Daily Devotional - 10/3/15

Prayer Focus - Needs



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



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



Psalms 93


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

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

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


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

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




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


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

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


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

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

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

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

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

Daily Devotional - 9/24/15 (1/24/10)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation



Day 6
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)
One thing that you want to see improved about your health - (with all your strength)
One thing you want to do to help others around you - (Love your neighbor)



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



Psalms 84


"My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." ( vs. 2)

It is so hard to live in this world sometimes. The never ending bad news and the ever present failure that we live with. My heart often longs for something better; that perfect world with no pain or sorrow. Where there is no yelling and people do what is right because that is their hearts desire. Where people long to be kind and loving and respect others. Where I am different; better. This is not to be found on this fallen earth though; this dream is reserved for that someday place, the courts of God.


"Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they are ever praising You. Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength till each appears before God in Zion." (vs. 4-7)

It is possible to have some peace here, though. God has commanded us to rejoice in Him always. So in spite of all that is wrong, we can be full of joy. We can have a place here as well; a refuge. Of course, we have our relationship with God, but sometimes we need God with flesh on Him. For this, God has given us His house, His kingdom. The church is not just a beautiful building with stained glass windows. It is the living and breathing body of Christ. It is the kingdom of God on earth that will continue on up in heaven where all the saints will rejoice someday. We can praise God that we have a home in the church. It is our piece of heaven here and our family. It helps us set our hearts on this pilgrimage called life. We cannot be solo Christians. I know, I have tried many times. We all get a little crazy when we isolate ourselves. We were meant for relationships, whether we want to admit it or not. This is where we will grow and become more like Christ as we deal with fulfilling our purpose together. I want to be like the person in the psalm. I want to go from strength to strength and turn the valley of sufferings in my life and the lives of others into beautiful places for peaceful respite. I know I am not there. I have to start small, say maybe making some phone calls to others once in awhile, but I can do it. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.



"Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You." (vs 10-12)


Someday we will be in paradise, whatever that is like. But for now, it is good to be a nothing and be with God. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God. It will be worth it someday. It is worth it now. We must not grow weary in doing good because we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Gal 6:7-10).   "No good thing does God withhold from him whose walk is blameless." (vs. 11b)  Let us walk right so we will make it there.




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


Better is one day with You than all the world can offer. We long for You. This old world gets us down. We can not make it on our own. We get so weary. But You are able. You do not slumber or sleep. You are in control. Everything will be alright. Everything will be alright. Help us to keep our priorities right and help us to cling to Your kingdom so that we will be strengthened for the path we must travel. We want to bring blessings to the world and let them know You. We want to turn the valleys of sorrows we encounter into valleys of joy. Make us into this type of person who can spread joy and the knowledge of You throughout the world. We long to make a difference.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. Do I long to be with God? Why or why not? What keeps me from seeing my need for God? When do I long for Him the most? How can I increase my desire for spending time with Him?

2. Am I a part of the kingdom of God? What does that mean in my life? Do I have a church home? How can I find one? Am I tied in with those in my church home, if I have one? How can I get more involved?

3. Am I set on pilgrimage? Am I focused on my purpose as a Christian and member of the house of God or am I caught up running after what the world offers? What would those closest to me say?   How can I get my self back on track if I am off? If I am set on pilgrimage, how can I help get others involved as well?

4. Am I making things better for those around me or do I cause more problems than I solve? Am I making the valleys of suffering in my life and others into valleys of joy? How can I do this?  How will the world be better if I do this?

5 Am I going from strength to strength? Am I growing and getting better day by day? How can I change if I answered no to any of these questions? What areas do I need to work on? Am I finding my strength in God?  Would I rather be with Him than anywhere else?  Why or why not?

Daily Devotional - 9/21/15 (1/21/10)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation

Day 3
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)


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



Psalms 81


"Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!... He says, " I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you,.." ( vs. 1, 6, 7a)

Sing for joy...

Be happy and excited about God and His strength...

No matter what is going on in our lives, we are to rejoice in the Lord. Circumstances will always let us down but God will not. We can always rejoice in Him for He removes our burdens. He frees up our hands from the slave labor of the world. He gives us a new perspective. He rescues us from all that would harm us including ourselves. God answers. God is worthy of our praise, always.


"Hear, O my people, and I will warn you - if you would but listen to me, O Israel! You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." (vs. 8-10)

Beyond rejoicing, we must listen and obey. There should be nothing that rivals God in our lives and in our hearts; nothing should get in the way to our obedience and worship. Work, schedules, exhaustion, ourselves - these things are not worth serving. Life will go on without us, but will we go on without God? Don't bow down to them. Remember it is God that has brought us here to this point in our lives and will continue to take care of us if we let Him. He brought us up out of our Egypts; our captivity. He is wanting to fill us up. We need to open wide our mouths. Give God the opportunity to work. There is no limit to God and how He works.


