Daily Devotional - 9/22/15 (1/22/10)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation

Day 4
Pray for:
One thing that you want to see improved in your relationship with God - (Love God)
One thing that you want to see improved in the way you relate to others - (with all your heart)
One past hurt that you want to see healed and overcome - (with all your soul)
One skill or topic you want to learn - (with all your mind)




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



Psalms 82



"How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

They know nothing, they understand nothing.  They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken" ( vs. 2 - 5 )


The world that we live in is very confused.  We can also be very confused.  We do not really understand what truly matters anymore.  Sometimes we call wrong right, and right wrong.  Sometimes we are defending the wrong people and things.  I don't know why we do this, but I have seen this struggle in myself.  Even in my teaching, sometimes I have caught myself trying to cater to the students who cause trouble in the class instead of the ones who are trying so hard to learn.  I often see myself looking at people in a worldly way, thinking about who makes a lot of money or who is more popular and successful in the world.  I can be fooled by glitz and glamor.  I can be envious of people that have a nice car or house and a lot of money.  I can want a life of leisure instead of a life of purpose.  Then I become very dissatisfied with my life and all of its blessings.

I often think it would be good if we could go back to a simpler time so that we would not have so many distractions from the pursuit of values and integrity.  We would have a completely different perspective, but unfortunately, we can not go back.  And, I must remind myself, there have always been problems.  But, I do often think about the story of Pandora's Box.  Once the box was opened, there was no going back.  This is similar to our world now.  Everything is out of the box and evil just seems to keep expanding.  But despite all of this, we are still called to a better life.  We are challenged with our thinking and taught about what is truly life. 

This short psalms calls us out. It asks, "How long will we keep valuing what is wrong?"  It challenges us with purpose; defend, maintain, rescue, and deliver.  It calls on us to change the world; to stop being blind to the truth and to start to understand.  The earth is being shaken right now by ignorance and hatred.  Horrible things are being done, and evil men are being regarded as good in many parts of the world, but if we look to the scriptures, we are still commanded to focus on what is good and noble, perfect and true (Philippians 4:8). 

We are still called to rejoice.  Consider this:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God , which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:4-7)

We are still called to love.  Consider this:

"A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)

We are called to make a difference by being different, and loving in a different way.  We are called to look at people from God's perspective and have His priorities in dealing with them.

"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.  Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!" (II Corinthians 5:16-17)

We tend to look at the outward appearance of others and judge them by our standards of what we like and dislike (I Samuel 16:7). We are doing wrong when we do this. I am definitely glad that God looks at my heart because I know I would never measure up outwardly; yet why do I forget that with others.  Often the best people are so far removed from what we would have imagined or picked. We need to take care of everyone that we can because that is what God desires.  He has called us to use whatever strength and resources we have to help.  We are not to just look at people outwardly, we are to look at need.  We are to help the weak and the poor.  We are to protect others from evil.  We are called and if we are called, we will be equipped. 

Let us keep our priorities right and remember we are here to serve and not be served (Matt 20:28). There are so many people who need us. Let us place others above ourselves today and everyday. We can make a difference.



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


Help us to see people as You do. Help us to focus on the heart and not on the outward appearance. Help us to not be drawn to what society promotes as the "beautiful people". We are all precious to You and so we should all be precious to each other. Help us to not miss out on the joy of serving and help us to help those who need it. Show us the good works You have for us to do and grant us the strength to do them.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. How do I view people? Why? How do I see the poor, fatherless, oppressed, weak, and needy? Do I have any stereotypes about others? Why? How can I change this?

2. Do I defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked in any way?  Why?  How do I feel about doing this?  How can I change?

3. How do I deal with spiritually needy people? Am I willing to sacrifice my money to help them mature spiritually or would I rather just meet their physical needs? How can I start giving more to others spiritually? Is there someone I know that I can help today?

4.  Do I make time for those in need? Do I defend and protect them in any way? What can I do to change?  What can I do to help the poor, weak, needy, oppressed, or fatherless? What opportunities already exist? Is there something I could help begin? Is there someone I know personally that I can help?

5. Do I believe that I can make a difference in the world? Why or why not? What can I study out in the Bible that will remind me that I can? What vision or dream can I develop about impacting the world in a great way?

