early and am really tired, I have still been able to accomplish what I need to and do well if I have set my heart on Him, even for a few moments.

Then, after I have gotten up and made my requests, had my prayers, listened to God's voice, I am not supposed to just forget what I prayed for. I am to wait in expectation! I am to be confident I will receive an answer. I need to be looking for it in everything I do and everything that happens that day.

Have you ever waited for an important letter to come, or maybe a check? Every day you check the mailbox eagerly, running out as soon as the mail truck comes by. I imagine I should be like this with God; excited, and waiting eagerly for the answer to come, focused on how He will provide. It will add a sense of mystery and fun to our days, looking for that answer, that message from God. Where will it be? How will it look? I hope I don't miss it.

"You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;with You the wicked cannot dwell...But I, by Your great mercy, will come into Your house; in reverence will I bow down toward Your holy temple."
(vs. 4 & 7)

Next, I need to focus on how God feels about evil and sin. He hates it. He hates arrogance. He hates wrongdoing. He hates lies. This is frightening because I know I do a lot of things wrong. I see these things in myself so very often. How can I stand before God when I fail so frequently? By myself, I cannot, but because of God's great mercy, I can. I can even come into His house and worship. His grace and mercy makes me feel so grateful. It allows me to have the reverence towards Him that I need because I know that I do not deserve to be close to Him, not now or in the past. I have never been good enough, nor will I ever be. It is a lost cause, but how amazing it is, I am not a lost cause.

"But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy.  Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.  For surely, O Lord, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield." (vs. 11-12)

I can even be glad in spite of my sin and myself. I am not supposed to go around moping and feeling sorry for myself. I am to be rejoicing. I can sing for joy because I have taken refuge in God and in His merciful forgiveness. I have taken refuge in Him for protection from my enemies both external and internal. I can now let go of the past and strain on toward my goal of knowing Him. I am free to do right and to be righteous.

When we are dwelling on our sins and faults it is very hard to do right or be righteous. I know the hardest times for me to do right, especially as a wife and mother, are when I allow myself to worry (which is sin) or to be down and depressed (which is also sin). So instead of moping, I need to run to God, accept His forgiveness, love Him for His grace, worship Him for His mercy, and dwell in His house. When I do this, then His favor will surround me like a shield, and then He will bless me. His protection will be spread over me and I will be able to rejoice even more in what a great God we serve!


Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

We praise You for listening to us.  Help us to come to You each morning and remember our need for You daily.  Help us to wait in expectation.  You are good, always good, and we long to be close to You.  You do not delight in evil so help us Lord to live correctly before You.  Help us to turn away from worry and self pity.  We have You and that is all we need.  Help us to take refuge in You.  We praise You for Your grace and mercy.  Truly, You are good.

In Jesus Name,
Amen


QFT

1. Am I coming before the Lord each morning?  If not, what is getting in the way of this time?  How can I devote some time to God each morning, or increase the time/quality I am spending?

2.  Do I wait in expectation for the Lord?  Do I forget what I have asked God for?  Am I persistent in prayer?  Why or why not?  What answers to prayers have I received?

3.   What is my attitude towards sin?  Do I have the same hatred of it as God does? Are there some sins I tolerate in my life? Why? 

4.  How do I view God?  Do I focus on only one of His characteristics or do I strive to understand Him in all of His complexity?   Do I have reverence towards God or am I too casual with Him? How can I have a more appropriate attitude towards Him?

5.  Do I rejoice in all that I do have?  Am I grateful?  How can I improve my attitude in general towards God and life?  Do I feel blessed?  Why or why not?  How can I focus more on my blessings.

Daily Devotional - 1/26

Prayer Focus - Wants

Day 1
Pray for:
One thing you want to understand about God


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




Psalms 86


"The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life - men without regard for You. But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant Your strength to Your servant and save the son of Your maidservant. Give me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me." ( vs. 14-17)


Sometimes we feel like we are being attacked on all fronts. I find myself at times saying that my life is too much for me, and I know there are so many out there with more difficulties than I. It can be overwhelming dealing with life, but we know that God has given set the race that is marked out for us to run. It is all in His hands and He knows what He is doing. God is compassionate. He is not being mean to us. He is training us. I give my students a lot of work and push them because I want them to be excellent. I make them follow my directions so that they may become thorough and learn to complete projects. If I made things too easy for them, it would be as if I thought they were not intelligent enough or capable enough. Difficulty is often a sign of the belief that one is able. God feels that we are able to handle whatever is given us. He knows what we can take and He is faithful. He is training and disciplining us to our eternal benefit and for His glory here as we are being transformed. He often pushes us to our limits as well because He wants us to rely on Him. As I go about my incredibly busy schedule, sometimes I look back and wonder how I got everything I did done that day. I know it was only God because it seems too much for one person. I laugh and think I am walking on water. I do not know how long I can keep it up but I will focus one day at a time on the one who is able. He will grant me strength and He will save me. Each sunrise I see as I drive to work in the morning is His sign of goodness to me that I have another day. I am so grateful to be alive.




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


Continue to grant us Your strength. We are nothing without You. We appreciate all the signs of goodness that You bring us. The sunrises and sunsets remind us that we have another day. The ocean and mountains loom large and unfathomable. They are solid representations of the unchanging nature of You. We get so caught up in the now and forget to see You. When we look at You, everything else seems to fall away. Thank You for believing in us and for pushing us to be our best. We want to please You. We put our days in Your hands and we wait for Your salvation.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. What is my view of God? What influences how I feel about Him? Why? How can I develop a more accurate vision of who He is?


2. Do I seek Gods' mercy and strength or am I trying to do it all on my own? What holds me back from relying on God? Why? When do I find I can easily trust God and when do I struggle with letting go?


3. What signs of God's goodness have I received? Do I miss some of God's signs? Why? How can I change my view of life so that I see the good more than the bad?


4. How do I feel about my struggles? Do I see them as an opportunity for growth and as training or do I blame God? Do I ever feel that God is not taking care of me or does not have control over the events of my life. How will trusting that nothing is outside of God's will affect how I react to difficulties?