Daily Devotional - 9/19/15 (11/19/09)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation

Day 1

Pray for:
One thing that you would like to see improved in your relationship with God



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




Psalms 79



"O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble...How long, O Lord, will You be angry forever? How long will Your jealousy burn like fire?..Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may Your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need...Then we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will praise You forever; from generation to generation we will recount Your praise." ( vs. 1, 5, 8, & 13)


God allowed Jerusalem to be destroyed and His people taken into captivity. He allowed them to get into such a difficult situation that they were in desperate need. The Israelites were in captivity many times, often for such a long period of time that the original people that had sinned were long gone. This did not stop the latter generations from still reaping the consequences. This can be troubling to think about. In the Old Testament, there are long periods of silence from God when His people wondered where He was. In our lives, at times, we can feel the same. We face various trials from without and within. There can be issues with our health, our finances, our parenting, our marriage, our job or lack there of. Internal struggles can include grief, anger, bitterness, depression, guilt, obsessions, and worry. The list goes on and on. Struggles can endure for days, months, years. And we wonder, "God where are You?  God, do You even exist at all?"

Why is this? Why does God allow this? What can we learn from these times? There are many lessons in this, but they often run contrary to our modern culture.  This sometimes makes it hard for us to understand. We are people of sight. We are people of immediate gratification. We are people that deny there are consequences to our actions. Remember the slogan, "If it feels good, do it?" But reality doesn't base itself on our culture. There really are eternal truths that we will need to internalize if we are ever going to walk successfully through this life. The following are a few of them.

First, we need to learn that there are consequences to every action. We don't want to believe this. We are so used to being rescued.  I know I was.  When I was growing up, I was rescued many times in big and small ways by my parents. Although I know it was done in love, I think I might have been better off I had faced some consequences for my actions in my youth. As a result of how I was raised, I had to learn the hard way that no one comes to rescue you anymore when you are an adult. If you don't pay your bills, bad things happen, such as the lights get shut off.  If you overspend, you have to pay it off. Also, there are laws that have to be obeyed and there are deadlines that can not be denied. We can't always talk our way out of something. How many of us were shocked when we began to realize this? Often, we are still fighting this same issue.  We argue the consequences of our actions with a policeman that stopped us even though we know we were speeding. We bail our children out when they procrastinate or get in trouble. We blame others for our problems rather than face what we really deserve. Thankfully, God is not like this. He sees the big picture. He knows the ultimate consequences of life and He is not afraid to let us face what we deserve to face or need to face. He is the ultimate loving parent who is willing to let us go through the hard lessons so that in the end we might live.

Secondly, we need to learn that sin has far reaching consequences, not just in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us as well. Many times the Bible talks about the sins of the fathers (Ezekiel 18). We are not held responsible in the sense that we will die spiritually for what someone else does, such as our parents, but their sins will still impact us. Children and spouses' of alcoholics know the truth in this. Sin leaves scars that are often difficult to heal. Even sins we might consider less dramatic such as impatience and selfishness damage others. When we say careless and mean things in our anger, those around us will have to deal with the depth of that wound. Even if they forgive us, the words have gone out and can never be taken back. We often hear the echoes of cruel things that were said to us years later, try as we might to forget. The Bible states that we will be called to account for every careless word we speak (Matt 12:36-37). This verse is sobering to me as I know I have said many careless things in my life. It reminds me that we have to take our lives seriously because we do impact others for eternity, whether we want to or not.

Finally, the last lesson I will mention here is that God is still there in the silence; working away at the plan He has for our lives. In the silence of the Old Testament, God was working out His plan of salvation for not only Israel but for the whole world. We do not know why it took so long but it was worth the wait. The behind the scenes work of the universe is a bit beyond us, but it is good enough for me to know that someone who is able is back there working it out. As a child, most of us did not have to worry about the bills or the more complicated issues about what had to be done to provide for us. We trusted our parents and lived life. Think about all that went on to get us to adulthood. Even if our childhoods were not that good, there was work done on our behalf by many people. We will never know the full extent, but as we become parents, we get a glimpse of what it takes to raise a child and hopefully we have more mercy on our parents for all of their failings. It is so hard and although we try our best, we fail so often. But God is the perfect parent and we can rest easy knowing that He is working to take care of what needs to be done to get us to our final destination. We need to be like that weaned child resting with its mother, confident in the safety she provides (Psalms 131). God is there. God does exist. He has a plan.  The trials will eventually pass.  All hard times do eventually come to an end, and that in itself is good.