Daily Devotional - 9/12/15 (11/12/09)

Prayer Focus - Needs


Day 1
Pray for:
One thing that is needed in the world


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



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




Psalms 72



"He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more...For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death." ( vs. 6-7, 12-13)


This psalm states at the beginning that it was written about Solomon. What a wonderful portrait of what a person could become. I would like this to be able to be said about me someday. I would like to be like rain on a mown field. That dewy freshness and revitalization that comes from a needed watering. I would like to be a protector of the weak and helpless. I would like to make a difference.

We often have great desires to do something. The problem is in our actions. God is able, but are we truly willing? Are we taking steps to do something? Perhaps we do not know what to do. I feel this way quite a bit and my problem is that when I don't know what to do, I don't do anything. I need to start doing something, anything, as long as it gets me moving in some direction. God can take care of the rest but if I do nothing, I receive nothing. I impact nothing. We must start and let God take care of the rest. Let tomorrow be the first day of the rest of our lives and let us dream of that beautiful field in the rain.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We have dreams to make a difference, and You have dreams to save the world. Help us to see that our dreams are possible, if they are in line with Yours. Help us to start moving in some direction because it is easier to move or redirect an object once it is moving than when it is at a complete stop. Help us not to be frozen with insecurity and indecision. You know what You have planned for our lives and the good works that You have prepared in advance for us to do. You are able to complete them if we are willing to act. You have put things on our heart for a reason. There are people that only we can reach and help. Help us to stop focusing on ourselves and help us to start making a difference for You. With You we will be able. Grant us strength.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. Am I refreshing to others or a burden to them? Why? How can I become someone who refreshing, or become more like this if I already am?

2. Are the righteous flourishing because of me? Who am I helping or inspiring to be more godly? How am I helping them? What more could I do or how could I start doing this if I am not now?

3. Am I helping the needy and afflicted? How am I doing this? What more could I do or what could I start doing?

4. What good works do I feel I am equipped to do? What are my talents and gifts?  What has been on my heart lately? What can I start doing along this line?

5. What is my dream or vision for my life?   How can I begin or continue to make this dream/vision happen? Am I praying about how my dream can be a part of God's dream is for my life?

Daily Devotional - 8/24/10 (9/24/09)

Focus Letter - X



Pray for:
Five things that 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 to grow in that begins with the focus letter


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




Psalms 24



"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;" (vs. 1)




Everything around me and everyone I see are God's. I must remember this. Frankly, if I can hang on to this thought, it will revolutionize my life. I am very careful when I am watching someone else's children. When I go to visit someone at their house, I am respectful of their belongings and I respect their wishes and the rules in their house. It is only right I figure because that is how I would like my children and my home/rules to be respected. But with my possessions, with my husband, with my children, I tend to do what I want because they are mine. Or are they?


When I look at this verse, I realize they are not. They are God's. They do not belong to me. They belong to God. And the earth around me, is it just there to be used and abused, with no one to hold me accountable? No, it is God's as well. How about all of those strangers that I pass along the way? Who do they belong to? No one? Are they not important because they have not entered into my sphere of influence? No, they are God's treasured possessions. They are important whether I know them or not.


Let us consider the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25: 31-46. The King, representing God, separates all of the people into two groups; the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. Those on the right He praises for taking care of Him in many different ways. They respond in confusion, "When did we ever do this for You?" He replies, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Those on His left, the goats, He sends away because they did not take care of Him. They also respond before leaving and ask, "When did we not take care of You?" God's answer has always been convicting and challenging to me. "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me."


As I take care of my husband, I need to consider this. Am I caring for Him as I would care for God? How about my children? Am I being as patient and compassionate as I would be to the Lord? How about the people on the streets. Am I being kind to those I meet on a casual basis as if they were Jesus Himself? Also, am I offering people what they need the most, an opportunity to know God? That is really the most loving thing I could do. This goes even beyond people though, as the psalmist suggests. Am I being responsible with the money God gave me? Am I keeping my possessions and home in good condition. I must remember it is the Lord's, not mine. How about my body? Am I really taking care of it like it was God's temple? Finally, am I respecting God in His house, the earth, by obeying His rules and following His directions?


This is so challenging but so worth considering. I want to be a sheep. I want to be on the right side of the throne of God. I want to be able to ascend the hill of the Lord as mentioned in verse three.



