Daily Devotional - 10/11/15

Prayer Focus - Dreams



Day 2
Pray for:
One dream you have for yourself
One dream you have for your family



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



Psalms 101


"I will be careful to lead a blameless life - when will You come to me? 

I will walk in my house with blameless heart.  I will set before my eyes no vile thing.

The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.  Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me, he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence."   ( vs. 2 - 7 )


What a challenging call this is for us to live differently.  It calls us to be careful how we live our lives and to be different from the people around us.  Not many people in our society value living carefully anymore.  It is almost looked down upon to try to watch what we do.  Our society prides itself on being open and free.  We want to be free to do and say whatever we want even if it hurts others in some way.  Yet God has called us to check ourselves; to deny ourselves and to follow certain guidelines so that we will have something better in the long run.  Sin often feels good in the here and now, but it is later that we regret and reap consequences that are not always pleasant.  Self-control on the other hand is almost always difficult and uncomfortable in the immediate and yet it produces wonderful results that we look back on with gratitude. 

Let's look at a few of the things set out for us to watch out for in the verses of this psalm.  First, it mentions walking in our homes with blameless hearts.  I think this is especially interesting, because it is in our homes that we most often let our true selves come out.  It is here that we are not so guarded and we indulge in behavior  that we would never do in public.  It is important to think about this and evaluate if we have a double standard in our lives.  We should be the same in our homes as we are everywhere else. 

Then we are called to not set any vile thing before our eyes.  When I read this, it makes me think about the movies and shows we watch and the books and magazines we look at.  Are we being righteous in this area or are we trying to be "relevant" by watching what is popular even if it has questionable content?  Do we really need to fill our minds with some of the stuff that we do?  Once something has entered our mind, it is almost impossible to get those thoughts and pictures out.  A good question I ask myself is  - "Could I imagine Jesus watching and enjoying this?"  Even news can fill us with negative and vile images.  I like to look at all the current news stories on the Internet and do so nightly, but even this is not always a productive activity for me.  It tends to make me very down and upset.  I also waste a lot of time reading these negative articles when I could be doing something more productive like spending time with my girls or getting some sleep.

The next stanza of the psalm talks of staying away from men of perverse heart and from evil in general.  It speaks to us of watching the company we keep.  This is also not a popular concept in our world today.  We tend to want to hang out with whoever we want to.  We want to do what we want and become who we want to become.  There is often little thought to plans beyond our desires.  We are often draw to people with wild lives.  Look at the celebrities that we hold up and esteem by buying their albums, watching their movies, or reading about.  Our heroes today are more often than not, not people of strong character.  They are not people that most of us would want our children to become like. 

The issues of slander and pride are also addressed here.  God says He will silence those who slander their neighbors, even if it is in secret, and He also states that He will not endure proud hearts and haughty eyes.  In another part of the scriptures, it states that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble ( James 4:6 ).  This is very concerning as pride and slander are commonplace.  We are even considered unusual if we do not talk about others.  It is difficult to get through a day with out hearing gossip and often we are immersed in it before we even realize what is going on.  Our society also looks up to and admires a certain amount of pride.  We strive to be independent and confident.  Often this goes over board and we become self righteous and arrogant. 

Finally, the passage talks about deceit and lying.  It says that we will not be able to dwell with God or stand in His presence if we practice deceit or speak falsely.  How can we stay away from doing this, however, when it is almost expected that we will lie in certain situations.  People will even ask us to lie for them and we have found many ways to defend our deceit.  We are thought to be odd if we say no to others when they ask us to lie for them and we are often ridiculed if we take a stand for honesty; often by friends and family members. 

What a high calling this psalm is to us.  We are challenged to change and stand out in so many ways.  It seems overwhelming just thinking about it.  But God promises that His eyes will be on the faithful and that He can and will take care of us.  If we lead a blameless life, God will come to us and provide for us.  It must be possible or the scriptures would not for call us to do it.  We can with Christ.  We can if it is important to us.  It all comes down to our heart.  If our heart is right and we are striving with all we have to obey God, He will make up the difference.  He will see our faith and count it as righteousness as He did with Abraham (Galatians 3:6).  Let us then sing of God's greatness and be careful to live a blameless life.  It is worth it.




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We want to lead a blameless life.  Help us to put aside all of these sinful ways and embrace You.  It will be alright to walk a different road than those around us.  It will be worth it.  Help us to fear You and not men.  You are the one worth following.  You are the true one.  We praise You and sing of Your love and justice.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  Do I act the same in my home as I do elsewhere?  Do I have any double standards?  What do I struggle the most with at home?  Why?  How can I change?

2. Am I careful about what I look at?  How are my standards when it comes to movies and TV?  How are my standards with what I read and the magazines that I look at?  Am I spending too much time on the Internet and am I unproductive/unrighteous in any way with this area?  What do I need to change? What is going well?  

3. Do I stay away from people that are a bad influence on me?  Why or why not?  Am I drawn to people that are not very godly?  Why or why not?  Who are my heroes?  Why?  How do I feel about this concept of watching who I associate with?

4. Do I slander others, even if it is just in my mind (in secret)?  Do I engage in gossip or listen to it?  What harm does this do?  How can I change?  Am I prideful or arrogant in any ways?  Do I look down on anyone?  Why?  How can I deal with this?

5. Am I deceitful in any way?  Why?  How do I justify this?  Do I lie?  Do I feel there is a difference between "big" and "little" lies?  Why or why not?  How does God feel about this?  How can I stop lying and stop being deceitful if this is something I do?

Daily Devotional - 10/6/15

Prayer Focus - Needs



Day 4
Pray for:
One thing that you need to be grateful for but find it difficult to be
One person that you need to apologize to, resolve a conflict with, or forgive
One dream that you need to surrender to God
One challenge that you need to face and deal with



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



Psalms 96


"Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.."  ( vs. 1  )


I have been singing a certain song all my life.  God wants me to sing a new song.  I can not keep doing things the way I have always done them and expect to have new results.  It will not work that way.  We get set in our ways and live in frustration but when we are shown something new that is working for someone, we doubt and are skeptical.  We have many excuses and eventually we just say it is too much trouble to figure out how to do something different. At least I know that is how I am too often.  I would rather stick with the familiar even if it is miserable than venture out into the unknown. 