"But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices." (vs. 11-12)

The problem though, is that we struggle to listen. We forget God is speaking to us all the time and the world is so noisy that it is hard for us to hear His voice unless we are focusing intently on it. We need to make a concerted effort to hear and when we ask for something, we need to pay attention so that we can hear the answer. I think we are often like children who ask questions of their parents and then get so sidetracked that they never hear the answers. We need to be still and listen and then we will hear God. Beyond hearing, though, we need to obey. We have to submit our will to His because He knows what is best for us. If we ignore Him, eventually He will let us go our own way.  He will give us over to our rebellion and self will but it will break His heart.  We will wander like the Israelites in the desert until we die or have a change of heart.

"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the Lord would cringe before Him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." (vs. 13-16)

When we decide to change our minds, however, and begin listening to God, then He can come to our rescue.  If we start putting His words into practice, we will see miracles. God's love for us is so clear as He speaks of how quickly He will subdue our enemies if we take His messages to heart. He is speaking to us relentlessly and waiting to bless us and take care of us. If we will listen and obey, God can and will turn anything around in our lives - illness, debt, clutter, lack of organization, ineffectiveness, bad schedules, bad parenting, bad marriages. God can transform any of these things in a minute. God is waiting. It's up to us now.

Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,


We long to be filled by You. Help us to rid ourselves of the idols in our lives and the things that we strive after instead of you. Help us to be still and hear Your voice. Help us to be still and know that you are God and we are not. Life will go on without us. We are not indispensable. Our relationship with You is all that really matter and You will take care of the rest. We want to obey. We want to rejoice. Help us. We are opening wide our mouths. We are waiting on You. We will let You lead us.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. Am I praising God and focusing on all He has done for me? What did He set me free from? What was I in slave labor to and what burdens has He lifted from me?

2. Do I have idols in my life? What do I devote most of my time to? Is it worth it? How can I change my priorities to make sure God is in first place?

3. Am I listening to God's voice? What distracts me from hearing Him? Am I allowing myself quiet time in which I can meditate on His word? How can I incorporate more time for reflection into my life?

4. Am I obeying the voice of God in my life?  Am I allowing Him to subdue my enemies? What enemies do I have that need subduing?

5. Am I remembering God's love for me in all of this? How has He shown His love in my life?  How can I focus on this more?

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

Prayer Focus - Gratitude



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


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


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



Psalms 71



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

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

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

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



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

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

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



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

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


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


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

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


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


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


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

Daily Devotional - 9/10/15 (11/10/15)

Prayer Focus - Gratitude



Day 6
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the state/region that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the city that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the home that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about your family
One thing you are grateful for about your job/daily tasks


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 70


"But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, 'Let God be exalted!' Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer;." ( vs. 4-5)


There is so much to rejoice and be glad about concerning God. His salvation is awesome and comforting, but sometimes, we are still poor and needy. In spite of all the good things, we find ourselves down and struggling. Our temptation is to hide away and lick our wounds at this time, but we need to not run away from God. We need to pray to Him and run to Him. We need to beg Him to come to us quickly. He will be our help and deliverer. He is not out to kick us when we are down. That is the world and sometimes what we have also experienced in our families and growing up, but it is not what we will find with God.   He is not embarrassed by our weakness. We are not less because of our lack of perfection, in contrast, this is when God can work the most. Let us throw away our pride and run for help. It is okay. It is expected.



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We are weak. Even in our best of times, we are still weak and small and insignificant. Help us to remember this in the good times and help us to cling to this in the bad times. Help us to remember that You are the God of miracles.  You are the God that calls things that are not as though they were.  You are the God that turns our weaknesses into strengths.  Help us to run to You and not away from You when we are struggling. We all struggle at times. It is lonely if we do not turn to You and the comforts that You provide through Your people and Your word. You are here for us. Help us to turn to You. Come quickly to us before we fade away.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. Are there times when I feel down even when things are going well? What causes this in my life?


2. When I am feeling down, do I run to God or away? How does my past experiences affect my present relationship with God in these circumstances? What verses can I meditate on to help me change my thinking?


3. What situations make me feel down and needy? What am I struggling with right now that could draw me away from God?


4. Am I dealing with my troubles in a spiritual way? Do I need to rely more on God in prayer, scripture reading, or fellowship to deal with my needs and weaknesses? What is keeping me from doing what I need to do? What will I change to get the help I need?