"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?  Who may stand in His holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.  He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior." (vs. 3-4)



The one who will ascend is the one with clean hands and a pure heart; that one who treats everyone and everything as it should be, as God's. This person will receive the blessings. We can be this person. We can do this if we get the idols out of our lives. I know when I am preoccupied by making money or my little projects, or worries, I neglect what is most important, for example, my children and husband.


I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to waste the time that God has given me pursuing things that will not get me to heaven and will not fulfill me in the long term. I look back in sorrow at all the time I have already wasted. I must invest in what God wants me to invest in. I must seek God's face, and in doing so, I will be able to treat others right.


The Lord is strong and mighty. The Lord is mighty in battle. I will lift up my head and see God come in victory. I will honor Him by honoring others. I am climbing up the hill.




Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

Thank You for reminding us that all we have is not really ours.  Help us to see people and the world around us correctly, as Your cherished beings and creations.  Help us to take care of all that has been entrusted to us as we should.  We want to remember that all we do is done for You.  Grant us strength for the task of honoring You in this way.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. Am I treating those closest to me like they were God? If not, how can I change?  How do I treat those I meet during my day?  Am I treating them as I would God or Jesus?  What do I need to change?

2. Am I taking care of my body like it was the temple of the Lord? If not, how can I change?

3. What areas of my life do I struggle the most with viewing as God's? Why?  How can I change my perspective about these things?

4. What idols (anything that gets put before God and following His ways) do I have in my life? How can I get rid of them?

5.  Am I treating the earth with respect as God's creation?  What can I do better?  Is there a cause or need I can get involved with to help protect or provide for God's creation?

Daily Devotional - 8/14/10 (9/14/09)

Focus Letter - N


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 to grow in that begins with the focus letter



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



Psalms 14


"Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord?  There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous." (vs. 4 & 5)


God is present in the company of the righteous. The Lord is their refuge.


If God is in the company of the righteous, that is what I want to be. I want to be with God; keep company with Him. I want to be able to go to Him with confidence and take refuge in Him. Often though, in my efforts to be righteous, I think I end up being "religious". I miss the whole point of what God desires from me and start following a bunch of rules. I have my checklist and do my duty, thinking that is enough. I become religious like the pharisees and I must remember Jesus' harshest criticisms were directed at them. So what is the difference between being righteous and religious?


Some verses come to mind when I think about this question.


James 1: 26-27
"If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."


I must watch my mouth. It is not okay to say whatever I feel. I must speak the truth in love. I must remember that I will be called to account for every careless word I utter (Matt 12:36-37). Thank God for His mercy here but I must try harder. I also need to be socially conscious and help out those less fortunate than me. I must remember, even in my current financial difficulties, that I am rich. Finally, I must keep myself from becoming polluted by the world. I must be different. I must not become corrupted and cynical. I must not become a complainer. I must be different from the world.


Matt 7:13-14
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."


I cannot follow the masses. There are only two roads. Which one am I on? Are there a lot of people on it? I should be a little concerned then. If there are a few, I should not be discouraged or think I am in the wrong!


Matt 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never know you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"


This one is scary to me. These people were religious, and they were not pew warmers. They were actively serving God in the way they thought best. The question, however, is am I doing the will of the Father, or am I just doing what I think is the will of the Father? I can be sincerely wrong! (Proverbs 16:25)


Philippians 2:12b-13
"continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose."

I must always keep striving to make sure I am following the will of God. It is easy to get off track and it is easy to follow the crowd, whether in the world or even in the church. I need to work out my own salvation. I must watch my own life and doctrine (I Tim 4:16). I must guard my own heart because it is the wellspring of my life (Proverbs 4:23). I cannot make anyone else do anything at all, but I can make myself do "all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)." I must do what I need to do and in doing this, then I may help save others. God is in the company of the righteous. Let us be righteous!



Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

Thank You for hearing us when we pray.  We long to be righteous and not just religious.  Help us to watch our mouths and take care of others.  Help us to do Your will as we work out our salvation.  We know we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT: (Questions for Thought)


1. Am I righteous or religious? How do I know?  What can I do to change?

2. Am I helping those less fortunate? If not, how can I start?

3. Am I keeping myself from being polluted by the world? What are my temptations here?

4. Am I keeping a reign on my tongue? When is it most difficult for me to do what is right in this area?

5.  Do I know what the will of the Father is?  If not, how can I find out?  If so, am I doing it?  How do I know?  What evidence do I have?  How can I start or improve on what I am presently doing?