God would have us live another way.  He shows us how to truly live in His word and He calls us out to follow.  He wants us to start over and do things a new way, a way that works.  Let us venture out and trust God.  Let us sing a new song.  It doesn't matter to God how it sounds, He just wants us to sing.  He will make it beautiful.




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


Help me to sing a new song.  You can and will make it beautiful.  You are deserving.  You are good.  We will sing.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  What song have I been singing?  How would I describe my life and my life priorities?

2. Is my song working?  Am I satisfied with what I am accomplishing and who I am as a person? 

3. What do I think God's song and my new song are?  Am I finding out?  How can I find out?  Is there someone who I can talk to that can give me insight?

4. What would keep me from singing a new song?  What fears do I have about doing something differently?  Why?  How can I overcome these fears?

5. Do I believe God can help me change?  Do I want to sing a new song? Why or why not?

Daily Devotional - 10/4/15

Prayer Focus - Needs



Day 2
Pray for:
One thing that you need to be grateful for but find it difficult to be
One person that you need to apologize to, resolve a conflict with, or forgive



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



Psalms 94


"Does He who implanted the ear not hear?  Does He who formed the eye not see?  Does He who disciplines the nations not punish?  Does He who teaches man lack knowledge?  The Lord knows the thoughts of man; He knows that they are futile. 

Blessed is the man You discipline, O Lord, the man You teach from Your law; You grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.  For the Lord will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance.  Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?  Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.  When I said, 'My foot is slipping,' Your love, O Lord, supported me.  When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul."  ( vs. 9 -19 )


God knows.  God knows everything.  He knows every thought that comes into our mind.  He is completely beyond our comprehension.  We are finite and our thinking is finite.  God is infinite.  We are stuck to time and space.  We can only be in one place at a time, and we can only know what is in our minds and hearts; sometimes not even that.  So how is it that we think somehow that we are smarter than God or that we have something figured out that He hasn't yet?  God knows us.  God is not surprised by anything.

To me, this makes it all the more amazing that God pays attention to us at all.  God knows everything about each and every one of us. He knows who will listen to Him and who will not.  He knows all of the things we do in secret and all of the sinful leanings of our heart.  And yet, He still cares.  He still died.  He still forgives.  He invests His time to train us up; to discipline us.  And He has a plan and a dream for us to make a difference in the world.  He wants to see change.  He desires change in each of our hearts and He is calling us.  He asks, "Who will rise up for me against the wicked?  Who will stand? Who will make a difference?  Who will love as I have loved?"  It is an overwhelming task but we have been called.  If we look at the task, we will slip as the psalmist states.  But God will help us.  God will support us in the task if we go and try.  God will calm the anxiety that comes and God will bring us joy as we obey.  We just need to start and go and try.

Here are some of my favorite quotes on these thoughts:

"The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step"
                                                                     Chinese Proverb


"If the Lord calls you, He will equip you for the task He wants you to fulfill."
                                                                     Warren Wierbe

"Have thy tools ready.  God will find the work."
                                                                     Charles Kingsley

"You will invest your life in something or you will throw it away on nothing."
                                                                      Haddin Rosisson

"Employ whatever God has entrusted you with in doing good, all possible good, in every kind and degree."
                                                                       John Wesley

"Start by doing what is necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you're doing the impossible."
                                                                       St. Francis of Assissi

"Discipline yourself so no one else has to."
                                                                       John Wooden





Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


You are not deaf or blind or dumb.  You know exactly what is going on here.  You know exactly what is going on in my heart.  You know and still care.  That is amazing to me.  I am so grateful that You have called me and given me a part in Your amazing work.  Help me to rise to the occasion.  Help me to live a life worthy and to cling to You because You will make it all work out.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  How do I feel about the difference between God and me?  Do I ever find myself thinking that I know better than God?  How might my actions show this even if I don't think this outright?  What can I change to have a better view of God and myself?

2. Do I allow God to discipline me?  Do I listen to His word and to the people God has put in my life?  Do I take advice?  Why or why not?  Am I teachable?  Am I learning or have I become set in my ways?  What can I do to become a lifelong learner? 

3. Am I taking a stand for God?  Do I stand up for God's word?  If I am standing up for God and His ways, am I doing so in a loving and respectful way or do I just let people "have it"?   What can I do to be more effective in the way I talk to people about God and His ways?

4. Do I feel that God can use me?  Am I allowing myself to be a part of God's plan to change and transform the world? Why or why not?  Do I want to do this?  Do I see the importance of it?  What can I do to change and allow myself to answer God's call.

5. Do I feel anxious or hopeless?  Am I turning to God for help or am I trying to do everything on my own power?  How can I allow God to support and console me?  What role do my friends and fellow believers have in helping me?  Do I allow others into my life so that they can be there for me?  Why or why not?  What should I change so that I can strengthened and receive joy?

Daily Devotional - 10/2/15

Prayer Focus - Wants



Day 7
Pray for:
One thing that you want to understand about God
One characteristic you want to develop that will help you to be more loving towards others
One dream that you want to see happen in your life
One issue in your character that you want to see changed
One regret that you want to move past
One person that you want to get to know better
One health issue that you want to see improved in someone (can be yourself)


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



Psalms 92


"It is good to praise the Lord...

For You make me glad by Your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of Your hands. How great are Your works, O Lord, how profound Your thoughts! The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand, that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed.

But You, O Lord, are exalted forever.