5.  Am I rejoicing?  What do I have to rejoice about?  How can I keep a positive focus?

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

Prayer Focus - Gratitude



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



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



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



Psalms 69



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

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


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

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

 

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

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

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace."

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

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

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

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

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

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



Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


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


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



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

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

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

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

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

Daily Devotional - 9/8/15 (11/8/09)

Prayer Focus - Gratitude


Day 4
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the state/region that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the city that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the home that you live in

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 68



"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful." ( vs. 3)

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land." ( vs. 5-6)

"You gave abundant showers, O God; You refreshed Your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from Your bounty, O God, You provided for the poor." (vs. 9-10)

"The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into His sanctuary" (vs. 7)

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." (vs. 19-20)

"You are awesome, O God, in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God!" (vs. 35)


God is awesome. We can be glad and rejoice because God has thousands upon thousands of chariots and warriors and God is looking out for us in all of our situations.  He wants us to be happy and joyful.  He wants us to have families and feel belonging.  This is for all of us.  If we are lonely, He brings us into a family. If we are fatherless, He becomes our father. If we are widows, He fills the role of husband. If we are imprisoned by something, some sin or habit, He can break the bars and bring us out singing.  God knows our needs and is more than able to meet them. We do not need to worry. That will only bring sin into our lives. God will refresh and provide for us. He will even daily bear our burdens for us. We only need to be obedient.

 If we are rebellious, however, we will reap the consequences. We will live in a scorched land in the midst of what could be plenty. I have known people who have everything and yet are miserable. I have been that way.  I know I was like that because of rebellion in my heart, and I am led to believe that if we are rebellious in any way, we will miss out on what could be ours.  Rebellion doesn't have to be obvious to others either.  We do not have to be carrying picket signs or yelling and screaming.  Rebellion can be silent and internal.  It is simply saying we have a better way and we will not follow what God has set out. 

Even if rebellion is in the heart and is only visible to God, it still matters. It will still cost us.  God has asked us to live in submission to Him.  It is like us as parents with our children.  We have set up rules so that our family will function and we desire the best for our children, but we will not just reward them if they will not listen to us or follow our direction.  We expect them to do their part in order for us to bless them.  God is like this with us.  In order to receive His blessings, we need to be obedient and cooperative children.   This is what He expects and this is what we need to do. God will save us, and God will bless us. God will give us strength.  But we must accept this from Him.  We must come to Him and ask on His terms for the help we need, and then we must be willing to accept His direction.  This is not too hard when we look at all that we have to gain.  Let us surrender any rebellion in our hearts and truly live.  Praise be to God that we can!




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We praise You for setting us in families and for caring for us in every stage of our lives. You will not abandon us when we are old and grey. O Lord help us not to abandon You. Keep us as enamoured with You as we were when we first began to follow. You have not changed. We are the ones who change so often. Keep us in the shelter of Your circle for there is danger outside the circle. Please bear our burdens for they are too much for us. Help us to not be rebellious in any way. We do not want to live in the sun scorched land but rather in the beautiful pastures of the Lord. Bring Your chariots to surround and protect us. Grant us strength to continue. We are weary and weak but You are strong.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Which of the four categories mentioned best fits me - the fatherless, the widow, the lonely, or the prisoner? How can or has God helped me in these situations?

2. Am I a rebellious person? How do I feel about authority in general? How do I feel about authority in my life? Are my views in line with God's?

3. How can I become more submissive to God?  Why do I struggle with letting God take charge in my life?

4. Am I living a refreshed life or am I wandering in a sun-scorched desert? Am I weary? How can I change so that God can take care of me?

5. Am I letting God carry my daily burdens? What are these daily burdens? How can I let go of them?

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

Prayer Focus - Gratitude


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



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



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



Psalms 67



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



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

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



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


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


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



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

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

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

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

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

Daily Devotional - 9/6/15 (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 - 8/31/15 (10/31/09)

Prayer Focus - Strangers


Day 3
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry


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.


Proverbs 31


"A  wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies...Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." ( vs. 10, 30-31 ) 

"But the Lord said to Samuel. 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." ( I Samuel 16: 7)

There are more important things than money, looks, and possessions.  The world runs after all of these things but they will not matter when we are gone and are awaiting final judgment.  What will matter is what is in our hearts.  Were we people of integrity?  Integrity is being true inside and out.  Doing what you say and standing firm no matter what.  It is saying "I'm sorry" and admitting when we were the ones who did something.  It is standing up for people who can not stand up for themselves.   It is having character.