Daily Devotional - 1/22

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation

Day 4
Pray for:
One thing that you want to see improved in your relationship with God - (Love God)
One thing that you want to see improved in the way you relate to others - (with all your heart)
One past hurt that you want to see healed and overcome - (with all your soul)
One skill or topic you want to learn - (with all your mind)




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



Psalms 82



"How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. " ( vs. 3 -4)


We need to look at people from God's perspective and have His priorities in dealing with them. We tend to look at the outward appearance of others and judge them by our standards of what we like and dislike (I Samuel 16:7). We are doing wrong when we do this. Often the best people are so far removed from what we would have imagined or picked. I am definitely glad that God looks at my heart because I know I would never measure up outwardly; yet why do I forget that with others.

Let us keep our priorities right and remember we are here to serve and not be served (Matt 20:28). There are so many people who need us. Let us place others above ourselves today and everyday. We can make a difference.



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


Help us to see people as You do. Help us to focus on the heart and not on the outward appearance. Help us to not be draw to what society promotes as the "beautiful people". We are all precious to You and so we should all be precious to each other. Help us to not miss out on the joy of serving and help us to help those who need it. Show us the good works You have for us to do and grant us the strength to do them.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. How do I view people? How do I see the poor, fatherless, oppressed, weak, and needy? Do I have any stereotypes about others? Do I make time for those in need? Do I defend and protect them in any way? What can I do to change?


2. How do I deal with spiritually needy people? Am I willing to sacrifice my money to help them mature spiritually or is meeting the physical needs of others easier? How can I start giving more to others spiritually? Is there someone I have in mind that I can help today?


3. What can I do to help the poor, weak, needy, oppressed, or fatherless? What opportunities already exist? Is there something I could help begin? Is there someone I know personally that I can help?


4. Do I believe that I can make a difference in the world? Why or why not? What can I study out in the Bible that will remind me that I can? What vision or dream can I develop about impacting the world in a great way?

Daily Devotional - 11/12

Prayer Focus - Needs


Day 1
Pray for:
One thing that is needed in the world


Focus on how this need being fulfilled will help those concerned'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 72



"He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more...For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death." ( vs. 6-7, 12-13)


This psalm states at the beginning that it was written about Solomon. What a wonderful portrait of what a person could become. I would like this to be able to be said about me someday. I would like to be like rain on a mown field. That dewy freshness and revitalization that comes from a needed watering. I would like to be a protector of the weak and helpless. I would like to make a difference.

We often have great desires to do something. The problem is in our actions. God is able, but are we truly willing? Are we taking steps to do something? Perhaps we do not know what to do. I feel this way quite a bit and my problem is that when I don't know what to do, I don't do anything. I need to start doing something, anything, as long as it gets me moving in some direction. God can take care of the rest but if I do nothing, I receive nothing. I impact nothing. We must start and let God take care of the rest. Let tomorrow be the first day of the rest of our lives and let us dream of that beautiful field in the rain.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We have dreams to make a difference, and You have dreams to save the world. Help us to see that our dreams are possible, if they are in line with Yours. Help us to start moving in some direction because it is easier to move or redirect an object once it is moving than when it is at a complete stop. Help us to not be frozen with insecurity and indecision. You know what You have planned for our lives and the good works that You have prepared in advance for us to do. You are able to complete them if we are willing to act. You have put things on our heart for a reason. There are people that only we can reach and help. Help us to stop focusing on ourselves and help us to start making a difference for You. With You we will be able. Grant us strength.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. Am I refreshing to others or a burden to them? Why? How can I become someone who refreshing, or become more like this if I already am?

2. Are the righteous flourishing because of me? Who am I helping or inspiring to be more godly? How am I helping them? What more could I do or how could I start doing this if I am not now?

3. Am I helping the needy and afflicted? How am I doing this? What more could I do or what could I start doing?

4. What is my dream or vision for my life? What good works do I feel I am equipped to do? What has been on my heart lately? What can I start doing? How can I begin or continue to make this dream/vision happen? Am I praying about my dream becoming what God's dream is for my life?