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is not wickedness in Him."  (vs. 1a, 4 - 8, 12 - 15)


It is good to praise the Lord.  I am grateful to know and understand this.  Some people will never understand and this is hard for us.  It is sad and oftentimes even heartbreaking, but we must remain faithful and remember that even Jesus was deserted by His closest friends in the end.  They did not fully understand what He was about and what He came for.  He knew that but He still did what He had to for those of us who would believe.  We can not be down heartened as if it was our fault when someone we love is not following God.  Everyone has free choice and some choose to sear their consciences and pursue other gods.  Some deny that there is anything beyond what they can see.  They live only for the here and now.  But God is real, whether we choose to believe in Him or not.  He will be exalted.  We just need to keep holding this out.

If we choose to follow God and be righteous, we will flourish.  It is an eternal principle.  We may not grow rich or live free from struggles, but we will grow and still bear fruit in our old age.  What a wonderful promise, that although our bodies are aging and dying, our souls and our spiritual lives become more and more beautiful if we devote ourselves to God.  I want to flourish.  I do not want to grow old and set in my ways.  I want to be new and fresh and beautiful inside.  I hope this for all of us.  So let us praise the Lord, for this is good.



Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We praise You for this is good.  You have been very good to us.  Help us to always understand and seek You.  Help us to know gratitude and be able to see all the works of Your hand in our life and in the lives of others.  We want to grow strong and tall like the trees.  We want to flourish in Your house.  We want to still bear fruit in our old age.  We know that we will find this only in You.  We long to be close to You and be transformed.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  Do I praise God?  Why or why not?  What do I have to praise God for?  Can I make a list of 10, 20, or 30 plus things that God deserves praise for?

2. How do I feel when people do not understand my faith? Do I love the people anyway or do I get angry and dismissive?  Do I pray for those who reject my faith?

3. Do I feel like I am growing spiritually?  Why or why not?  How can I go after this?  What am I doing that helps?  What am I doing that hinders me? 

4. How long have I been following God?  Do I still have the love I originally did?  If it is not as strong, why do I feel like it has faded?  What can I do to get back my "first love"?

5. Am I bearing fruit?  What does that mean to me?  What evidence is there that my faith is growing and being more productive?

Daily Devotional - 9/29/15

Prayer Focus - Wants



Day 4
Pray for:
One thing you want to understand about God
One characteristic you want to develop that will help you to be more loving towards others
One dream you have for your life
One issue in your character that you would like to see changed


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



Psalms 89


"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; love and faithfulness go before You.  Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord.  They rejoice in Your name all day long; they exult in Your righteousness. For You are their glory and strength, and by Your favor You exalt our horn.  Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel."  ( vs. 14 - 18 )


Righteousness and justice form the foundation of the throne of God.  He is righteous and just.  How good it is to know that there is a standard that never changes.  Although we do not necessarily like everything about it, it is steadfast and I think that we long for that type of consistency.  We hate it when things are not fair.  It is good to know that God is fair, and that justice will win out one day.  It is also good to know that God does not forget our hard work and all of the good things that we have done.  ("God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10)  Someday we will reap what we have sown. ("Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6: 7-9)

What is even better than God being righteous and justice, however, is that God is loving and faithful.  He is so much so, that it goes before Him.  These qualities trumpet His coming.  When I think about the world, I still see God; even with all the evil that is here.  Sometimes people will say, "How can there be a God when there is bad things happening?"  I think, "If there is no God, that is all that would be happening!"  God is in all the kindness and beauty that is still here on Earth.  When I see a beautiful sunset, I see God.  When I look at my children playing and laughing, I see God.  When I receive a kindness or am able to give to someone, I feel God's presence.  God is good, always good.

We will be blessed if we can believe and hold onto this; when we can acclaim God.  We will receive what we have faith in.  God does not change, but we can be blinded to Him.  Sometimes my students do not like me.  They think I am mean and hard.  They have not been able to see who I really am, because they do not cooperate with the rules of the class, or they perceive my pushing them to be excellent and to achieve as meanness.  No matter how kind and loving I may be, they will never see it.  They are blinded by their own perceptions and rebelliousness.  I have not changed.  This is how it is with God.  If we are rebellious and resentful about being transformed, we will see God as a harsh taskmaster.  If we follow God's laws and make Him our strength, and if we are willing to be changed, God will be our most treasured glory and strength.  The choice is ours.


Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


You are good.  You do bless us.  Help us to see You; to see the real You and for us to not be deceived by our rebelliousness.  You are righteous and just.  You are loving and faithful.  We are grateful that You are not like us. You are so praiseworthy.  Thank You for our lives and for Your promises.  Help us to live up to Your desires for us.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. How do I see God as righteous?  Am I righteous?  What does this mean to me?  How can I be righteous in my day to day living?

2. Do I value justice?  How do I see God as just?  Am I just?  What does this mean to me?  How can I learn to be more just and to value justice more?

3. How do I see God as loving? What does that mean to me?  Am I loving?  What evidence is there to support my answer?  How can I be more loving?

4. How do I see God as faithful?  What does that mean to me?  Am I faithful to God?  Am I faithful to others?  Why or why not?  How can I become more faithful to God and to others?

5. How do I acclaim God?  What is my view of Him?  Do I have a true perspective or am I tainted by bitterness or bad experiences?  How can I work through any issues I have so that I can be able to see God as He truly is?  How will this change my life?

Daily Devotional - 9/26/15 (1/26/10)

Prayer Focus - Wants

Day 1
Pray for:
One thing you want to understand about God


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




Psalms 86


"Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my life, for I am devoted to You.  You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You.

The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life - men without regard for You. But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant Your strength to Your servant and save the son of Your maidservant. Give me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me." ( vs. 1-2, 14-17)


Sometimes we feel like we are being attacked on all fronts. We feel poor and needy and overwhelmed.  I often find myself saying that my life is just too much for me, and I know there are so many people out there that have more difficulties than I do. But life can be overwhelming regardless.  This is when it is good to remember who God is and meditate on His characteristics.  God is good, always good and faithful, always faithful.  He is slow to anger.  He is strong.  We also need to remember that He has given us a specific race to run that is already marked out for us. Everything is all in God's hands and He does know what He is doing.