 

"My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore."  (Psalm 131)

Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


It is so hard to be like the weaned child. We have so many fears and it is so hard for us to just rest in You. Yet, You are majestic and able. Forgive us for insulting Your power and goodness. We, as sinful humans, know how to give good gifts to our children. You are so much more. Thank You for thinking in the long term and for not always giving us what we want. Thank You for letting us go through the hard times so that we might in the end make it to be with You in eternity. Help us to keep our eyes on the eternal and in the times of silence know that You are there. Just as the sun shines behind the clouds though we see it not, You shine throughout the universe. We praise Your name.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Do I feel like God is moving and present in my life or do I feel like He is silent and absent?  Why?  When have I felt these two different ways?  How do I deal with the times in my life when I feel that God is being silent?  What can I do to get through these difficult times?

2. Am I willing to face the consequences of my actions? Am I helping my children to face the consequences of their actions? How can I teach them this concept? Do I blame others for anything in my life?  In what areas do I see this?  How can I stop blaming others for my problems and start dealing more with my actions?

3. Am I dealing with any scars from the sins of those around me? How can I work on being healed?

4. Am I creating any scars? Are my sins affecting my children, spouse, significant other, roommate, etc.?  How?  What do I need to change and how can I?

5. Am I trying to control everything in my life? Am I filled with worry about all of the issues I face? Am I like the weaned child or like an unhappy child? How can I change? What will I do today to start trusting God more?

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?

Daily Devotional - 9/6/15 (11/6/09)

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



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 66


"Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of His praise be heard; He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For You, O God, tested us; You refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." ( vs. 8-12 )


We are reminded here that sometimes God allows us to go through hard times in order to train and refine us. He lets testing go on to see what is in our hearts because that is what is most important.  The heart is the wellspring of life and often it is not as pure as it should be.  We desire to do good, but evil seems to be right with us.  Testing is like the furnace that purifies metal.  All the impurities are burned off.  Sometimes our testing is very intense as well and we can question God.  This testing does not mean that God is upset with us, however, or that He is being mean to us. He loves us so much, as evidenced by the cross of Christ.  He wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth but He also knows what it is going to take to get us to heaven.

I think about all the sports I have played and this concept makes sense to me.  I went through so much to excel.  I put up with early morning workouts, "twice a days",  and "hell weeks".  I put up with persecution during the times I played on boys teams, often to the point of wanting to give up.  But I loved the sport and so I kept going.  I am glad I persevered because I became a better person, and a better player.  The same was true with school and all the time I put into getting good grades and finishing college.  It was difficult and I was tempted to quit, but once you start quitting, it becomes easier and easier and soon finishing anything seems like an impossibility.

Our society does understand commitment and enduring hardships in athletics, and maybe in a career, but in life, it seems odd to us.  We have moved so far from this concept of enduring hardship that anytime something is hard or hurts, we think it must be bad or wrong.  Also, many of the problems we see arising in our society stem from this lack of the ability to endure. We don't want to have to struggle for anything. Instant gratification is king. For example, no one wants to wait until they have the money in order to spend it. I know that was me until I racked up a credit card debt that was insurmountable. No one wants to wait to get married in order to be involved physically. Very few people want to put in long hours of study and practice on order to learn a subject, skill, or trade.  We would rather watch someone succeed, then get out there and do it ourselves.