Character is not taught too much anymore.  It is surprising to me when I see the disregard for manners that is so predominant now.  Our society is too often teaching and focusing on the wrong things.  We run our children all over town to activities but we fail to talk to them and teach them right from wrong.  We are so distracted by the phone and the Internet that we fail to do so many things.  I look at all the time I have wasted in my life focusing on the wrong things and I am so sad.  My children are no longer little and that time is gone now.  I wish I had valued the things of the heart sooner.

This was brought home to me one day when my oldest daughter was about twelve.  I had been promising to do so many things with her.  "I will go running with you" - later.  "I will sit down and talk" - later.  Always later, later, later.  I felt I had so much time.  Then one day I said, "Let's go running." and she said no.  She was no longer interested.  Just like that, the window was closed.  How I regretted being too busy then!  I was heartbroken for a long time but thankfully, I made changes.  And thankfully, over time, I have been able to rebuild the bridge that I tore down with my daughter due to my lack of focus.  Now, I strive to make time for each of my daughters.  I am not perfect but I am better.  I am striving now to be a woman of noble character.  I am striving to value what is most important - the people in my life; and not money, possessions, career, or anything else.

It doesn't matter if I am not keeping step with the world; doesn't matter if I don't have the huge TV or the best designer clothes.  If I have relationships with my three precious daughters, then I am rich.  It doesn't matter if I have a lot of money or a huge house.  What matters is if I can live with my head held high because I am doing what is right; I am treating people right, and if I have nothing I am hiding or ashamed of.  Then, I have what matters.  God always seems to take care of me and provide what I need when I am walking with Him and being a loving person; a person with integrity.  Let's rearrange our priorities and get our values right.  Let's be people of noble character so that we can receive the praise and reward of a person who fears the Lord.  And then, we just might change the world as well.




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

Help us to become women and men of noble characters. Help us to value what is most important and not get caught up running after the world.  The world has no idea what is truly important.  It glorifies what is wrong and puts down what is right.  It has strayed so far away from love.  It has become consumed with the temporal and the fleeting.  Help us to look at the heart and not the outward appearance. Help us to be different.  Help us to have integrity and make a difference by our lives.  This is beyond us, Father, but it is not beyond You. 

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. How do I define "noble character"?  Why?  Do I have a noble character?  Why or why not? 

2. Which do I look at and value more, the outward appearance of people and things or the internal or intrinsic value of them?  How do I know this?  Do I want to change how I view life?

3. Do I have integrity?  Do I lie?  Do I do what I say I will?  Am I the same whether people are watching me or not?  What can I do to increase my integrity?

4. Am I valuing the people God has placed in my life?  Do I spend time with my children, spouse, siblings, parents?  If I am with people, am I focused on giving to them or am I on my phone or distracted by my thoughts or worries?

5.  Do I need to apologize to anyone for not treating them right or valuing them?  Do I need to contact someone that I have been neglecting?  How can I spend better time with my children or significant others?  How can I show more love to those around me?

Daily Devotional - 8/22/15 (10/22/09)

Prayer Focus - Enemies


Day 1
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child


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


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



Psalms 52



"Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, ... Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.  You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth, You love every harmful word, O deceitful tongue!... Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent;...'Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!'

 But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. I will praise You forever for what You have done; in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good. I will praise You in the presence of Your saints." (vs. 1a, 2-4,5a, 7-9)


The world is full of good, and it is full of evil.  There are good people and there are evil people.  I can see that so clearly as I look at the news every day.  It can be extremely depressing to see all the terrible things that are being done day in and day out.  I am not sure if evil is increasing or if it is just more noticeable.  Perhaps it is both. Whatever the case, it can make me despair.  I don't know what will happen in the future and this uncertainty can be frightening.  I want good things for my children but I do not know what they will find when they are my age.  I want to protect them from evil, but I know I am so limited.  Yet, God still calls us to hope.  God still calls us to trust and praise Him.  He promises we can flourish, not just survive.  In spite of all the evil in the world and all the bad people who seem to be succeeding in their evil plans, we can still do well.  But how?

One of my favorite scriptures holds some keys to help us.  It is as follows:

"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. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you." (Phil 4: 4 -9)

So the first key is to "Rejoice" and to rejoice always!  We can do this, "rejoice in the Lord" because the Lord never changes.  He is good, always good.  God does not ask us to rejoice in the bad, that would be contradictory.  He calls us to rejoice in Him.  Then we are to be gentle.  How can we do these two things in the face of evil.  We need to remember the Lord is near.  This is what will enable us to rejoice and be gentle.  We don't have to take things into our own hands.  We don't have to yell or do mean things when we are upset.  We just need to look for God because He is near.  He can and will deal with the problem.  Next, we are to pray.  We are not to be anxious, but we are to pray and petition God.  Finally, we are to focus on what is good.  We are not to think about all the bad things and the bad people that are out there.  I shouldn't be pouring over the news for hours looking at all the negative. That will not solve anything at all.  I am to look for the positive, the noble, the pure.  I am to look for God! 

