Prayer Focus - Needs
Day 6
Pray for:
One thing that you need to be grateful for but find it difficult to be
One person that you need to apologize to, resolve a conflict with, or forgive
One dream that you need to surrender to God
One challenge that you need to face and deal with
One health issue that you need to deal with
One sin you need to overcome
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear Your voice today and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 98
"Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him. The Lord has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations. He has remembered His love and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." ( vs. 1 - 3 )
We are told again to sing a new song! We are told to be different; to start over. Why is this so important to God? This first verse holds the key. God has done marvelous things; He has brought salvation and not just salvation for the Jewish nation, but for the whole world. The whole Bible is an amazing story written over a long period of time by various authors that tells the story of a loving God seeking to restore a lost relationship with His creation. God has always been after us to give us the chance to start over; to sing a new song. He had so many dreams and desires for a people that would love Him and He has patiently been pursuing the human race and each one of us ever since the fall. He is not satisfied with anyone being lost. He includes story after story of how He feels about each and every person that turns back to Him. He rejoices over the returned souls. What an amazing thought that I am that loved. In another part of the Scriptures it states that even if our mothers and fathers could forget us, God would not be able to. We are etched in His heart and soul. We are His. This is why we are to rejoice. This is why we are to sing a new song; because God has made it possible.
Another wonderful thought I have about this verse is that it shows the universality of a faith in God. It is not limited to one country or group of people. It is for everyone. Sometimes I think that those of us in America, think that Christianity has to look like American Christianity to be real, but this is so far from the truth. The Scriptures do not tell us what our dress should look like or what our songs should be or how each step of our worship service should go. It speaks to the heart. It speaks of loving God and loving others. If I am in another country, true Christianity will look like the people in that country with all their rich heritage loving God and others with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. What is important is our hearts. So if I worship outside in a field or I worship in a grand cathedral, it is all the same. I am worshipping God. I hope that we can open up our eyes to the love of God for all people and all nations. God wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. We should too.
Key verses:
I Timothy 2: 1 - 4
"I urge, then, first of all, that request, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
Jeremiah 29: 11-13
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.'"
Luke 15:6 - 7
"Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
Isaiah 49:14 - 16
"But Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.'
'Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.'"
Acts 17: 26 - 27
"From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, thought He is not far from each one of us.
Galatians 3: 26 - 29
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
You have done amazing miracles. You have worked salvation for the whole world. You have pursued us relentlessly. We have never been loved as we are with You. You love in a perfect manner and all that You bring into our lives is what we need to grow and change. Help us to love as You love. Help us to sing this new song and not be bound up with our traditions. We can truly change the world if we love. We thank You for giving us this task.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What marvelous things have I seen God do in my life? Am I grateful on a regular basis for these things? Why or why not? How can I increase my appreciation for what has God has done for me?
2. Have I experienced a fresh start with God? What was this experience like and when did it take place? What did I leave behind?
3. How do I feel about people that do not share my faith? Am I concerned about them being found by God? Why do I feel this way? Am I helping others to find God? Why or why not? What can I do to be more involved with helping others?
4. How do I feel about people that are different from me? How do I feel about people that worship differently from me? Am I prejudice in any way? How is this unlike God? What can I do to change?
5. Am I holding onto any religious traditions? Do I think people have to worship exactly as I do to be right with God? Why or why not? What can I do to reach out to others that differ from me religiously and show them the love of God?
Showing posts with label judging others. Show all posts
Showing posts with label judging others. Show all posts
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
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?
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?
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Daily Devotional - 9/15/15 (11/15/09)
Prayer Focus - Needs
Day 4
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
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 75
"You say, 'I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more, and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.' No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, He exalts another." ( vs. 2-8)
God is powerful and God is in control. He holds the earth together. He holds all the molecules in our bodies together. He knows what is going on. We are fallible but God is not. Our governments are fallible, but God is not. He knows. What a comfort that is if we are right with Him. Even though we try to exalt ourselves and bring one another down, God must laugh at our efforts. He says that no one from anywhere on the earth can do this. Only He is the judge and only He truly knows who should be exalted and who should be brought down.
We have all seen this. Someone is raised up and looked up to and then they fall. Often these people fall the hardest. We are shocked, but why should we be? They are just men like ourselves. We are easily fooled. Only God knows the hearts of men and that is what really counts. Sometimes it is the weakest among us and the ones that are despised that are truly the best. They might have hearts of gold and yet we in our arrogance and worldliness pass them by as undeserving. Let us leave judging to God and let us focus on ourselves. Let us make sure that we will be lifted up at the final day and will be able to hear the words, "Well done good and faithful servant." (Matt 25:23)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
It is easy for us to look at man's outward appearance but You look at the heart. Help us to have pure hearts and help us to rid our lives of secret sins. We ask that our hearts be pleasing to You in every way and that we will be able to stand on the last day in faithfulness. You rise up and You tear down. You are the ultimate judge. We leave the judging of men's hearts to You. We can not know. Help us to do our best and leave the rest to You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I meditate on God's power and ability to control everything that exists? How can I focus on this more?
2. Do I realize that wicked people will receive their just reward from God? Do I try to take revenge for wrongs I feel I have suffered? Is this righteous? How can I let the desire to take revenge go?
3. Do I look at people from a spiritual perspective? How do I evaluate others? Do I look at the outward appearance or the heart? How have I been fooled before?
4. Who are my heroes? Why? Are they truly deserving of my respect? Why or why not?
5. If I do not have any heroes, why is that? Do I struggle with looking down on anyone? Why is this not right, and how can I stop doing this?
Day 4
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
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 75
"You say, 'I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more, and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.' No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, He exalts another." ( vs. 2-8)
God is powerful and God is in control. He holds the earth together. He holds all the molecules in our bodies together. He knows what is going on. We are fallible but God is not. Our governments are fallible, but God is not. He knows. What a comfort that is if we are right with Him. Even though we try to exalt ourselves and bring one another down, God must laugh at our efforts. He says that no one from anywhere on the earth can do this. Only He is the judge and only He truly knows who should be exalted and who should be brought down.
We have all seen this. Someone is raised up and looked up to and then they fall. Often these people fall the hardest. We are shocked, but why should we be? They are just men like ourselves. We are easily fooled. Only God knows the hearts of men and that is what really counts. Sometimes it is the weakest among us and the ones that are despised that are truly the best. They might have hearts of gold and yet we in our arrogance and worldliness pass them by as undeserving. Let us leave judging to God and let us focus on ourselves. Let us make sure that we will be lifted up at the final day and will be able to hear the words, "Well done good and faithful servant." (Matt 25:23)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
It is easy for us to look at man's outward appearance but You look at the heart. Help us to have pure hearts and help us to rid our lives of secret sins. We ask that our hearts be pleasing to You in every way and that we will be able to stand on the last day in faithfulness. You rise up and You tear down. You are the ultimate judge. We leave the judging of men's hearts to You. We can not know. Help us to do our best and leave the rest to You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I meditate on God's power and ability to control everything that exists? How can I focus on this more?
2. Do I realize that wicked people will receive their just reward from God? Do I try to take revenge for wrongs I feel I have suffered? Is this righteous? How can I let the desire to take revenge go?
3. Do I look at people from a spiritual perspective? How do I evaluate others? Do I look at the outward appearance or the heart? How have I been fooled before?
4. Who are my heroes? Why? Are they truly deserving of my respect? Why or why not?
5. If I do not have any heroes, why is that? Do I struggle with looking down on anyone? Why is this not right, and how can I stop doing this?
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