But God wants to change us from the inside out. He doesn't want us to be spectators, He wants us to be participants in life.  He knows that nothing good comes without sacrifice and struggle. He allows this to happen in our lives because He wants us in heaven. If we can start living with eternity in our minds, we will be able to view our troubles in a different way.  They will become light and momentary. Our entire lives here on earth will become only a dot on the timeline of eternity.  None of this will matter so much anymore. The only thing that will matter then is being right with God and we will endure whatever comes to ensure that. 

God knows, and He will not leave us hanging.  He will bring us out to a place of abundance someday.  The trials do not last forever.  The times of rejoicing come.  It is like the beauty after the rainstorms, or the rainbows that come when the sun shines through.   When that happens, if we have persevered, we will be ready for it.



Scriptures for thought:


II Corinthians 4: 16 - 18

"Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."


Hebrews 12: 7 - 13

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.  For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it.  How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!  Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 
 
     Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.  'Make level paths for your feet', so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."


Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

We will shout for joy today because we are alive. We will praise Your name because You are powerful. We will be grateful for all of the challenges and trials that come along because we know that they are refining us and making us into the men and women that will make a difference in the world. We praise You for not letting us go our own ways. We praise You for all of Your guidance and all the second chances that You have given us. We will not cherish sin in our hearts. You are good.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT




1. Do I praise God even in the difficult times? Why or why not?  How can I praise Him more?

2. What is going well in my life? What am I being tested in?  How do I feel about persevering through difficult times?

3. What specific difficulties am I facing right now?  What prisons am I in? What burdens are on my back? Who is riding over my head? How am I dealing with all of these things?

4. Has God brought me out to my place of abundance yet? What is this like for me?  What can I imagine it will be like?

5. Am I cherishing any sin in my heart and therefore hindering God's ability to do work?  How can I deal with these things?

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 - 8/3/10 (9/3/09)

Daily Prayer - Focus Letter C


Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name starts with focus letter
A country, city, or place that starts with the focus letter
An attitude you want to see grow and develop in you or your family with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Please let me hear your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.

Psalm 3


"Oh Lord, how many are my foes!  How many rise up against me!  Many are saying of me, 'God will not deliver him.'" (vs. 1)

Most people do not really understand God and waiting on Him. We are impatient and if we do not see it, we think nothing is happening. This is the world we live in. It only looks at the surface of life and believes what is seen. We have all heard the expression - I will believe it when I see it. But for God it is - Believe it, and then you will see it. We also live in a world currently mired in instant gratification. If something isn't happening immediately or in the time frame we map out, then in our minds, it isn't happening and will not happen in the future. But this is not God's way. God is the God of the unseen, of what is not. We must learn to see with new eyes and wait on Him.


"But You are a shield around me, Oh Lord; You bestow glory on me, and lift up my head." (vs. 2)

The key is to look beyond the surface, to know God is working even when we don't see evidence. He is our shield. He is bestowing glory on us. He is lifting up our heads. Although I do not see it now, I know it is happening. This is like the story in the Old Testament of the angel that was delayed in coming. He was coming, and God is helping us but we do not know what is going on behind the scenes in our own lives. We do not know how the trials are changing us and helping us to grow. Only after it is over, sometimes, we can look back and see God's unseen hand that was at work. Often even our friends and families will not understand how God is working if they do not know Him. But we know.

"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.  I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side...From the Lord comes deliverance.  May Your blessing be on Your people." (vs. 5, 6 & 8)
The fact that we can go to sleep and wake up again the next day is because of God. Our mere existence is constant evidence to the working of God. We put no conscious thought into the most basic and important bodily functions and yet they keep going. Have you ever thought of what we would have to go through if we had to think about breathing or having our hearts beat in order to stay alive. There would be no time for anything else. How complex and amazing our bodies are, our hearts that beat away, and our lungs that draw in the air to give us the energy to function. This is God. This is God sustaining me every minute of every day. So even if His timing is not mine, if His answers do not come when I want, there is evidence of Him all around me if I am willing to look.

So I will not fear - disease, death, debt, clutter, or the faults that plague me - even tens of thousands drawn up on every side. Nothing is too much for God, or me, because I have God with me and His enormous power that can even raise the dead is at work in my life. What a thought!