 God is also compassionate. He is not being mean to us when we face challenges. He is training us. I give my students a lot of work and push them because I want them to be excellent. I make them follow my directions so that they can become thorough and learn to complete projects. If I made things too easy for them, it would be as if I thought they were not intelligent enough or capable enough to do more. Difficulty is often a sign of the belief that one is able. God feels that we are able to handle whatever He has given to us. He knows exactly what we can take and He is faithful. He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (I Corinthians 10:13).   He is training and disciplining us for our eternal benefit and also for His glory here on Earth.  As we grow in our faith throughout our lives and through our struggles, we are being transformed and this points others to God as well. 

God will also often push us to our limits because He wants us to rely on Him. As I go about my incredibly busy schedule, sometimes I look back and wonder how I got everything I did, done that day. I know it was only because of God because it seems too much for one person to accomplish. I laugh and think that I am walking on water. I do not know how long I can keep it up but I will focus on one day at a time and on the One who is able. He will grant me strength and He will save me. Each sunrise I see as I drive to work in the morning is His sign of goodness to me that I have another day. I am so grateful to be alive.




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


Continue to grant us Your strength. We are nothing without You. We appreciate all the signs of goodness that You bring us. The sunrises and sunsets remind us that we have another day. The ocean and mountains loom large and unfathomable. They are solid representations of the unchanging nature of You. We get so caught up in the now and forget to see You. When we look at You, everything else seems to fall away. Thank You for believing in us and for pushing us to be our best. We want to please You. We put our days in Your hands and we wait for Your salvation.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. What is my view of God? What influences how I feel about Him? Why? How can I develop a more accurate vision of who He is?

2. Do I seek God's mercy and strength or am I trying to do it all on my own? What holds me back from relying on God? Why? When do I find I can easily trust God and when do I struggle with letting go?

3. What signs of God's goodness have I received? Do I miss some of God's signs? Why? How can I change my view of life so that I see the good more than the bad?

4. How do I feel about my struggles? Do I see them as an opportunity for growth and as training or do I blame God? Why? How can I improve my perspective?

5.  Do I ever feel that God is not taking care of me or does not have control over the events of my life. How will trusting that nothing is outside of God's will affect how I react to difficulties?

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 Devotional - 9/20/15 (1/20/2010)

Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation

Day 2
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)



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



Psalms 80


"Restore us, O God; make Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved." ( vs. 3, 7, 19 )


As the psalmist recounts the struggles of Israel in Psalm 80, the phrase above is repeated three times. The Israelites were longing to be restored to their days of glory, but there is also a message of restoration for us in these short verses. There is a deep longing within each of us for something better than what we have right now. We want to be more.  No child dreams about growing up to be something mediocre. They dream of being princesses and princes, heroes and heroines. God has set these dreams of greatness (Jeremiah 29:11) as well as eternity in our hearts (Ezekiel 3:11). He has also given us a desire for beauty and innocence. I think that is why we love art and nature.

We look wistfully at our young children (when they are behaving!) and often long for those carefree days when we were young. If our children are older, we miss the days when they were innocent babies. We treasure the joy of those days in our own lives because somewhere along the line, as we grow up, we get corrupted by our sins and the sins of others. Just like Adam and Eve, we fall from grace.  The longing for what we were supposed to be remains, however. We want the innocence back and the purity of heart that came with it.

Thankfully, God wants this for us as well and He has provided a way for us to receive it. There is still beauty around us. There can still be beauty within us.  There is still hope just as sure as there is still a sunrise and a sunset each day. We can be restored.

The key to restoration is in the second part of the verse. We have to let God's face shine upon us. As we look at Him and keep a steady gaze at what He is like, He will lead us and transform us. He created us to have life and life to the fullest (John 10:10). We are His works of art. Let us allow Him to transform us into what we were created to be and receive all He designed for us to have. If we can keep our eyes on Him, we can, like Peter walk on water (Matt 14:22-33). He is able and He will do it.




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


We long for the days of innocence. Restore us to that childlike spirit. Grant us the faith and purity of heart to truly believe. You are able and You are willing. We are Your works of art. Help us to believe that and allow ourselves to be transformed. Help us to catch a hold of the vision You have for our lives and keep our eyes fixed on You. We want to radiate Your glory. We want to be saved.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT



1. What were my dreams as a child? When did I let go of them? Why? Can I in anyway revive them?

2. What things (my sin and the sins of others) corrupted me and took away my innocence? Have I let go/ repented of my sins so that I can be restored? Have I forgiven those that hurt me? Can I get help to work through any issues here?

3. How can I let God's face shine upon me? Am I keeping my eyes on Him? How can I do a better job at this?

4. How is God transforming me? What can I see Him doing with my life?

5. Do I have any dreams to serve Him in any way? What can I try to do? What steps of faith can I take?

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

Prayer Focus - Needs


Day 4
Pray for:
One thing that is needed in the world
One thing that is needed in your country
One thing that is needed in your state/region
One thing that is needed in your city


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



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



Psalms 75

"You say, 'I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly. When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more, and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck.' No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, He exalts another." ( vs. 2-8)


God is powerful and God is in control. He holds the earth together. He holds all the molecules in our bodies together. He knows what is going on. We are fallible but God is not. Our governments are fallible, but God is not. He knows. What a comfort that is if we are right with Him. Even though we try to exalt ourselves and bring one another down, God must laugh at our efforts. He says that no one from anywhere on the earth can do this. Only He is the judge and only He truly knows who should be exalted and who should be brought down.

 We have all seen this. Someone is raised up and looked up to and then they fall. Often these people fall the hardest. We are shocked, but why should we be? They are just men like ourselves. We are easily fooled. Only God knows the hearts of men and that is what really counts. Sometimes it is the weakest among us and the ones that are despised that are truly the best. They might have hearts of gold and yet we in our arrogance and worldliness pass them by as undeserving. Let us leave judging to God and let us focus on ourselves. Let us make sure that we will be lifted up at the final day and will be able to hear the words, "Well done good and faithful servant." (Matt 25:23)




Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,


It is easy for us to look at man's outward appearance but You look at the heart. Help us to have pure hearts and help us to rid our lives of secret sins. We ask that our hearts be pleasing to You in every way and that we will be able to stand on the last day in faithfulness. You rise up and You tear down. You are the ultimate judge. We leave the judging of men's hearts to You. We can not know. Help us to do our best and leave the rest to You.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1. Do I meditate on God's power and ability to control everything that exists? How can I focus on this more?

