Prayer Focus - Personal Transformation
Day 5
Pray for:
One thing that you want to see improved in your relationship with God - (Love God)
One thing that you want to see improved in the way you relate to others - (with all your heart)
One past hurt that you want to see healed and overcome - (with all your soul)
One skill or topic you want to learn - (with all your mind)
One thing that you want to see improved about your health - (with all your strength)
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to Your ever present voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 83
"See how Your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against Your people; they plot against those You cherish. ...With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against You -" ( vs. 2-3, 5)
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:10 - 18)
Life is a spiritual battle. We are in a spiritual battle each and every day and our enemy is strong and pervasive. He can pretend to be good, even an angel of light (II Corinthians 11:14). He is always out prowling around, looking to get us when we are weak, (I Peter 5:8-9), and he can use even our closest loved ones to get at us and make us fall (Matt 16:23). We forget this and think that we are fighting each other. We get so angry at circumstances and people but forget who really deserves our indignation. The real enemy is so much more dangerous. The enemy is a spiritual force. The scriptures seem to make it clear that there are good and evil forces. There is a whole unseen universe out there. In order to survive, we must remember this, and keep a correct spiritual perspective on Satan and his demons. We also must start fighting spiritually instead of like mere mortals. We must put on the spiritual armor of God in order to fight these battles. (Ephesians 6:10-18).
First of all, we must be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. We can't fight any battles on our own really. We can't even guarantee that we will get up tomorrow. Plus, our weapons are not very effective. When we fight as men, we yell and scream. We hit and throw things. We say mean words. What will any of this do in the spiritual realm. Satan must laugh when we try to fight him this way. This is exactly what He wants. He wants us to turn on ourselves and devour each other. It saves him the work. Now if we fight God's way and are strong in Him, then we are truly strong indeed. God has the power to raise the dead, so why are we worried. We must also remember that we are strong in Christ. He has already won the victory. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13).
We need to change our perspective and turn to God. We need to put on the full armor of God so that we can take a stand against the Devil's schemes. Our struggle truly is not against flesh and blood. It is a spiritual battle. What is going on at our jobs is a spiritual battle. Our problems with our children are spiritual battles. Our marriage conflicts are spiritual battles. Our emotional lives, our ups and downs, all the things that throw us for a loop. It is all spiritual. There is an enemy amassed against us, especially if we are trying to follow God. We have an enemy. Our enemy is not one another or circumstances. It is much more sinister.
If we can remember this perspective, we will do better. We will not take things so personally. Also, it may be easier to remember to use the tools that God has given us to protect ourselves and fight back. God wants us to stand. When all the dust settles, He wants to find us still there, sword drawn. If we don't prepare, we will get knocked down and perhaps out.
Put on the full armor and get ready to fight. Then pray and get out there.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We forget so easily that Satan is out there on the prowl. He longs to have us but You have the strength to overcome him. Help us to turn to You and resist him. He will flee. You are stronger than him and You have already won the ultimate victory. Help us to stop fighting one another and start fighting him. Help us to remember to put on the full armor You have provided for us and help us to remember to pray. Keep our perspective on the spiritual battle and let us look beyond the people and circumstances that Satan is trying to use to get us down. We know You are able.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I realize that I have an enemy that is out to get me? Why or why not? How do I see the enemy attacking me?
2.Do I see life as a spiritual battle? How can I develop the right perspective and keep it in the forefront of my mind?
3. What people and circumstances do I see Satan using to get to me? How can I fight the correct battle and stop letting him use these avenues to get to me?
4. Am I putting on the armor of God? What pieces of armor do I forget most often? Which ones am I good at putting on? How can I strengthen my battle?
5. Am I praying in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests? What do I pray about the most? What am I forgetting to bring before God? How will I remember to pray more about the spiritual battle?
Showing posts with label victories in God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label victories in God. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Monday, September 14, 2015
Daily Devotional - 9/14/15 (11/14/15)
Prayer Focus - Needs
Day 3
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
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 74
"We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be." ( vs. 9)
"But You, O God, are my king from of old; You bring salvation upon the earth." (vs. 12)
How do we respond when everything seems to be going wrong and there is no end in sight? This is the true test of our spirituality. It is easy to praise God when things are going well or when we are at the end of some long ordeal, but what about in the middle of it? How many of us have quit something because it seemed too difficult? We will never know how close we were to victory. God was not allowed the chance to finish His work in this area because we gave up. Quitting is a dangerous matter because once we quit one thing, the next time it is so much easier to quit again. Soon we are experts at quitting and we have lost the self-discipline to complete anything. It takes effort to become skilled at something or to endure a difficult time but in the end we always look back with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Our character has grown. We must stop quitting and start finishing!
In our spiritual life, it is just as important to stop being a quitter. We must begin finishing what we start. We need to set goals for ourselves and then see them through. This will develop our maturity and our ability to see a very difficult time through. Someday we may really need the ability to keep going when everything in our being says, "Stop, I can't handle it!" We can handle it - with God. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). We can with God, if He remains the Lord of our lives. Let us make and keep Him as King, no matter what comes and goes in our life. Then we will see the salvation of God now and in the life to come.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
You are our King from of old. You bring us salvation. We know that hard times may come for us and we pray to be strong during them. Help us not to become quitters. Help us to finish what we start and see things through to the end. We know that in this way, we will become stronger and ready for whatever may come in the future. Help us to always cling to You and Your promises no matter how dark the road may seem. We know and believe that it is worth it and in the end we will be the victors if we remain with You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I going through a difficult time right now? If so, how am I dealing with it? If not, the last time I went through a difficult time how did I deal with it?
2. Would I classify myself as more of a quitter or a finisher? What have I quit on lately? Why? What am I doing now that I am tempted to quit? When can I go back and finish some of the things that I have quit on?
3. What can I do to start working on to become more of a finisher? How can I learn to have more perseverance? Can I set some goals and finish them? Should I learn a new skill or pick up an old one that I have put aside?
4. Am I making God the King and Lord of my life daily? How am I doing this? How can I improve?
5. How do I see God's salvation at work in my life? How have I seen it in the past? How do I hope to see it in the future?
Day 3
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
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 74
"We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be." ( vs. 9)
"But You, O God, are my king from of old; You bring salvation upon the earth." (vs. 12)
How do we respond when everything seems to be going wrong and there is no end in sight? This is the true test of our spirituality. It is easy to praise God when things are going well or when we are at the end of some long ordeal, but what about in the middle of it? How many of us have quit something because it seemed too difficult? We will never know how close we were to victory. God was not allowed the chance to finish His work in this area because we gave up. Quitting is a dangerous matter because once we quit one thing, the next time it is so much easier to quit again. Soon we are experts at quitting and we have lost the self-discipline to complete anything. It takes effort to become skilled at something or to endure a difficult time but in the end we always look back with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Our character has grown. We must stop quitting and start finishing!
In our spiritual life, it is just as important to stop being a quitter. We must begin finishing what we start. We need to set goals for ourselves and then see them through. This will develop our maturity and our ability to see a very difficult time through. Someday we may really need the ability to keep going when everything in our being says, "Stop, I can't handle it!" We can handle it - with God. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). We can with God, if He remains the Lord of our lives. Let us make and keep Him as King, no matter what comes and goes in our life. Then we will see the salvation of God now and in the life to come.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
You are our King from of old. You bring us salvation. We know that hard times may come for us and we pray to be strong during them. Help us not to become quitters. Help us to finish what we start and see things through to the end. We know that in this way, we will become stronger and ready for whatever may come in the future. Help us to always cling to You and Your promises no matter how dark the road may seem. We know and believe that it is worth it and in the end we will be the victors if we remain with You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I going through a difficult time right now? If so, how am I dealing with it? If not, the last time I went through a difficult time how did I deal with it?
2. Would I classify myself as more of a quitter or a finisher? What have I quit on lately? Why? What am I doing now that I am tempted to quit? When can I go back and finish some of the things that I have quit on?
3. What can I do to start working on to become more of a finisher? How can I learn to have more perseverance? Can I set some goals and finish them? Should I learn a new skill or pick up an old one that I have put aside?