We just need to call out for His deliverance. It is okay to do this. The psalmist is bold and says "Arise, O Lord! Deliver me" (vs. 7a). He was not afraid to ask. Most of the time, we do not have because we do not ask. We want but we forget to go to the one who can provide (James 4:2-3). We must remember that those who ask will receive (Matt 7:7-8). I will receive something and it will be good and good for me.

Finally, deliverance comes from the Lord. Everything else will fail us or let us down. People die, accidents happen. There are no guarantees except one - that the Lord will deliver - and that in itself should be enough.

Bless us Lord because no one else truly can.


Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

We are grateful that You are working even when we can not see anything.  We are grateful that You are in control and that we do not have to fear anything.  Help us to keep our focus on You and the unseen miracles that keep us alive.  Help us to remember that there is a spiritual world around us.  Come to us Lord and deliver us.  Be our shield and bless us.  Yes, bless us Lord, for we need You.

In Jesus Name,
Amen


QTF
1. What are the foes that are rising against me?  Do I have anyone who tends to discourage me spiritually and cast doubt on my ablility to change and grow as a Christian?
 
2. Am I willing to wait for God to work out circumstances in my life or do I tend to force my will?  How can I start to wait on the Lord more?  What situations do I need to wait on right now?
 
3.  How have I seen God deliver me in the past?  How is He working to sustain me right now?  How can this encourage me?  What can I do to keep these victories in my mind during difficult times?
 
4. What do I fear?  What are the ten thousands rising against me now?  In what ways might God deal with these situations? 
 
5.  Am I willing to be bold and call on God when I need Him?  How is my prayer life?  Do I spend more time worrying or praying?  How can I change this?

Daily Devotional - 10/19

Prayer Focus - Friends


Day 5
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


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 49



"Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me - those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him...For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem my life from the grave; He will surely take me to himself. Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. Though while he lived he counted himself blessed- and men praise you when you prosper - he will join the generations of his fathers, who will never see the light of life. A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish." ( vs 5-20)


Why should I fear when evil days come? Men are nothing. Men cannot save, only God can save. All perish and wealth gets passed on. It is so easy to envy those who seem to have it all together, especially monetarily. When you are penny pinching and see someone living in luxury, it is easy to think you missed the boat and are doing things all wrong. That is until you take a look at life from an eternal perspective. Then it all makes sense. Wealth is fleeting. We store up and then have to pass it on and we have no idea if the next person will be wise or foolish with what we worked so hard for. Everyone dies. There is no escaping it so we need to focus rather on pleasing God and being upright so that we will be redeemed and be taken to
God, Himself. We just don't endure!! We are fleeting so make a difference. The upright will rule over the the evil in the morning. God will redeem me from the grave. He will surely take me to Himself. Do not be overawed. Riches don't follow us, only God. A man who has riches without understanding is like a beast that perishes.


Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

Thank You for taking hold of us and moving us toward You. We are grateful to have all the time we do with our brothers and sisters in Christ and we are so grateful to be learning more and more how to be close to you and how to worship you appropriately. We want to let go of all of our temptations to envy those around us that appear to have it all make. No one knows the pain those people might be going through and we have the answers. WE do not have to be apologetic and sad. We need to be remembering the fleeting nature of life and all that we have to share. Help us to not be afraid and help us to have understanding. We want to glorify You and we pray that we can through every avenue available.


In Jesus' Name,

Amen



QFT


1. Am I afraid of anything that is going on in the world today? How can I turn it over to God and trust in Him to take care of it?

2. What is my attitude towards money? Is it trying to take first place in my life? How can I have a correct attitude about wealth?


3. Do I get overawed by the wealthy and the "successful" in the world's eyes? Who are my heroes and what does that say about myself?

4. What is my life focus? What am I striving for, and what am I putting my energy into on a daily basis? Is it moving people towards Christ?