2. Do I realize that wicked people will receive their just reward from God? Do I try to take revenge for wrongs I feel I have suffered? Is this righteous? How can I let the desire to take revenge go?

3. Do I look at people from a spiritual perspective? How do I evaluate others? Do I look at the outward appearance or the heart? How have I been fooled before?

4. Who are my heroes? Why? Are they truly deserving of my respect? Why or why not?

5. If I do not have any heroes, why is that? Do I struggle with looking down on anyone? Why is this not right, and how can I stop doing this?

Daily Devotional - 9/9/15 (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 - 9/2/15 (11/2/09)

Prayer Focus - Strangers


Day 5
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
One person that is in the entertainment industry
One person in politics
One person you always see but have never spoken to


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



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




Psalms 62



"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken." ( vs. 1-2 )

I am so tired tonight.  Going back to work from the summer break is hard as it brings long days and short nights.  Hours in the car fighting traffic and endless commitments.  I can hardly think, but I keep going.  What is important gets done and we keep moving on.  My time with God is my only time to myself, but most importantly, it is my lifeline. If I did not have God, I would surely be lost.  First of all, I would not have my family, my husband, or my beautiful children.  I would not be a teacher, and probably, I would not be alive.  I have found rest despite being exhausted.  I have a stronghold.  I have something beyond this life.  I always thought that if all we had to live for was the 9 to 5 and the grow old, get a job, raise a family, then die type of life than it was all so hopeless.  I am so glad that God showed me something different.

"My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty Rock, my Refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." ( vs. 7-8 )

Besides rest, my honor comes from God as well.  If I had been left to myself, I wouldn't have had any honor.  I was not a very nice person before I became a Christian.  I used people and all I cared about was myself and my desires.  I was full of anger and rage and had a seared conscience.  I was so hardened by sin, that my spiritual transformation took a long time.  I did not change overnight when I decided to follow God.  Yes, I had grace, but the real work was just beginning.  The consequences of only 17 years of godless living have now taken thirty plus years to overcome.  It is hard for me to imagine, but I have been trying to do this since 1983; all of my adult life has been dedicated to becoming closer and closer to God.  It has taken all that time to develop, through God, whatever honor I have now.  What a thought!  My integrity has come through walking through the furnaces and learning the hard way what it means to serve Him

One thing I am especially grateful for is that during all of this time, I have always had God to run to and to hide in.  When the going got rough, as it often did, I poured out my heart to Him and then just slept an empty sleep, letting His spirit burn off the dross of my soul.  In the morning when I would awake, I would be a little bit better; a little closer to the woman of integrity that I longed to be.  The sun always seemed to shine brighter on those days and everything was a bit clearer.  It was as if I could see God shining through.

"One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving. Surely You will reward each person according to what he has done." (vs. 11-12 )


Finally, I will remember that God is strong. That fact is a given which I need to always remember. He is not like me. He is more than capable. He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). God is huge and powerful. God is able!  I will also remember that God is loving. He loves me. He loves You. All of what He does day to day in maintaining and running the universe is in an effort to try and bring people back to Him. That is His ultimate goal and desire. He desires that all men are saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (I Tim 2:3-4). Let us be faithful.  It is worth it.  I know.  God will reward us if we are faithful. He will reward us for what we have done! Let us do something worthy of being rewarded today!




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We are coming to You. Our souls find rest in You alone. Thank You for providing us with the refuge that we so long for. We are lonely, weary travelers here. We are so different that sometimes it is tiresome. But You know. You are strong and You are loving. You will be here for us and provide for us. You are our fortress and refuge. We will trust in You. We will pour out our hearts to You. We will commit with our hearts and souls to serving You. We know You will reward us.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT




1. Am I finding rest in God alone? What other things do I try to find rest in? How can I turn more to God for the rest and refreshing that I need?

2. Am I easily shaken? What does my stability say about my relationship with God? How can I become more stable?

3. Which of the names of God mentioned here do I most identify with? What does it mean to me to know that God has these qualities? How can this help me to trust in Him at all times?

4. Am I remembering that God is strong and loving? Which of these is harder for me to remember? Why?

5.  Am I living as if I believed He was going to reward me according to what I have done? What would I change if I truly believed He was going to do this?

Daily Devotional - 8/23/15 (10/23/09)

Prayer Focus - Enemies


Day 2
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
One person who has given you a lot of trouble recently


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 53



"God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.  Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread and who do not call on God? There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread."

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad." ( vs. 2 - 5a, 6)


When we think about our lives and the lives of those around us, we see a lot of failure.  Even the best of us, those of us who are really trying to be good, fail; sometimes miserably.  What is interesting, however, is that, although the Bible speaks of the universality of sin, it also differentiates between those who sin.  The psalms consistently speak of a difference between people.  There are the "evildoers" and there are the "righteous".  Yet we all have turned away and become corrupt this passage says.  This seems contradictory but the psalmist in this psalm outlines two ways that we can become what is referred to as "evildoers".