And if I look, I know that I will find Him. What an amazing idea.  I do not have to succumb to evil.  I do not have to become evil either.  I am called to rejoice and be gentle.  I am to not be anxious.  I know I fall so short of this but I keep trying to get up everyday and live this out.  I do not want to be anxious, and I want to praise, trust, and hope in God.  I can do this if I keep looking up!




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

Thank you that You are here with us, that You are near.  Help us to continually remember this as we go about our days.  It is so easy to get overwhelmed with the evil we see and the evil people that we read about.  Fear can grip us as well.  Fear and anger can lead us to do evil also.  Help us to look up to You instead and remember that You are still in control, no matter how out of control the world seems.  Help us to be gentle and let You take care of what is bothering us. You can make us flourish.  You can keep us secure.  We praise You.  We turn to You.  Our hope is in You.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT

1. Do I ever boast of evil? What type of conversations occupy my time? Is my speech pleasing to God?  Am I honest?

2. Am I rejoicing always?  What situations are a struggle for me to rejoice in? How can I keep my focus on God so I can rejoice?

3. Am I anxious or at peace most of the time?  Why?  How is my prayer life?  How can I improve it?

4. What can I praise God for? Can I write a list of 25, 50, 75, or 100 things that I am grateful for right now?

5. Do I focus on good things or bad things?  Use Philippians 4:8 and make a list of the things in your life that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  Try to read this list over to yourself several times a day.

Daily Devotional - 9/17/10 (10/17/09)

Prayer Focus - Friends


Day 3


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


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 47



"He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loved." (vs. 4)

"For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise.  God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne.  The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted. " (vs. 7-9)



God is in control. I will say it again to myself. God is in control. He has my inheritance chosen for me if I will embrace it.  When life seems difficult, I need to remember this and remember that He does not give us more than we can handle.  Every difficult situation has a silver lining somewhere, if only we look long enough and wait long enough.  I am reminded of Hebrews 12: 1-3. 


"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."


The witnesses we are surrounded by are all the great men and women of faith mentioned in the chapter before, Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter which talks of men's weaknesses becoming their strengths.  They are looking down and cheering us on, as is Jesus, who ran this race first for us to show us how to do it.   Because of this, we have to throw off all the things that trip us up and entangle us.  For me it is frustration over a never ending "to do list".  It is frustration at myself for not being a good enough mother.  It is not accomplishing enough, not being enough, not controlling my anger or frustration.  It is depression.  It is so many things, but I need to just let them go.  I am not a very good runner, so when I run, I can't think about much of anything except putting one foot in front of the other.  I can't talk with anyone or think about anything.  I can't even get distracted by the scenery.  I just have to run.  In a way, this is a good analogy for me to remember.  In my spiritual life, I just need to run and concentrate on one spiritual foot after another.  I must narrow my focus down and get rid of all these distractions just like I have to do when I am physically running.  Then I will be able to run with perseverance this race marked out for me.

The other thought I always have about these verses is that my race is marked out for me.  I don't have to trail blaze.  I just have to follow the course.  God does have a good inheritance for me and a race that is my own for me to run.  I need to stop looking at the race others are running and wanting theirs.  I must learn to be satisfied with the one I was given.  It is just right for me even if it may be difficult.  Then finally, I have to focus on joy.  I have to think of the joy that will come from me being faithful.  I have to visualize the success that might be mine someday.  I have no guarantees, but I can dream of those I love becoming disciples.  I can dream about really transforming my community, and even the world.  I can dream about a life of impact, and I can let that inspire me on a day to day basis.  Without dreams, we all die inside.  God has dreams for me and I need to praise Him for it. When I praise, I am happy. When I focus on joy, I am happy.  It is no good for me to sit around moping. Moping and worrying never solved any of my problems.  I need to praise first and then God will be able to move in my life.  God has everything in His hands, even the kings, so what am I worried about?  He is able to handle my race for me.  He is able to handle everything.




Prayer for the Day




Dear Lord,


Today as we go about our business and travel to and fro on this earth, remind us of Your sovereignty. Help us to see the sunrise and remember Your glory. Help us to see the birds flying in the air and look at the mountains so majestic and remember that the mountains are small in comparison to the rest of the earth and they are minuscule in comparison to the whole universe. Help us to remember that despite this smallness of the large mountains, not one little bird that flies over them falls to the ground without You knowing. How amazing is that. We are so grateful that You pay attention to us at all.