Daily Devotional - 10/10

Prayer Focus - Family

Day 3
Pray for:
One family member that you feel close to
One family member that you are not close to
One family member that lives far away from you

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

Dear Lord - Help me to listen to You each and every day and please grant me the strength to obey.



Psalms 40

"I waited patiently for the Lord: He turned to me and heard my cry... He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand...He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." (vs. 1, 2b, & 3a)

I am waiting patiently for God. I am putting one foot in front of the other. I am walking and waiting. I worked hard today trying to straighten my house and here it is 11:22pm. I struggled with feeling overwhelmed at about 9:00pm as I tried to get my children in bed since I knew that my night was just beginning. Today I was able to accomplish quite a bit and I know that that was because I was not worrying about what I needed to accomplish. I just kept going. When I began to think about grading papers which I have to do tomorrow, I began to get frustrated and upset.

I will not be able to do it all and at times I feel like sitting down and crying but God knows. He heard my cry, even when I was able to keep myself under control tonight. He is lifting me out of the pit I am in and putting me in a safe place. I was able to get my children to bed. I was able to get Joelle's asthma under control. I got most of my housework done. I played a game of Farkle to unwind. That is amazing. Tomorrow will start another overwhelming day, but He will be there as well. He will continue to place my feet on a solid rock so that I may stand and He will keep me walking on water if I keep focused on Him. I love the quote used in Messies Anonymous, a site I have found very beneficial in my fight against my messie nature, which says, "Never underestimate the inevitability of gradualness." I can do gradualness. I can do one step at a time. And God is there. He gives us a new song, a song of praise. I have a new song. I will keep singing.


"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust who does not look to the proud, to those who look to false gods. Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You have planned for us no one can recount to You;" (vs. 4-5a)


Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust. One online dictionary defines blessed as enjoying the bliss of heaven. I like that definition. If I can hang onto my trust in God and I do not give in to worry or running after other gods such as money or security, then I can enjoy the bliss of heaven down here. I can go about happy in the midst of chaos and trouble because I can see it as all in God's hands and all in His plans. I have started to look at life this way. Although I am far from perfecting my focus, it is getting better. Today whenever something unexpected or unfortunate happened, I asked God what do I need to see in this, or I tried to see the bigger picture so that I could understand where God was going with all of it. It has been good for me to focus this way and it has been good for me to remember that God does have plans for me. In fact, God has so many plans for me and for each one of us that we wouldn't be able to even recount them. How amazing is that. Plus, He makes His plans for us because He loves us. He dreams of giving us the best life and the best eternity. Surely we can trust Him.

"I desire to do your will, O my God; Your law is in my heart." (vs. 8)

When I consider all of His goodness, blessings, and care, I am desirous to do His will. It is natural because I want to please Him. Therefore, I must speak up. I cannot hide all of this goodness. I need to share Him with others. Although trouble surrounds me, the Lord is bigger then my trouble and He will have mercy on me.

"Be pleased, O Lord, to save me; O Lord, come quickly to help me." (vs. 13)


Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

We have made it through another day. We cry out to You as we are waiting and struggling. It often feels like we are slip sliding away. But we are not. Keep our focus on You and keep us climbing up the hill, one step at a time. Help us to keep our eyes on You so that we can get out of the boat and walk on water. You told Peter to come. You did not think he was foolish to ask to walk on water. You just said come. We desire to walk on water. We need help keeping our eyes on You and not on the waves and the water. Keep us in your care and Help us to see that You are in control. Bless us as we put our trust in You. We want to experience the bliss of heaven down here. We need this to stay refreshed. We are grateful for all of the plans You have for us and we pray to walk in them. Be pleased to save us Lord because we need saving. We are poor and needy, and You are our help and deliverer. We wait in eager expectation. We wait patiently. Most of all, we just wait.

In Jesus name,
Amen


QFT

1. Am I waiting patiently for God? How do I know?

2. Am I trusting in God? How do I know? What fruits is this producing?

3. How can I keep my focus on God when there are storms raging around me?

4. What is my new song? Am I really living and thinking differently? Do I have any ideas what some of God's plans for my life might be? How could I find out?