The first way to become an "evildoers" is to use others ("Will evildoers never learn - those who devour my people as bread").  We eat bread. We use it to stay alive.  So someone who is devouring people in this way must be using them to get what they need. I know in the past I have used people. I am not proud of this but I think it is probably more widespread than we would like to admit. How often do we call someone only when we need something from them. Isn't that a form of using them? We are not thinking of them or of how they are doing. We are only thinking of what we need. How about in our conversations? Are they all about us and what we are going through? Do we use others as a dumping ground and then leave after we feel better? Isn't that using others? I am sure that we could come up with even more ideas of how we do this. Take for example our involvement in church, our work, or even our citizenship. Are we focused more on what we are getting out of our church services or our small groups rather than what we are giving to them? At our work, are we known to be someone who gets involved and gives their best or are we just getting a paycheck. How about as citizens of our country? Are we just taking the benefits and not getting involved to help others and make the world a better place to live in?  We need to stop being takers and users and start being givers if we do not want to become "evildoers". I know I do.  Righteous people give.  There are so many passages in the Bible about giving.  This is one of the key differences that we have to pay attention to.  We are by nature selfish so we need to deal with this daily.  It is not something that will just go away once we make a commitment to God.

The second way to become an "evildoers" mentioned in this passage is to not acknowledge and turn to God (and who do not call on God).   This little phrase is so easy to just read over and not pay that much attention too.  It doesn't seem that serious.  We can tell ourselves we are okay with God because we don't do any of the "BIG" sins like murder or adultery but here is this seemingly insignificant thing listed instead.  Not calling on God or paying attention to Him is actually the root from which all the other sins grow out of.  Because we do not value God, we do not care what we do to others or what we engage in.  When we value God and are turning to Him on a regular basis, we do not want to do wrong.  It is so easy to not call on God though.  It is easy to not pray or listen to God. Often, no one even knows. Rarely do people ask us how we are doing spiritually these days. It is just not the focus of our society.  If we are being selfish, someone usually is affected by it and we tend to feel worse about being mean but not calling on God is all within us.  We can cover it up for quite awhile, perhaps even a whole lifetime.

But using people and not calling on God does have consequences.  In eternity, there will be consequences, but here on earth right now as we live, we will also suffer.  I believe these things cause dread.  They cause an unsettled feeling to stay with us.  Almost as if we are always looking over our shoulder; always worried about what people know or will find out.  So when we are stressed out and feeling a nameless sense of dread about life, it is a good idea for us to look for these two qualities in our lives.  There will not always be one of these issues at the root of our feelings but sometimes there will be a connection.  I know when I make a deeper inspection of myself when I am feeling uneasy, I usually find some sin, selfishness, or abandonment of God occurring.  Once I turn back to Him, and draw near again, the sense of dread disappears. Sin does make us feel guilty. Our consciences and the feelings of guilt we have sometimes were put in us by God and they help us to come back to Him. We need to stop searing our consciences and accept that they are there and that they are there for a good reason.  Thank God we can change and deal with our lives and our characters.  I am grateful  that God can enable us to overcome our sinful natures and that He can transform us. We will feel peace when we walk with God. He is a God of peace. Salvation will come out of Zion.  He can and will do it and we will feel joy.




Prayer for the Day



Dear Lord,


We do not want to be evildoers. As we look at the attitudes of our hearts and our actions, we pray that they will be those of a giver and not of a taker. We do not want to use people, even if it is advantageous to us. Help us to not think like the world does because to the world this is normal behavior. Help us to rise above and strive each and every day to be like Jesus. Although He was a part of You, He did not claim equality with You but made Himself nothing and became a servant to us all. He went the ultimate distance in dying for us and He calls us to do the same. Help us to rise to the challenge.

We also ask Your forgiveness for all of the times that we have not called on You. We get tired, weak, or lazy at times and neglect You, our ultimate power source. Help us to remember that it is all about You and not about us. We want to pray more. We want to commune with You and walk each day with You. Help us to not be so distracted. Our flesh is so weak. We are tired of walking around in dread. There is nothing to dread. There is no virus, no foreign government, no debt, not problem bigger than You. There is nothing to dread and here we are dreading. Forgive us and help us to turn away from this faithlessness and sin. You are here. You have always been here. Help us to see You in all that we do. You are surely woven into life. We pray for peace.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen


QFT


1. Have I used people in the past? What can I do to make amends?  Can I see any situations where I am using people presently? Why do I do this?  How can I stop?

2. Am I a giver or a taker in my relationships?  Am I a giver or taker in my church, work, and social environment? What evidence is there for what I think I am?  What can I do to become more of a giver?

3. Am I calling on God on a regular basis? How is my prayer life? Do I go to God first, or my friends? What can I do to improve my reliance on God?

4. Am I at peace or am I consistently in a state of dread? Do I have reason to dread? What am I fearing? Is God able to handle it?

5. Is there something I need to clear up/ resolve or repent of to eliminate the sense of dread that I am experiencing? What will I do to deal with this?  When will I deal with it?   If there is not an issue, how can I turn to God and trust Him more?

Daily Devotional for 8/21/15 (10/21/09)

Prayer Focus - Friends


Day 7
Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to
One friend from long ago
One new friend
One friend that has hurt you
One friend that has always been there for you
One friend that you have lost touch with and have no idea where they are


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



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



Psalms 51


"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions." (vs. 1)

"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge." (vs. 4)

"Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (vs. 6 - 7)

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." (vs. 10 - 12)

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (vs. 16 - 17)

In Your good pleasure make Zion prosper; Build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight You; (vs. 18 -19a)


True religion is something totally different than what most of us think.  Often we think of going to church and a bunch of dos and don'ts.  Definitely there are things that should and shouldn't be done but it all seems to boil down to love.  What is the greatest commandment?  Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22:37-39).  This is what Jesus said summed it all up - Love. 

God is love.  Do we remember this?


I think we forget.  We think - God is a taskmaster. God is far away.  God does not care.  God is not fair.  God is mean.  God hates.  God just wants me to obey.  But is this really true?  Does God want our sacrifices? Will our hard work save us?  Can we ever be good enough?

The answer to all these types of questions are no.  No, no, no.  God is love.  God wants truth.  God wants integrity. God wants us to come back and say, "Thank You. Do not cast me away from You."  God wants us broken and contrite. Ready to be something different.  Ready to turn away from all the secrets within us.  Bottom line, God wants us to be with Him and He knows what that will take.