4. Am I making God the King and Lord of my life daily? How am I doing this? How can I improve?
5. How do I see God's salvation at work in my life? How have I seen it in the past? How do I hope to see it in the future?
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Daily Devotional - 9/8/15 (11/8/09)
Prayer Focus - Gratitude
Day 4
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the state/region that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the city that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the home that you live in
Thank God for the effect that what you are grateful for has on:
your spiritual life
your physical life
your emotional life
your mental life
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 68
"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful." ( vs. 3)
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land." ( vs. 5-6)
"You gave abundant showers, O God; You refreshed Your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from Your bounty, O God, You provided for the poor." (vs. 9-10)
"The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into His sanctuary" (vs. 7)
"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." (vs. 19-20)
"You are awesome, O God, in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God!" (vs. 35)
God is awesome. We can be glad and rejoice because God has thousands upon thousands of chariots and warriors and God is looking out for us in all of our situations. He wants us to be happy and joyful. He wants us to have families and feel belonging. This is for all of us. If we are lonely, He brings us into a family. If we are fatherless, He becomes our father. If we are widows, He fills the role of husband. If we are imprisoned by something, some sin or habit, He can break the bars and bring us out singing. God knows our needs and is more than able to meet them. We do not need to worry. That will only bring sin into our lives. God will refresh and provide for us. He will even daily bear our burdens for us. We only need to be obedient.
If we are rebellious, however, we will reap the consequences. We will live in a scorched land in the midst of what could be plenty. I have known people who have everything and yet are miserable. I have been that way. I know I was like that because of rebellion in my heart, and I am led to believe that if we are rebellious in any way, we will miss out on what could be ours. Rebellion doesn't have to be obvious to others either. We do not have to be carrying picket signs or yelling and screaming. Rebellion can be silent and internal. It is simply saying we have a better way and we will not follow what God has set out.
Even if rebellion is in the heart and is only visible to God, it still matters. It will still cost us. God has asked us to live in submission to Him. It is like us as parents with our children. We have set up rules so that our family will function and we desire the best for our children, but we will not just reward them if they will not listen to us or follow our direction. We expect them to do their part in order for us to bless them. God is like this with us. In order to receive His blessings, we need to be obedient and cooperative children. This is what He expects and this is what we need to do. God will save us, and God will bless us. God will give us strength. But we must accept this from Him. We must come to Him and ask on His terms for the help we need, and then we must be willing to accept His direction. This is not too hard when we look at all that we have to gain. Let us surrender any rebellion in our hearts and truly live. Praise be to God that we can!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We praise You for setting us in families and for caring for us in every stage of our lives. You will not abandon us when we are old and grey. O Lord help us not to abandon You. Keep us as enamoured with You as we were when we first began to follow. You have not changed. We are the ones who change so often. Keep us in the shelter of Your circle for there is danger outside the circle. Please bear our burdens for they are too much for us. Help us to not be rebellious in any way. We do not want to live in the sun scorched land but rather in the beautiful pastures of the Lord. Bring Your chariots to surround and protect us. Grant us strength to continue. We are weary and weak but You are strong.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Which of the four categories mentioned best fits me - the fatherless, the widow, the lonely, or the prisoner? How can or has God helped me in these situations?
2. Am I a rebellious person? How do I feel about authority in general? How do I feel about authority in my life? Are my views in line with God's?
3. How can I become more submissive to God? Why do I struggle with letting God take charge in my life?
4. Am I living a refreshed life or am I wandering in a sun-scorched desert? Am I weary? How can I change so that God can take care of me?
5. Am I letting God carry my daily burdens? What are these daily burdens? How can I let go of them?
Day 4
Pray for:
One thing you are grateful for about the country that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the state/region that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the city that you live in
One thing you are grateful for about the home that you live in
Thank God for the effect that what you are grateful for has on:
your spiritual life
your physical life
your emotional life
your mental life
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 68
"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful." ( vs. 3)
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, He leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land." ( vs. 5-6)
"You gave abundant showers, O God; You refreshed Your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from Your bounty, O God, You provided for the poor." (vs. 9-10)
"The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into His sanctuary" (vs. 7)
"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." (vs. 19-20)
"You are awesome, O God, in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God!" (vs. 35)
God is awesome. We can be glad and rejoice because God has thousands upon thousands of chariots and warriors and God is looking out for us in all of our situations. He wants us to be happy and joyful. He wants us to have families and feel belonging. This is for all of us. If we are lonely, He brings us into a family. If we are fatherless, He becomes our father. If we are widows, He fills the role of husband. If we are imprisoned by something, some sin or habit, He can break the bars and bring us out singing. God knows our needs and is more than able to meet them. We do not need to worry. That will only bring sin into our lives. God will refresh and provide for us. He will even daily bear our burdens for us. We only need to be obedient.
If we are rebellious, however, we will reap the consequences. We will live in a scorched land in the midst of what could be plenty. I have known people who have everything and yet are miserable. I have been that way. I know I was like that because of rebellion in my heart, and I am led to believe that if we are rebellious in any way, we will miss out on what could be ours. Rebellion doesn't have to be obvious to others either. We do not have to be carrying picket signs or yelling and screaming. Rebellion can be silent and internal. It is simply saying we have a better way and we will not follow what God has set out.
Even if rebellion is in the heart and is only visible to God, it still matters. It will still cost us. God has asked us to live in submission to Him. It is like us as parents with our children. We have set up rules so that our family will function and we desire the best for our children, but we will not just reward them if they will not listen to us or follow our direction. We expect them to do their part in order for us to bless them. God is like this with us. In order to receive His blessings, we need to be obedient and cooperative children. This is what He expects and this is what we need to do. God will save us, and God will bless us. God will give us strength. But we must accept this from Him. We must come to Him and ask on His terms for the help we need, and then we must be willing to accept His direction. This is not too hard when we look at all that we have to gain. Let us surrender any rebellion in our hearts and truly live. Praise be to God that we can!
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We praise You for setting us in families and for caring for us in every stage of our lives. You will not abandon us when we are old and grey. O Lord help us not to abandon You. Keep us as enamoured with You as we were when we first began to follow. You have not changed. We are the ones who change so often. Keep us in the shelter of Your circle for there is danger outside the circle. Please bear our burdens for they are too much for us. Help us to not be rebellious in any way. We do not want to live in the sun scorched land but rather in the beautiful pastures of the Lord. Bring Your chariots to surround and protect us. Grant us strength to continue. We are weary and weak but You are strong.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Which of the four categories mentioned best fits me - the fatherless, the widow, the lonely, or the prisoner? How can or has God helped me in these situations?
2. Am I a rebellious person? How do I feel about authority in general? How do I feel about authority in my life? Are my views in line with God's?
3. How can I become more submissive to God? Why do I struggle with letting God take charge in my life?
4. Am I living a refreshed life or am I wandering in a sun-scorched desert? Am I weary? How can I change so that God can take care of me?
5. Am I letting God carry my daily burdens? What are these daily burdens? How can I let go of them?
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Daily Devotional - 9/5/15 (11/5/09)
Prayer Focus - Gratitude
Day 1
Pray for:
One thing I am grateful for about the country that I live in
Thank God for the effect that what I am grateful for has on:
my spiritual life
my physical life
my emotional life
my mental life
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 65
"O You who hear prayer, to You all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, You forgave our transgressions, Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple. You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas," ( vs. 2-5)
"You care for the land and water it; You enrich it abundantly. ..You crown the year with Your bounty and Your carts overflow with abundance." (vs. 9a ; 11)
We worship "O You who hear prayer." What a good way to describe God. He hears our prayers. He is waiting to hear from us. It is hard sometimes to find a person who can listen to us. Everyone is so busy these days and most people have so many things to deal with already. Yet, God always has time. Even silly little things are not unimportant to Him. I am grateful I can turn to Him and pour out my heart at anytime. I am never alone.
I am grateful that there is more to life than just the physical aspects; the seen. I know there is more, but many people can not get beyond the seen. This does not negate what is true, however. There is a greater truth that does exist and some day we will all know it. Some day, all men will come to God and bow down before Him, acknowledging that He is who the Bible says He is. We are blessed if we have been given the opportunity to know and follow God. He chose us, not the other way around. That should make us eternally grateful; that we were chosen and that we will be filled with all the good things that God has in His house. How grateful I am that He has chosen me now. I am grateful that He picked me. Why? I do not know but I thank Him daily. I truly am blessed.
I am also thankful that God forgives our sins. That is what makes Christianity so different. Many religions teach us how to live and have noble aspects to them but there is always the problem of sin. We have all sinned. We are all separated at some point because of this. We can never work our way to forgiveness or become good enough to pay for what we have done in the past and what we continue to do because of our human frailty. But in Christ, there is forgiveness of sin. This forgiveness comes through the death of Jesus on the cross.
God is the hope of all the earth. He is my hope. He can do anything and everything, even care for the land. I do not need to worry. God is the one who keeps this whole planet functioning and He cares for all that is alive on earth. He knows every single bird. He knows the number of hears on our heads. He knows everything about us and loves us just the same. Is there anyone else like our God? No, not one.
God's ways are right. God's ways are loving. Crown us with Your bounty, Lord. Yes, crown us as we strive to follow You. Surely Your cart does overflow.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful to have been chosen by You and brought close to You. We are so grateful that even though You are caring for everything n the world, You still have time for us. You have so much abundance and blessings. You are able to provide richly for us. Help us to remember that Your idea of riches and abundance are often different than ours. You are our hope.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I believe that God hears prayer? How is my prayer life? How can I improve it?
2. Am I asking God for forgiveness for my sins on a daily basis? Am I feeling overwhelmed or relieved? Can I make a daily list of what I need forgiving from for a week and then commit to praying about these needs?
3. Do I realize that I have been chosen by God? Am I living like a chosen one? How can my life reflect this in a greater way?
4. Do I realize that God is managing and running the whole world? List twenty of the things that God does on a day to day basis in keeping the earth functioning?
5. Do I think about the power of God that is available in my life if He is able to do all the things previously written down? What should I be bringing to Him in prayer if I believe He is truly in charge of everything?
Day 1
Pray for:
One thing I am grateful for about the country that I live in
Thank God for the effect that what I am grateful for has on:
my spiritual life
my physical life
my emotional life
my mental life
Dear Lord - Please open my ears to hear and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 65
"O You who hear prayer, to You all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, You forgave our transgressions, Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple. You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas," ( vs. 2-5)
"You care for the land and water it; You enrich it abundantly. ..You crown the year with Your bounty and Your carts overflow with abundance." (vs. 9a ; 11)
We worship "O You who hear prayer." What a good way to describe God. He hears our prayers. He is waiting to hear from us. It is hard sometimes to find a person who can listen to us. Everyone is so busy these days and most people have so many things to deal with already. Yet, God always has time. Even silly little things are not unimportant to Him. I am grateful I can turn to Him and pour out my heart at anytime. I am never alone.
I am grateful that there is more to life than just the physical aspects; the seen. I know there is more, but many people can not get beyond the seen. This does not negate what is true, however. There is a greater truth that does exist and some day we will all know it. Some day, all men will come to God and bow down before Him, acknowledging that He is who the Bible says He is. We are blessed if we have been given the opportunity to know and follow God. He chose us, not the other way around. That should make us eternally grateful; that we were chosen and that we will be filled with all the good things that God has in His house. How grateful I am that He has chosen me now. I am grateful that He picked me. Why? I do not know but I thank Him daily. I truly am blessed.
I am also thankful that God forgives our sins. That is what makes Christianity so different. Many religions teach us how to live and have noble aspects to them but there is always the problem of sin. We have all sinned. We are all separated at some point because of this. We can never work our way to forgiveness or become good enough to pay for what we have done in the past and what we continue to do because of our human frailty. But in Christ, there is forgiveness of sin. This forgiveness comes through the death of Jesus on the cross.
God is the hope of all the earth. He is my hope. He can do anything and everything, even care for the land. I do not need to worry. God is the one who keeps this whole planet functioning and He cares for all that is alive on earth. He knows every single bird. He knows the number of hears on our heads. He knows everything about us and loves us just the same. Is there anyone else like our God? No, not one.
God's ways are right. God's ways are loving. Crown us with Your bounty, Lord. Yes, crown us as we strive to follow You. Surely Your cart does overflow.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful to have been chosen by You and brought close to You. We are so grateful that even though You are caring for everything n the world, You still have time for us. You have so much abundance and blessings. You are able to provide richly for us. Help us to remember that Your idea of riches and abundance are often different than ours. You are our hope.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Do I believe that God hears prayer? How is my prayer life? How can I improve it?
2. Am I asking God for forgiveness for my sins on a daily basis? Am I feeling overwhelmed or relieved? Can I make a daily list of what I need forgiving from for a week and then commit to praying about these needs?
3. Do I realize that I have been chosen by God? Am I living like a chosen one? How can my life reflect this in a greater way?
4. Do I realize that God is managing and running the whole world? List twenty of the things that God does on a day to day basis in keeping the earth functioning?
5. Do I think about the power of God that is available in my life if He is able to do all the things previously written down? What should I be bringing to Him in prayer if I believe He is truly in charge of everything?
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Daily Devotional - 9/1/15 (11/1/09)
Prayer Focus - Strangers
Day 4
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
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 61
This devotional was originally written in November of 2009. I have left it as I wrote it then. The whole year of 2009 was extremely difficult for my family and I. In January of 2009, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer which we eventually learned, had spread to his liver. I struggled to hold our family together through the two surgeries and two rounds of chemotherapy that would consume the entire year. Writing these devotionals became a therapeutic outlet for me as I re-evaluated my relationship with God and clung to Him moment by moment. We made it through that year and many more after it. We have dealt with a reoccurrence of cancer last year and keep struggling on. God has always come through. Sometimes I do not see how the victory will come but it does come anyway. God has always been faithful and no matter what happens, I believe that He has used everything I have gone through to strengthen my faith, my family, and myself. He truly is the rock that is higher than I.
"Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations. May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint Your love and faithfulness to protect him. Then will I ever sing praise to Your name and fulfill my vows day after day." ( Psalms 61)
"Listen to my prayer Lord, because I am growing weaker." Haven't we all been there? We fight and fight and keep going and keep going and then it just feels like there is nothing left. There is a limit to us and what we can do. Praise God, however, there is no limit to Him. When life is overwhelming, we need to let Him lead us to that rock that we can climb up on and be safe from the waves that are battering us. He is our refuge.
I have to confess, I have been battered lately. I have been struggling with life. My Joelle has been sick since off and on since October 2 with her asthma and a cold/flu. Just when I think she is getting better, she gets worse again. I have been sick as well for about two weeks and then last night, my middle daughter develops a 102 fever. This would usually be not that big of a deal, but since she was exposed to H1N1 by at least two classmates, I was a bit stressed. I took both girls to the urgent care today and was told not to worry too much about Lorelei, and Joelle got a breathing treatment and some stronger medicine to try and get her asthma under control. Now tomorrow, my husband is supposed to start his second round of chemo and I am trying desperately to get my grades done in the midst of all this. I have missed so much work already and am debating if taking tomorrow off would be a good thing or not. My house is an utter disaster area and I am so tired. So these are my waves. This is what is battering me. Now I need to face them and then I need to get up and climb up on the rock that is higher than I.
I do long to dwell in God's tent. I want some shelter. I am tired of doing it all and being responsible for everything. God knows my vows. He has given me the heritage of those who fear His name. I am in good company. This is all just temporary and God has it all under control. I just need to climb out of the water I am sinking in and rest in Christ. Our health will get better and we will move on. I will get my grades done. I always do somehow or other. And God's love and faithfulness surround me and protects me. I will praise God. I will be positive in spite all of this. I will. I will fulfill my vows.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Lift us to the rock that is higher than we are. We need You as our refuge. This world is too hard for us alone. We are fading away. Help us to run to You. Help us to get out of the rough water that surrounds us and lift up our arms to You, our Father and our Protector. We have made vows to You and we need You to help us fulfill them. You are able. We search for Your love and faithfulness. We know they are there. We look for You. We long for You. Hear our cry O Lord for without You, we are lost.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How is my prayer life? Am I crying out to God? