Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 1
Pray for:
One person who was mean to you when you were a child
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Your ability to offer complete forgiveness from your heart
Your ability to let go of the hurts and move on whether they will ever apologize or not
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 52
"Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, ... Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit. You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth, You love every harmful word, O deceitful tongue!... Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent;...'Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!'
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. I will praise You forever for what You have done; in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good. I will praise You in the presence of Your saints." (vs. 1a, 2-4,5a, 7-9)
The world is full of good, and it is full of evil. There are good people and there are evil people. I can see that so clearly as I look at the news every day. It can be extremely depressing to see all the terrible things that are being done day in and day out. I am not sure if evil is increasing or if it is just more noticeable. Perhaps it is both. Whatever the case, it can make me despair. I don't know what will happen in the future and this uncertainty can be frightening. I want good things for my children but I do not know what they will find when they are my age. I want to protect them from evil, but I know I am so limited. Yet, God still calls us to hope. God still calls us to trust and praise Him. He promises we can flourish, not just survive. In spite of all the evil in the world and all the bad people who seem to be succeeding in their evil plans, we can still do well. But how?
One of my favorite scriptures holds some keys to help us. It is as follows:
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Phil 4: 4 -9)
So the first key is to "Rejoice" and to rejoice always! We can do this, "rejoice in the Lord" because the Lord never changes. He is good, always good. God does not ask us to rejoice in the bad, that would be contradictory. He calls us to rejoice in Him. Then we are to be gentle. How can we do these two things in the face of evil. We need to remember the Lord is near. This is what will enable us to rejoice and be gentle. We don't have to take things into our own hands. We don't have to yell or do mean things when we are upset. We just need to look for God because He is near. He can and will deal with the problem. Next, we are to pray. We are not to be anxious, but we are to pray and petition God. Finally, we are to focus on what is good. We are not to think about all the bad things and the bad people that are out there. I shouldn't be pouring over the news for hours looking at all the negative. That will not solve anything at all. I am to look for the positive, the noble, the pure. I am to look for God!
And if I look, I know that I will find Him. What an amazing idea. I do not have to succumb to evil. I do not have to become evil either. I am called to rejoice and be gentle. I am to not be anxious. I know I fall so short of this but I keep trying to get up everyday and live this out. I do not want to be anxious, and I want to praise, trust, and hope in God. I can do this if I keep looking up!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank you that You are here with us, that You are near. Help us to continually remember this as we go about our days. It is so easy to get overwhelmed with the evil we see and the evil people that we read about. Fear can grip us as well. Fear and anger can lead us to do evil also. Help us to look up to You instead and remember that You are still in control, no matter how out of control the world seems. Help us to be gentle and let You take care of what is bothering us. You can make us flourish. You can keep us secure. We praise You. We turn to You. Our hope is in You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I ever boast of evil? What type of conversations occupy my time? Is my speech pleasing to God? Am I honest?
2. Am I rejoicing always? What situations are a struggle for me to rejoice in? How can I keep my focus on God so I can rejoice?
3. Am I anxious or at peace most of the time? Why? How is my prayer life? How can I improve it?
4. What can I praise God for? Can I write a list of 25, 50, 75, or 100 things that I am grateful for right now?
5. Do I focus on good things or bad things? Use Philippians 4:8 and make a list of the things in your life that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Try to read this list over to yourself several times a day.
Showing posts with label trusting in ourselves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trusting in ourselves. Show all posts
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Daily Devotional - 9/14/10 (10/14/09)
Prayer Focus - Family
Day 7
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 to you
One family member that you are concerned about
One family member that is supportive of you
One family member that you have difficulties with
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 43
"It was not by their sword that they won the land nor did their arm bring them victory; it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You loved them." (vs. 3-4)
"You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. Through You we push back our enemies; through Your name we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but You give us victory over our enemies, You put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise Your name forever." (vs. 4-8)
If anything is to be accomplished in life, it will be through God. God sustains and grants the victories. I will not win the land, God will. I will not be successful with my life. It is too much for me. It really is, but God is here. He is pushing back my enemies. He is taking care of my children. He is getting me through my days. It is all too much for me and on some days I can not even think straight. I just keep going and somehow, everything keeps getting done. I will boast in God and I will go to sleep now because I am very, very tired.
Good night.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We grow weary sometimes and exhausted. Life can be so overwhelming and yet You are always there. You are waiting for us. Help us not to miss You in our frustration and sorrow. Help us not to miss You in our often frantic endeavours. Help us to slow down and recline at Your feet, to know that You are truly God and You are all we need. Remind us that the world will keep turning without us and that our jobs will go on. Help us to do our best, but help us to remember that there is more out there than what we see. We are so small and our worries so insignificant. You can solve them all. You are still in control, no matter how out of control we feel. The battle is Yours, let us give it to You. Grant us the rest we need tonight for we know that You grant sleep to those You love.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
QFT
1. What are the battles I am fighting right now? Am I winning or losing?
2. Am I fighting them by myself or am I giving them over to God? How do I know?
3. Am I keeping my perspective right? Am I focused on knowing God first and foremost?
4. Am I seeking first the Kingdom of God (church) and His righteousness (my relationship with Him) and letting God take care of the rest? How do I know? If not, what am I seeking first in my life?
5. How can I seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness? What does that mean to me, and what would this look like in my life?
Day 7
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 to you
One family member that you are concerned about
One family member that is supportive of you
One family member that you have difficulties with
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 43
"It was not by their sword that they won the land nor did their arm bring them victory; it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, for You loved them." (vs. 3-4)
"You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. Through You we push back our enemies; through Your name we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but You give us victory over our enemies, You put our adversaries to shame. In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise Your name forever." (vs. 4-8)
If anything is to be accomplished in life, it will be through God. God sustains and grants the victories. I will not win the land, God will. I will not be successful with my life. It is too much for me. It really is, but God is here. He is pushing back my enemies. He is taking care of my children. He is getting me through my days. It is all too much for me and on some days I can not even think straight. I just keep going and somehow, everything keeps getting done. I will boast in God and I will go to sleep now because I am very, very tired.
Good night.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We grow weary sometimes and exhausted. Life can be so overwhelming and yet You are always there. You are waiting for us. Help us not to miss You in our frustration and sorrow. Help us not to miss You in our often frantic endeavours. Help us to slow down and recline at Your feet, to know that You are truly God and You are all we need. Remind us that the world will keep turning without us and that our jobs will go on. Help us to do our best, but help us to remember that there is more out there than what we see. We are so small and our worries so insignificant. You can solve them all. You are still in control, no matter how out of control we feel. The battle is Yours, let us give it to You. Grant us the rest we need tonight for we know that You grant sleep to those You love.
In Jesus' name,
Amen
QFT
1. What are the battles I am fighting right now? Am I winning or losing?
2. Am I fighting them by myself or am I giving them over to God? How do I know?
3. Am I keeping my perspective right? Am I focused on knowing God first and foremost?
4. Am I seeking first the Kingdom of God (church) and His righteousness (my relationship with Him) and letting God take care of the rest? How do I know? If not, what am I seeking first in my life?
5. How can I seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness? What does that mean to me, and what would this look like in my life?
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Daily Devotional - 9/3/10 (10/3/09)
Prayer Focus - Leaders (any type - World, State, Local, Church, Business, Work)
Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
One leader from another country
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Help me to hear You and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 33
"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him." (vs. 1)
I was not very happy today. It was just one of those down days we have now and then and I struggled even to sit down and write. As I read the Psalm, I was reminded once again that I am to be joyful, I am to rejoice, not just when my emotions back me up on it, but always. I am reminded that it is fitting for me to praise God and rejoice in Him. I do not have to be happy about circumstances that are negative, but I am to be happy about a God who is consistent. It is fitting. If I have the being who created me at my side, if I have a book full of promises that He has plans for me, if I have the security of forgiveness and the cross before me, what is there that I cannot get through. I will sing joyfully to Him and I will praise Him. I will go beyond that also.
"Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." (vs. 3)
I will sing a new song to Him as well. I will not get stuck doing things the same way over and over again. In my blueness today, I thought of giving up writing this devotional. I thought it was too difficult and I was so busy. I thought I had no more ideas. Then I sat down and read the psalm again. I was reminded that this is my new song to God. This is something that I have wanted to do for years and have been afraid. This is my way of communicating all that is inside me and that will never get out otherwise. This is for God, not me. This is His blog and for Him, I will keep it going. It is my new song. We all need a new song; something that inspires us and challenges us. Something that we think is impossible. I love the quote by Saint Francis of Assisi, "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." We need to get a new song going today. What will my new song be today? What will your new song be today?