I think when we look deep into ourselves, we know this as well.  There is an aching part in us that just wants to be known, loved, and changed.  I think we long for transformation. We long to be clean - to be free from what ever it is that is binding us and keeping us from life. 

But even though we know this, there is a barrier to us reaching the healing we seek.  I believe this barrier is sin.  Sometimes we think we are so clever.  We do things we know are wrong and think it will never be found out.  We think no one can really see what is going on within us.  Well, that is not really true is it?  God sees everything.  God already knows, and sooner or later everyone else usually finds out too.

When I was a child, I used to think it would be a great parenting tool to have cameras in every room so that a parent could see what was going on at all times.  Now of course, that is possible now but it wasn't back in the 70's.  I was grateful back then that nothing like that existed because I did a lot of things in secret that I didn't what anyone seeing.  It was quite a revelation to me when I finally realized that God saw everything and that He had seen every single thing I had ever done in secret.  I was quite ashamed and embarrassed.


So in order to be transformed and healed, and since all the things we have done have been seen anyway, we need to deal with them.  We need to seek repentance.  We have to get these secrets out into the open and get help.  We need to stop doing wrong and start doing right.  That is what I had to do.

I had to come to grips with the fact that God wanted me.  He wants us, all of us, and He wants us to be true believers.  He wants our hearts, not just our outward acquiescence.  But I didn't know how to get from where I was to where I needed to be?  This is where Psalm 51 is essential.  It is the cry for forgiveness and restoration that we all need to cry.

When I was finally trying to get my life right with God, I had a mentor who was working with me in my life.  He knew just about everything about me and he gave me a key assignment.  He challenged me to memorize this Psalm and repeat it as often as I could.  He felt that when I could truly pray this Psalm from my heart, then I would probably be ready to become a Christian.

I would finally be ready to become a Christian, because I would finally be ready to deal with the sin in my life.  My heart would be ready to change because it would have released the things that were at that time controlling it.  Sin hardens us.  Sin hardens and breaks us.  This world is broken.  I was broken.  Sin breaks our communion with God, others, and even ourselves.  It cuts us off from our heart and it sears our consciences.  It destroys whatever good is in us and it destroys the good in this world.  We can not be close to God and be in sin as well.  It is impossible. 

I was so hard at this point in my life from all the sin I had indulged in that I needed a transformation.  I needed a new heart, and new spirit.  I needed to come to God on His terms, not mine.

I took my friend's challenge and eventually I had a breakthrough.  God did have mercy on me.  He did restore to me the joy of my salvation and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  God was faithful and created a pure heart within me.  I had not been pure in a long time but now I was and I could be completely different.  Instead of being religious, I could be righteous - right with God.  I could have integrity.  I could have truth.  I could walk without fear of what I was hiding. 

God was and is faithful.  Thirty some years later, I am still walking this walk and striving to keep this prayer and all of God's word in my heart so that I will not sin against Him.

I praise God that He did restore and in His timing, He did make me prosper.  He has given me so much and I would never have known all the good He had in store if I had not been willing to get on my knees and pray.





Prayer for the Day


Dear Lord,

Have mercy on us we pray.  Forgive us our sins.  Cleanse us.  Only You can do this.  We thank You for forgiving us.  We thank You for Your mercy and grace. We thank you for even caring at all. We know that we are completely unworthy. Please grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. Grant us joy as well so that we may live and be the examples that You deserve. We know that in Your good pleasure, You can make us prosper. We look forward to that day.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT


1. What do I think God really wants from me?  Why?  Do I have a correct perspective of God? Why or why not?  How can I get a more accurate view?

2. Do I realize how much I sin against God?  Am I turning to Him for forgiveness?  Do I realize that when I sin against others, I am sinning against God?  Does this help me to stop sinning or could this help me?  How can I remind myself of this fact?

3. Do I feel burdened by past sins?  Have I been forgiven?  How do I know?  Do I need to discuss anything with another person to help deal with a habitual sin?

4. What does repentance mean to me?  What do I do when I have done something wrong?  How do I deal with it?  Is this the best thing to do or could I do something differently?

5. Am I turning to God for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit, a willing spirit, and a joyful heart? Which of these is the hardest for me to maintain?

Daily Devotional - 9/16/10 (10/16/09)

Prayer Focus - Friends



Day 2


Pray for:
One friend that you feel close to
One friend that has become distant and you would like to be closer to


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 46




"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." (vs. 1-2)



Tomorrow I am going to a reunion in San Diego. As I was preparing to go, I became very sad and frustrated. I was afraid to go. Afraid to face my out of shape body and my inability to play a sport I once loved and still do. Afraid of what I have cut myself off from. Afraid of bad memories and feelings of failure that I left when I left that city. I haven't been back in many years. I haven't had any desire to return except perhaps to play waterpolo. That I have missed and longed for. That is why I am returning. But I know that my body will betray me. My life is so different now. But God is still my refuge. Even in these vague murmurings and sadness. I am still going. I am going to face my fears and my sadness. God is my help and this is my time to deal with my six years in San Diego. I cannot cut out so many years anymore. I must begin to synthesize my life and accept all of it.



"The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." (vs. 7)



And God will be with me. He is my fortress as I deal with my soul. He is the healer of wounds we cannot see. No one else knows the aches in our hearts as He does and no one can be a fortress for us. No one else can save us from ourselves.



"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (vs. 10)



I will be still and know that God is God. I will go to the bluffs and the ocean and all the old places and I will feel once again all the pain and I will let it go. I will let God be God and I will be still. I will listen to what those years have brought me to now. I had to go through the fires. I had to experience it. I would not go back or take it over and yet I would not wish it on anyone else either. But I will be still tomorrow, all day, and I will listen. I will laugh and do my best and reconnect and be someone that I was not in a place that I once was. God will be exalted, somehow, because God is always exalted whether we do the exalting or not. Hopefully, I will join in with the earth and exalt as well. It will be okay. I will be okay and when I return home, I will be better than I was. I will be more complete.