I praise You for Your victories and I praise You for taking hold of us and giving us life. Thank You for the purpose that You have given us and thank You for walking with us all of the way. We glorify You this day and everyday You give us.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. Do I view God as King of the Earth? Do I take time to enjoy nature and His grandeur that is evident in it?  How will this help me when I am dealing with my life and its difficulties?

2. Am I known for my positive and joyful attitude or am I a negative and complaining person? How can I become more positive and joyful?

3. What I need to throw off?  What hinders me and what entangles me?  Why?  Who can I get to help me deal with these things?
4. Am I satisfied with the race set out for me and the inheritance God has chosen for me?  Why or why not?  What can I do to cultivate a better attitude about my life?

5. What can I visualize as happening in the future due to my continued faithfulness?  How can this help me not to grow weary?  What can I do to help me focus on these goals and dreams on a day to day basis?

Daily Devotional - 9/4/10 (10/4/09)

Prayer Focus - Leaders (any type - World, State, Local, Church, Business, Work)



Day 4

Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
One leader from another country
One local leader


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


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



Psalms 34



"I will extol the lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together." (vs. 1)



This is an amazing psalm and even more amazing if we consider who wrote it and when. This is one of David's psalms, written when he has to flee before his son who has overthrown him (II Sam 15). In the midst of all of this, David is praising God and calling others to do the same. He does not want anyone's sympathy. He only wants to praise and boast in the Lord. He does not feel forgotten by God. He explains that the Lord is with him and always will be; things will be alright with him and he will lack nothing. It is hard to fathom the depths of his relationship with God that allows him to feel as he does. It is surely something for all of us to strive after. Then we will be able to be men and women after God's own heart and will be able to help transform the lives of others as well.


David was not new to trouble. It seems that his life had more than one man's share. Some of it was brought about by his sin and some of it was used to train him to become the great man he eventually was. Because of this, he was able to impact others in incredible ways. In I Samuel 22:1-2, David flees from Saul who is trying to kill him. As he flees, he gathers quite a crowd of followers. "All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. (I Sam 22: 2)" In the Message Bible, it calls them "all who were down on their luck - losers and vagrants and misfits of all sorts." This crowd is transformed by their time with David because in II Samuel 23:8-39, these men are now referred to as David's Mighty Men and their exploits are phenomenal. How did they become these mighty men? I am sure it is because David taught them how to take hold of their thoughts and turn them around; focusing them on God and His power.


I am completely convinced that most of our battles are in our minds. That is why the Bible, and especially the Psalms are filled with the advice and admonition for us to praise God, to think on what is good. My mind is the key to most of my days. This weekend was a very negative time for me, but nothing in my life was different. What was different was my thought life. I noticed that everything I thought and the words from my mouth were not positive. I walked around grumpy, looked at all of the problems, felt totally overwhelmed, and eventually lost my cool. I was not taking captive every thought (II Cor 10:5). I was giving in to self pity and I was losing sight of the many victories in my life and the great ways that God was working. David has the best advice for me and all of us when we begin to get down and negative. He encourages us as I am sure he did his men on a daily basis - "let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together." He calls us even today. Whether we are afflicted or not, at all times he tells us - extol, praise, rejoice. Tell of His greatness. Boast in the Lord. If you have problems? Rejoice!  If I have problems? Rejoice! Glorify God and exalt His name. Get out of ourselves!! Get our eyes back on God. Seek God and He will deliver us. He has delivered us from all of our fears!! If we look to God, we will be radiant; our faces never covered with shame.


"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all." (vs. 17-19)


God hears the righteous. God delivers. We don't have to start out being righteous. David's mighty men did not start out mighty, but we need to become what God wants us to be. God is close to the brokenhearted and crushed in spirit. Those men were surely crushed and defeated but they were transformed by David's continual effort to get them focused back on God and praise. He helped them become better by changing their thought life. We do not have to stay down and negative. We do not have to stay brokenhearted and crushed, even if the weight is overwhelming. Nothing is too big for God to solve. We just need to allow our minds to be transformed. As the scripture says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)


I have felt God's comfort. I have seen the care He is giving us. He does save the crushed. If we want to hang onto our faith, we can. It is my choice because I am in control of my thoughts and what I dwell on. Negative thoughts may come in but I am to take them captive and get rid of them. I am to meditate on God's word, and I am to treasure it in my heart so I will not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11) In this world, I will have trouble. Perhaps even many troubles, but the Lord can deliver me from them all.


What great promises for me to dwell on. I will fear the Lord so that I will lack nothing (vs. 9). I will remember that the angel of "the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them (vs. 6b-7)." I will dwell on the fact the "The lions may grow weak and hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing (vs. 10)" Finally, I will remember that "The Lord redeems His servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him." (vs. 22)


Come, let us praise God together, and let us be transformed.


Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

We long to be transformed like David's mighty men.  Help us to change our thinking and our mindset.  We want to focus on You and not the troubles around us.  Keep our eyes focused upward.  You are great and Your promises are comforting.  We want to seek You and be found pleasing in Your sight.  Strengthen us where we are weak and make us pleasing to You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. Would I consider myself a positive or negative person? Why? How can I work on my thought life to make it more pleasing to God?

2. What is my thought life like when I find myself struggling with sin? Is there a correlation between my thoughts and my actions? If yes, how can I change my thoughts to keep myself from sinning?

3. What is the pattern of this world? Am I conforming to it? How am I doing this? What can I change?

4. Am I allowing myself to be transformed into a mighty man/woman for God? How can I do this? Who can help me in this process?

5.  Do I feel weak or strong?  If I feel weak, am I relying on God?  Am I truly seeking Him with all my heart?  How can I change?

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

Prayer Focus - Leaders (any type - World, State, Local, Church, Business, Work)



Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
One leader from another country


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


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



Psalms 33



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


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



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



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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

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

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


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

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

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

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

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

Daily Devotional - 8/26/10 (9/26/09)

Focus Letter - Z



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 to grow in that begins with the focus letter


Dear Lord - Help me to hear Your voice and grant me the strength to obey it.



Psalms 26



"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering." (vs. 1)


I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. What an incredible statement to make. I wish I could say it. I wish I could say I have led a blameless life as well. Perhaps if I followed the psalmists advice I would be closer to this ideal.


"Your love is ever before me" (vs. 2a)


I need to keep God's love before me. This will help me to stop worrying. Even yesterday, I was worrying about the swine flu and my youngest daughter's asthma. I was wondering what would I do if my husband dies, or if my daughter should die. Morbid thoughts and worry. I had to remember that God is here even in a swine flu epidemic or in some other great crisis. Thinking about God's love will help me to stop wavering because I will remember that He is in control. I can't do anything to fight disease; to make someone's body work right. Also keeping God's love before me will keep me from becoming bitter and trying to take vengeance. It will help me to stay righteous. I think of one of my favorite verses, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near (Phil 4:4-5)." I can be gentle if I remember the Lord is near. If I forget that, I try to take everything into my own hands.


"and I walk continually in Your truth." (vs. 2b)



I need to follow God's word next. If I am not being very successful, perhaps it is because either I do not know what God says in His word, or I am not obeying it. Sometimes I don't obey because I think it is too hard, or perhaps I think it is not that important, or else I think I am too busy. Lots of reasons but none will hold up. I need to continually walk in the truth, not just when I feel like it.



"I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked." (vs. 4)



I need to have deep convictions about who I hang around with and what I am doing. I will be influenced by others, including books, movies, and TV shows. It is impossible to not be. I need to guard my heart and I need to take a stand in a spiritual way. I do not need to be self-righteous, but I need to be training myself to be godly. I need to get around people who can help me make it to heaven. I need others. It can be difficult for me to accept that, as I tend to be a very independent person, but that is not God's way. He is all about one another relationships. I need to avoid bad relationships and I need to avoid no relationships. I can not be serving God and be a loner at the same time.


"I wash my hands in innocence and go about Your altar, O Lord," (vs. 6)


I need to not be ashamed to be innocent. The world tends to look down on innocent people, almost as if they are stupid, but I need to see that God calls us to be innocent as doves yet shrewd as snakes (Matt 10:16). It is beautiful in the eyes of God to be innocent and not jaded; to have the wide eyed excitement about life that a child has. I need to treasure my innocence and that of my children and guard it by monitoring what we take in. Then I need to be busy about God's altar. I need to be out there serving Him. I have to be about my purpose. This is what will help me to be blameless and unwavering. I will not have time to worry about myself anymore or to get into sinful pursuits. David got into some terrible sin when he failed to go out to battle as he should have (II Sam 11 & 12). Who am I to think I will be any different? I must remember Philemon 1:6, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ."


"My feet stand on level ground;" (vs. 12a)


Finally, I need to stop going where I shouldn't. I need to stand on the level ground that God has provided. I need to seek out His will and His direction and I need to travel on it. I need to straighten myself out so I can travel on the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:8-10). I need to strengthen my feeble arms and weak knees and I need to walk on the level paths so that the weak may be healed, including myself (Hebrews 12:12-13). I need to get strong!


"In the great assembly I will praise the Lord." (vs. 12b)


And in the end, I need to praise the Lord. I will turn to Him and express all that I have to be grateful for and I will be closer to my goal. I will be closer to saying, "I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. I have led a blameless life."



Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,

We long to say that we have trusted in You without wavering.  We want to live a blameless life.  Help us where we fall short.  Help us to keep Your love before us and walk in Your truth.  Keep us from the negative influences that would bring us down.  Grant us wisdom and strength so that we may be successful.  We do praise You and love Your house.  Guard us and keep us.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen


 QFT


1. How can I keep God's love ever before me? When is this most difficult for me? Why?

2. Am I walking continually in God's truth? What am I disregarding? Why?

3. How do I feel about being innocent? Am I striving for this or embarrassed by it? Why? Do I avoid evil and evil influences?

4. Am I working at the Lord's altar and am I walking on His level ways? Am I busy or a busybody?

5.  Do I praise God on a regular basis or am I negatively focused?  How can I get a more positive and God centered focus in my life?

Daily Devotional - 8/18/10 (9/18/09)

Focus Letter - Q (I skipped this letter... Oops)



Pray for:
Five things we 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 - Please speak to my soul and help me to hear and obey. You are good, always good.



Psalms 18



"I love You, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and am saved from my enemies." (vs. 1-3)

I love God. I am not ashamed to say that. I am amazed at how He maintains me through everything. He is truly my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. I called to the Lord and He is saving me from my enemies - my lack of money, my daughter's illness, my husband's illness, my clutter, my worrying. He is working miracles.




"The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me...In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help.  From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears." (vs. 4 & 6)

Yet, I have felt just like the psalmist, "the cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me."  I have been so overwhelmed, that I could not even function. All I could do was go to sleep. My foes were too strong for me! My foes are too strong for me. I cannot defeat them by myself. I have tried for many years with some of them.

In the midst of all my trouble, I finally cried out to God. Sometimes that is what it takes for us turn to Him completely. We have to be stripped of everything. I advise we do not make Him do this. It hurts. But however we get there, we need to cry out to God like a little child crying out to his or her father. And God will come in a mighty display. He does things in a big way sometimes. (see vs. 7-15) God rescues us from our powerful enemies that are confronting us and making our life miserable. The Lord grabs us and pulls us out of those bad situations and sets us in a spacious place. There is a place of rest, a time for recuperation after the struggles.



"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.  He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.  They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.  He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me." (vs. 16-19)

He does this because He delights in us. God enjoys and delights in me. I love that thought. I am special to God. He knows me and everything about me and He still loves me. He even likes me. He wants to be with me. He wants to know my thoughts. He is that perfect father that none of our earthly fathers could be. They tried the best they could, but God is perfect and I belong to Him.



"The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight...You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.  With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." (vs. 24 & 28-29)
It is good to know that what I do in my life is not in vain. I am not in vain and my efforts are not in vain. God does not forget our hard work (Heb 6: 10). He knows everything I do and have done. He knows my heart; sometimes I don't even know that but He does. He knows our deeds, whether they are good or bad, and He rewards us accordingly. Our works do not save us but they are evidence to a faith that is deep and alive. If I truly believe in something I act on it.

And besides rewarding us, He keeps our lamps burning - He keeps us going. With God's help, we can advance against a troop. We can scale walls. We can do remarkable things with God. It is God who arms us with strength and makes our way perfect. God even stoops down to make us great. God truly cares. No one stoops down, takes all that effort, to do something that is not important to them. It is too much trouble. We are not too much trouble to God. He is willing and able. I praise Him that He is on my side.


God does turns my darkness into light. I can see where I am going because I can see God. God will never leave me or forsake me. I love God. I am not ashamed.



Prayer for the Day

Dear Lord,

You are so amazing.  We read about Your power and Your concern for us and we are overwhelmed.  Thank You for hearing us when we call.  We are defeated so easily by ourselves and yet You provide us with the opportunity for victory.  Help us to grab hold of it and win.  We love You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Am I crying out to God about my problems, my enemies? Why or why not? How is my prayer life?

2. Do I feel that God delights in me? Is there anything in my life that I believe is not delightful to God? How can I change that?

3. Am I attempting to serve God? How am I serving God? Do I need help to do these things or to start something new?

4. What are some ways that God has given me strength or trained me in the past? How is He strengthening and training me now?

5.  Is my love for God evident in the way I live my life?  Why or why not?  Am I ashamed in anyway of God or my relationship with Him?  Why or why not?  What would others say about the priorities and loves of my life?