Once I have figured out what my new song is, I will play skillfully at it. I will play skillfully on this new song and my old songs as well for that matter. Often my goal is just to play with no regard to the way I do things. I think, "If I can just get by and get something done, I will be happy." I must broaden my sights. I need to embrace living skillfully. It is possible because all things are possible through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). I need to not live haphazardly any more. I need to remember, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Col 3:23-24).
Right now I am a teacher and so I am teaching for God. He wants me teaching, although it is not something I ever planned to do. I must embrace it and become excellent and skillful at it. It is my job and service to God. He has shut all the other doors at this time. I am also writing. I must write and become skillful at it as it is a talent that God has given me. It is my job of service as well. In everything I do, I want to be skillful. I want to remember that I am doing everything, even the mundane tasks, like cleaning my house and doing laundry for the Lord and not just for my family. It is my goal to do it all skillfully. And I will shout for joy that I have been given these tasks to accomplish; that I have been deemed worthy to carry it out. I want to be found faithful. I will shout for joy for this and other reasons such as the following.
"For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does." (vs. 4)
I will shout for joy because God's word is right and true. I am not doing this for naught. I am not obeying God for nothing. He will not forget all of my hard work (Gal 6:7-10)! He is faithful in all He does. This is not some farce I have been on. This is true and right. God is here and He is faithful. I can look to all of His promises and know that the more I obey His word, the more He will be able to bless me. I have seen His principles bring great rewards in my life, marriage, and parenting when I have been willing to step it up and follow more accurately His teachings. This includes the ones that I may not understand, or like, on first glance. It is crucial to turn away from doing our own thing and turn back to His will because that is what will win in the end anyway.
"The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance." (vs. 12)
God loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of His unfailing love. I need to fear and revere God because He is great. His plans will happen, not ours. I need to get on board the winning team. God foils and thwarts our plans and purposes. He foils and thwarts even the plans of nations. If we would turn back to God, we could be blessed. We aren't going to be blessed by politics or laws but by getting our heart and soul back to God. We need to go back to our foundation and principles; those that are based on Him and His principles. Blessed are the people He chose. He chose me. He really picked me. What an amazing thought. I need to get with His game plan because I was chosen. I am important in all of this! It is so amazing that God would use me; that God would use any of us since He is so big and grand.
"From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; From His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth - He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You." (vs. 13-22)
Finally, God is watching all of us. He sees everything. God formed my heart. He knows me and He is considering everything that I do. No one here can save themselves; not any king, not any strong warrior or horse. The strongest of men and created things are as nothing to God. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him; on those whose hope is in His unfailing love. His eyes are on those who trust in Him to deliver us from death and keep us alive. Only God can really do these things. We wait in hope for the Lord, not impatiently, - in hope. He is our help and our shield. In Him we can rejoice.
Be happy because of God. Trust in His name. It is who you know that gets you somewhere in life and we know that best.
May Your love be on us all as we trust in You, dear Lord.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that You are watching us. We are grateful that You save us. We know, when we are honest with ourselves, that we are powerless. Only You can control the universe both inside and outside of us. It is fitting that we praise You and we want to praise You more and more. We are putting our hope in You and we know that we will not be disappointed.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What will my new song be today? How can I get started with it?
2. In my life, what is the necessary? What is the possible? What is the impossible that I would like to see happen?
3. Am I joyful? Am I praising God, even when my emotions are not supporting me in it? How can I change this if I am not joyful and how can I incorporate more praise into my life?
4. Am I playing skillfully, or just playing? How can I start playing skillfully? What training or help do I need and in what areas?
5. What am I hoping in? What do I rely on to save me? Is it always God? If not, why? How can I put my trust completely in Him and stop relying on my own strength?
Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
One leader from another country
Pray about:
Their physical needs
Their mental needs
Their emotional needs
Their spiritual needs
Dear Lord - Help me to hear You and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 33
"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him." (vs. 1)
I was not very happy today. It was just one of those down days we have now and then and I struggled even to sit down and write. As I read the Psalm, I was reminded once again that I am to be joyful, I am to rejoice, not just when my emotions back me up on it, but always. I am reminded that it is fitting for me to praise God and rejoice in Him. I do not have to be happy about circumstances that are negative, but I am to be happy about a God who is consistent. It is fitting. If I have the being who created me at my side, if I have a book full of promises that He has plans for me, if I have the security of forgiveness and the cross before me, what is there that I cannot get through. I will sing joyfully to Him and I will praise Him. I will go beyond that also.
"Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." (vs. 3)
I will sing a new song to Him as well. I will not get stuck doing things the same way over and over again. In my blueness today, I thought of giving up writing this devotional. I thought it was too difficult and I was so busy. I thought I had no more ideas. Then I sat down and read the psalm again. I was reminded that this is my new song to God. This is something that I have wanted to do for years and have been afraid. This is my way of communicating all that is inside me and that will never get out otherwise. This is for God, not me. This is His blog and for Him, I will keep it going. It is my new song. We all need a new song; something that inspires us and challenges us. Something that we think is impossible. I love the quote by Saint Francis of Assisi, "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." We need to get a new song going today. What will my new song be today? What will your new song be today?
Once I have figured out what my new song is, I will play skillfully at it. I will play skillfully on this new song and my old songs as well for that matter. Often my goal is just to play with no regard to the way I do things. I think, "If I can just get by and get something done, I will be happy." I must broaden my sights. I need to embrace living skillfully. It is possible because all things are possible through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). I need to not live haphazardly any more. I need to remember, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Col 3:23-24).
Right now I am a teacher and so I am teaching for God. He wants me teaching, although it is not something I ever planned to do. I must embrace it and become excellent and skillful at it. It is my job and service to God. He has shut all the other doors at this time. I am also writing. I must write and become skillful at it as it is a talent that God has given me. It is my job of service as well. In everything I do, I want to be skillful. I want to remember that I am doing everything, even the mundane tasks, like cleaning my house and doing laundry for the Lord and not just for my family. It is my goal to do it all skillfully. And I will shout for joy that I have been given these tasks to accomplish; that I have been deemed worthy to carry it out. I want to be found faithful. I will shout for joy for this and other reasons such as the following.
"For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does." (vs. 4)
I will shout for joy because God's word is right and true. I am not doing this for naught. I am not obeying God for nothing. He will not forget all of my hard work (Gal 6:7-10)! He is faithful in all He does. This is not some farce I have been on. This is true and right. God is here and He is faithful. I can look to all of His promises and know that the more I obey His word, the more He will be able to bless me. I have seen His principles bring great rewards in my life, marriage, and parenting when I have been willing to step it up and follow more accurately His teachings. This includes the ones that I may not understand, or like, on first glance. It is crucial to turn away from doing our own thing and turn back to His will because that is what will win in the end anyway.
"The Lord foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance." (vs. 12)
God loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of His unfailing love. I need to fear and revere God because He is great. His plans will happen, not ours. I need to get on board the winning team. God foils and thwarts our plans and purposes. He foils and thwarts even the plans of nations. If we would turn back to God, we could be blessed. We aren't going to be blessed by politics or laws but by getting our heart and soul back to God. We need to go back to our foundation and principles; those that are based on Him and His principles. Blessed are the people He chose. He chose me. He really picked me. What an amazing thought. I need to get with His game plan because I was chosen. I am important in all of this! It is so amazing that God would use me; that God would use any of us since He is so big and grand.
"From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; From His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth - He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You." (vs. 13-22)
Finally, God is watching all of us. He sees everything. God formed my heart. He knows me and He is considering everything that I do. No one here can save themselves; not any king, not any strong warrior or horse. The strongest of men and created things are as nothing to God. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him; on those whose hope is in His unfailing love. His eyes are on those who trust in Him to deliver us from death and keep us alive. Only God can really do these things. We wait in hope for the Lord, not impatiently, - in hope. He is our help and our shield. In Him we can rejoice.
Be happy because of God. Trust in His name. It is who you know that gets you somewhere in life and we know that best.
May Your love be on us all as we trust in You, dear Lord.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that You are watching us. We are grateful that You save us. We know, when we are honest with ourselves, that we are powerless. Only You can control the universe both inside and outside of us. It is fitting that we praise You and we want to praise You more and more. We are putting our hope in You and we know that we will not be disappointed.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What will my new song be today? How can I get started with it?
2. In my life, what is the necessary? What is the possible? What is the impossible that I would like to see happen?
3. Am I joyful? Am I praising God, even when my emotions are not supporting me in it? How can I change this if I am not joyful and how can I incorporate more praise into my life?
4. Am I playing skillfully, or just playing? How can I start playing skillfully? What training or help do I need and in what areas?
5. What am I hoping in? What do I rely on to save me? Is it always God? If not, why? How can I put my trust completely in Him and stop relying on my own strength?
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/20/10 (9/20/09)
Focus Letter - T
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 20
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm." (vs. 7)
Even the most distrusting of us trust in something. It is really the defining element of our lives - what we trust in. For some it is career. We sink our souls and hopes in a job. It is who we are. It gives us authority. For some it is a spouse. We pour all of our love and devotion into that other person and expect them to bring us happiness and security. For some it is money. They rely on their cash to buy them happiness and friends. For some it is their physical health and strength. They work out, eat right, and focus on their appearance in the search for eternal youth. For others it is pleasure. That continual high of excitement and fun. They search for the next good time to keep them going. There is something for everyone whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Unfortunately all of these things will fail us at some time or another. They may succeed in bringing us what we seek for awhile but in the end they all fail.
There is only one who never fails and that is God. If we trust in the Lord our God we will rise up and stand firm. God will save us in the end.
And why do we trust? We were created to trust. We need to trust because if we are honest with ourselves, there are holes within us; gaps and spaces that need filling. Emptiness exists and the desire for security that resides in our souls eludes us. We know that we can do nothing to ensure we wake up tomorrow (Luke 12: 13-21). We know that time and chance happen to all of us (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12). We know that whether rich or poor, wise or foolish, all alike die (Psalms 49). We know about uncertainty but we do not like to dwell on it. We find what works for us or at least what we think works and we cling onto it. We create our version of the world and how it works. We find our truth. The problem with that is, however, truth is not relative. There is absolute truth. As surely as the sun is still shining on a cloudy day, truth is still shining whether we believe it or not.
And so we trust in something because we need to. That is why there has always been false gods throughout the ages and though we do not have images we bow down to today, we bow down regardless. We need a God, a Lord, and a Saviour. Psalms 20 states why. We need answers and protection (vs. 1). We need help and support (vs. 2). We need to be remembered and accepted (vs. 3). We need to have our desires filled and our plans validated (vs. 4). We need to celebrate victory and have a cause to live for (vs. 5). Finally, we need to have our prayers and requests heard (vs. 5). These are inborn desires and needs that we search to have filled. God put those desires there and He knows best how to fulfill them.
If we trust in Him, we will see them fulfilled and then we can know as the psalmist knew that the Lord does save His people and He does answer from Heaven. He will answer when we call.
Verses for reference:
"May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect You. May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests." (vs. 1-5)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that we can trust in You. We have trusted in so many things over the course of our life and they have not fulfilled us completely. Only You can do that. We are grateful for all the blessings that come with a relationship with You. You will answer us when we call.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What am I trusting in? How do I know? Is it fulfilling me?
2. Of all the needs mentioned in Psalms 20, which is my greatest right now? How can I turn to God to fulfill this need?
3. What concrete steps can I take to trust God more? Who can I ask help or advice from about this?
4. How can I celebrate the victories God has brought into my life? Why is this important?
5. Do I believe in absolute truth? Why or why not? Where do I find my truth? Do I believe the Bible is truth? Why or why not?
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 20
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm." (vs. 7)
Even the most distrusting of us trust in something. It is really the defining element of our lives - what we trust in. For some it is career. We sink our souls and hopes in a job. It is who we are. It gives us authority. For some it is a spouse. We pour all of our love and devotion into that other person and expect them to bring us happiness and security. For some it is money. They rely on their cash to buy them happiness and friends. For some it is their physical health and strength. They work out, eat right, and focus on their appearance in the search for eternal youth. For others it is pleasure. That continual high of excitement and fun. They search for the next good time to keep them going. There is something for everyone whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Unfortunately all of these things will fail us at some time or another. They may succeed in bringing us what we seek for awhile but in the end they all fail.
There is only one who never fails and that is God. If we trust in the Lord our God we will rise up and stand firm. God will save us in the end.
And why do we trust? We were created to trust. We need to trust because if we are honest with ourselves, there are holes within us; gaps and spaces that need filling. Emptiness exists and the desire for security that resides in our souls eludes us. We know that we can do nothing to ensure we wake up tomorrow (Luke 12: 13-21). We know that time and chance happen to all of us (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12). We know that whether rich or poor, wise or foolish, all alike die (Psalms 49). We know about uncertainty but we do not like to dwell on it. We find what works for us or at least what we think works and we cling onto it. We create our version of the world and how it works. We find our truth. The problem with that is, however, truth is not relative. There is absolute truth. As surely as the sun is still shining on a cloudy day, truth is still shining whether we believe it or not.
And so we trust in something because we need to. That is why there has always been false gods throughout the ages and though we do not have images we bow down to today, we bow down regardless. We need a God, a Lord, and a Saviour. Psalms 20 states why. We need answers and protection (vs. 1). We need help and support (vs. 2). We need to be remembered and accepted (vs. 3). We need to have our desires filled and our plans validated (vs. 4). We need to celebrate victory and have a cause to live for (vs. 5). Finally, we need to have our prayers and requests heard (vs. 5). These are inborn desires and needs that we search to have filled. God put those desires there and He knows best how to fulfill them.
If we trust in Him, we will see them fulfilled and then we can know as the psalmist knew that the Lord does save His people and He does answer from Heaven. He will answer when we call.
Verses for reference:
"May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect You. May He send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May He remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests." (vs. 1-5)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that we can trust in You. We have trusted in so many things over the course of our life and they have not fulfilled us completely. Only You can do that. We are grateful for all the blessings that come with a relationship with You. You will answer us when we call.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What am I trusting in? How do I know? Is it fulfilling me?
2. Of all the needs mentioned in Psalms 20, which is my greatest right now? How can I turn to God to fulfill this need?
3. What concrete steps can I take to trust God more? Who can I ask help or advice from about this?
4. How can I celebrate the victories God has brought into my life? Why is this important?
5. Do I believe in absolute truth? Why or why not? Where do I find my truth? Do I believe the Bible is truth? Why or why not?
Friday, April 16, 2010
Ponderings - 4/16
I hope to be back to my daily devotionals on the 28th but until then, I wanted to get back to posting something.
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)
There is joy and peace in believing. Oftentimes we look for these qualities in everything that surrounds us - our job, our relationships, our hobbies, our children - but they cannot provide what we are looking for completely. When we believe, then we experience joy and peace.
But what is it that we are believing in? We all believe in something whether we admit it or not, but not everyone has joy and peace. We need to evaluate exactly what we are believing in. Are we believing in a loving, almighty God or are we believing in ourselves. We have no control over anything that is really important, such as whether we live or die, or what the weather will be, or if a natural disaster will strike. So when we are trusting in ourselves, it is a very anxious place to be in. There is no peace and joy there.
Only in believing in God can we experience true joy and peace. Look around you. Look at the faces you see. There is little joy and peace right now. I think that speaks a lot to where we are at as a society and as individuals, even those of us who say we believe in God. Do our actions, our words, and the expressions on our faces show we believe in a God who cares? I want all joy and peace. I want to start truly believing. Today I will choose to believe.
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)
There is joy and peace in believing. Oftentimes we look for these qualities in everything that surrounds us - our job, our relationships, our hobbies, our children - but they cannot provide what we are looking for completely. When we believe, then we experience joy and peace.
But what is it that we are believing in? We all believe in something whether we admit it or not, but not everyone has joy and peace. We need to evaluate exactly what we are believing in. Are we believing in a loving, almighty God or are we believing in ourselves. We have no control over anything that is really important, such as whether we live or die, or what the weather will be, or if a natural disaster will strike. So when we are trusting in ourselves, it is a very anxious place to be in. There is no peace and joy there.
Only in believing in God can we experience true joy and peace. Look around you. Look at the faces you see. There is little joy and peace right now. I think that speaks a lot to where we are at as a society and as individuals, even those of us who say we believe in God. Do our actions, our words, and the expressions on our faces show we believe in a God who cares? I want all joy and peace. I want to start truly believing. Today I will choose to believe.
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