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

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation

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




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



Psalms 82



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

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

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


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

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

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

We are still called to rejoice.  Consider this:

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

We are still called to love.  Consider this:

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

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

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

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

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



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


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


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer Focus - Needs


Day 7

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


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


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




Psalms 78



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


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


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


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

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

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

Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

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

In Jesus' Name,
Amen

QFT


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

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

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

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

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

Daily 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 - 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 - 9/11/10 (10/11/09)

Prayer Focus - Family



Day 4


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
One family member that lives near 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 41




"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; He will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness." (vs. 1-3)



We need to have regard for the weak. When I tend to think of "the weak", I tend to think of the elderly or those who are down and out, perhaps those who I might consider to be "struggling" in some manner. As I consider this passage though and go a bit deeper, I am forced to look at what my stereotypes and prejudices are. Who is weak really? Lately, I would have to admit that it is me. I am the one who is "struggling".  I am the one who is having trouble with so many things. I do not like to admit that I am weak. I think many of us do not like this. All of our lives we have been building up our walls to protect and guard ourselves so that we will be strong. Often, if we have been terrorized as children, we have built up very high walls so that no one will ever think we are weak again. We feel that our weakness will be used against us because it was in the past. We even begin to look down on anyone we consider open or vulnerable and we feel that displays of emotion are a sign of weakness as well and we dislike them immensely. Because we have been robbed of this ourselves, we resent it in others and it angers us. We become rocks and islands because as Simon and Garfunkel so eloquently put it, "a rock feels no pain, and an island never cries."


But once again, this is not God's way. First of all, we are to rejoice in our sufferings and weaknesses because they allow God to work fully through us (Romans 5:1-5, II Cor 12:8-10). Then we are to see that it is our pride that makes us want to appear strong. God just wants us to be ourselves and He views us as His children. Our children are obviously not as strong as we are. They are weak. God knows we are weak and He wants to take care of us. He even carries us when we can go on no further. I love the story of the footprints that so vividly expresses that sediment of Him carrying us through our most difficult times in life. Finally, God wants us to depend on Him in everything. Then, when we have been strengthened, we are to turn back and help others to be strengthened and comforted as well (Luke 22:31-32).


So I will admit that I am weak and that I also need to have regard for where I am at. I need to get myself strengthened, so that I can in turn strengthen those who need me. That would be my children, my husband, and my students. In many ways, these people are weak and I must view them differently than I have been doing. My children are weak because they are young. I expect so much out of them and often get frustrated by their misbehavior. Much of this is my fault, as I need to be more consistent in my discipline and training of them, but I must also remember that they are children. I must remember the proverb (Proverbs 22:15) that states that "folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drives it far from them."


It is not strange that my children are foolish and morally weak right now. That is a natural part of being a child. I must not take it so personally, and I must also see, therefore, how important it is for me to train and instruct them so that I can help them to out grow it. If I do nothing to help them get rid of the inherent folly in their souls, then I am truly leading them down a path of destruction. As a teacher, I have seen many children that have never been lead away from their natural folly. They fail and fail miserably, even if they are brilliant. Folly must be removed through love and consistent training. I must have regard for these, my children, and help them. I must not get mad but I must train. Both are imperative.


Then there is my husband. He is weak right now because of his illness. I must have regard for him and be there for him more than I ever have. Sometimes it is exhausting to be a caregiver and I am glad for the times when my husband is not that sick. Some people get no respite and it is easy to get overwhelmed and angry at the one who is ill. We must remember if we find ourselves in this position to have regard for the weak. We must find the refreshing and strength we need so that we may be able to go back and give the proper care to our loved ones in the way that will be most beneficial to them.


Finally, I have my students. Many are educationally disadvantaged and many of them have difficult home lives as well that might make them emotionally weak. God has placed me in these students' lives for a reason. I have much to give to them. I have educational skills and learning and most importantly, I have a relationship with God I can share in some way. I need to have regard for each of these children placed in my classes and give them whatever I can to help them grow academically and as individuals as well. They look to me to set them an example and to give them hope in an often hopeless world. Many times I might be the only one believing in them. I must have regard for them and give them my best. I am responsible.


It seems overwhelming when I contemplate all of this, but I love the promises that come with that small statement to have regard for the weak. God will delivers us. The Lord will protect and preserve our lives. God will fill us up so that we can pour out blessings to others (II Cor 9:6-11). The Lord will bless us in the land and will not give us up to our enemies. God will even help our health to be better. So many wonderful promises await us if we can just have regard for the weak. We will in turn be made strong. We can do it. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13). We need to be confident in this and we can be, if we have integrity.  Our integrity and obedience to the will of God will enable us.  We can be sure of that because God is faithful.

In my integrity, You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever." (vs. 12)



Prayer for the Day




Dear Lord,


Help us to have regard for the weak. We know that at times we are weak and at times we do not want to admit it. Help us to see ourselves correctly and to turn to You for strengthening. We need Your strength so that we can go out and in turn strengthen others. We fail and we are so weak but You are strong. You say that Your power is made perfect in our weakness. Allow Your power to be fully developed in us and help us to have regard for the other people in our lives who are weak in some way. Help us to remember our children and their weaknesses. Help us to be kind and loving despite their failures and help us to train our children so that it will go well for them. They are so precious and such a great responsibility. Help us to keep them a priority in our lives so that we can give them the best we have to offer.


Help us to have regard for our spouses in their weakness and our family members. If any of them are sick, help us to be there for them completely. Often those we should love the most are the most difficult for us. Grant us the strength to do all we ask. Only You can provide us what we need to do what You ask. We run to You, for You can do it. In our integrity, You uphold us. Increase our integrity and our obedience. Help us Lord to have regard for the weak.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. Am I weak or strong right now? How do I know?

2. Who are the weak in my life? Am I having regard for them? What would that look like?

3. How am I doing with my children? Am I training them for the future? Am I teaching them about God and His ways beyond taking them to church?

4. How is my relationship with my spouse? Am I having regard for him or her? What are they weak in right now? How can I support them?

5.  Am I a person of integrity?  Why or why not?  What does this mean to me?  How can I change so that I will have more integrity?