"The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacobs is our fortress." (vs. 11)


Amen




Prayer for the Day




Dear Lord,


You know the sadness and the wounds of our hearts. It is so easy to put band aids on gaping holes and move on but You know and You arrange for us to meet the healing forces or face the pain again so that there may be closure. As we face our fears, help us to remember that You are our refuge and strength and that You are our ever present fortress. Help us to stop running from our painful pasts. Help us to embrace them and learn what You would have us learn.

We respect those that are able to face great tragedies and turn them into triumphs. Most of our pains are of the lesser type but in our souls they are festering and they are keeping us from fully living. Help us to come to grips with all our experiences, good and bad, and help us to use them to glorify you by strengthening others. You have great plans for us. You allow us to suffer so that in the end You may be lifted up through us and used, just as Jesus suffered and was used to save all those who would come to Him. We are grateful for all of our experience and we are grateful for Your saving grace. We will be still and know that You are God. Help us to do this. Help us to quiet our souls and hear Your voice. Help us to know now and always, that You are God.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen




QFT



1. Am I running from any past memories or experiences? Why am I doing this?

2. How can I face these experiences and work through them so that I can have closure and move on in my life? What help is available for me?

3. What am I afraid of? Am I giving these things over to God in prayer? Am I remembering God in these moments of fear?

4. Am I still before God? How can I be still before God?
5. What does it mean to me to know that God is God?  How can I practically do this more and more in my life?

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

Prayer Focus - Family



Day 2


Pray for:
One family member that you feel close to
One family member that you are not close to



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 39



"But when I was silent and still, not even saying anything good, my anguish increased." (vs. 2)



We were made to communicate. God is very communicative and we were made in His image. There is something very strong within us that wants to know and be known. But what about the quiet person one might ask? Do they have no desire? They say they do not. I do not know if that is really true. I would be considered a quiet, private person, and in fact, I am, but I do not think that is how I always was. There is also a large part of me that is troubled by this lack of deep communication in my life. I do want to be known. I do want to communicate, but I stop short every time. At some time in my life and in the lives of others like me, I believe there was some emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical damage that occurred and caused the person to shut off the world, perhaps because it was too painful. The decision was made that being alone was fine since it saved one a lot of trouble and hurt.


But this often creates festering individuals. I know because I was one. By the time I was 17, I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I appeared to have everything together but I was dying and going crazy inside. I was cut off from the world emotionally and I was warped because of this. Although I appeared to be a nice person superficially, I was not deep down and I knew that. I was failing everyone, especially myself and God. I truly believe in the saying to "watch out for the quiet ones" because often, (not always), there is a cauldron of anger and hatred inside that eventually erupts terribly. I know I was about ready to.


This damage occurs because we were made to communicate. Babies do not thrive with out love and caring which is a form of communication. If no one ever cares to listen to the real you, what message does one take away from that? They take away the message - "I am not worth listening to. My opinions are not worthwhile. Therefore I am not worthwhile. I am not special to anyone." This creates a low grade anger because we all want to be special. God made us that way. This bottling everything up inside is not good. We all have valuable lessons and resources to share. We need others and others need us. We are interconnected, whether we want to be or not. Plus, we need to be channels for the Lord's power to flow. Finally, we need to prevent the "crazies" caused by isolation from setting into our souls.


So, whether what we have to say is good or bad, we need to start communicating. If we don't, our anguish will increases as the psalmist states. When I finally started opening up to others while studying the Bible at 17, I really started to change and experience the freedom that I could have in Christ. I was able to let go of so many evil things and be transformed. I was able to have God restore sanity and stability to me. I am so grateful for this and although communication is still not my strength, I continually work on the process because I know it is vital to my survival. I still have difficulties but I know it is crucial to be open and communicate because I know how crazy I can become with isolation.



"Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life."  (vs. 4)



Communicating also helps us to remember what life is really all about. It is about people, not money, or things. We must remember that life is short. It is flying by. We need to pray to have God help us to remember this so that we don't waste time. When I am under the pressure of a deadline, I work hard. Otherwise I am led to procrastinate. In life, I must remember that I am under a deadline that is very permanent. I need to let that motivate me to make the most of every opportunity. I need to love fully, and live fully. I need to be about God's purpose, not mine. I need to look at what I do every moment of every day in the light of eternity. If I do this, I will be able to look at the end of my life with joy and not fear. I will be able to say, I have finished the race. That is what I long to be able to do; to know that I did my best all along the way and that I made a difference for being here.


"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." (vs. 7)



My hope is in God for all of this. He will give me direction. He will help me to dig out the stones embedded in my life that are hindering me from communicating as I would like and experiencing the deep friendships I desire. He knows that I want to make a difference in the world and He wants that for me as well. The only way I can ever make a difference though is by communicating. It is too overwhelming for me but it is not for God. I need to just focus on Him. He has given me this format as a start. I am good at writing and sharing things I could never share if I were speaking. Someday perhaps I will be able to do that well also. It is up to God.


God gives and God takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.




Prayer for the Day


Dear Father,


Grant us the desire and the ability to speak freely what is on our hearts. You have made each one of us special to You and have placed thoughts and convictions on our hearts. We are made to love and be loved. Help us to give and receive this. Help us to clear out the obstacles that prevent us from glorifying You in this manner and help us to be able to forge deep relationships. We want to make a difference in the world and we want to please You. Help us to open our mouths in praise and in whatever else needs to come. We want to be channels for You to speak and love through us. We know You can do it.


In Jesus' Name,
Amen



QFT


1.  Do I believe it is important to communicate?  Why or why not?  Am I good at communicating? How do I know?

2. Do I share what is on my heart? Do I clear up issues with others? Am I speaking the truth in love to others?  Why or why not?  How can I change?

3. Are my relationships close and do we communicate about what is really important to us?  Why or why not?  How can I change?

4. Am I living my life like each day was my last? If today was my last day here, what would I do differently? How can I keep life in better perspective and spend more time on what is really important?
5.  Do I communicate well in a way other than speaking?  How can I use this as a means to begin improving my verbal communication? 

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?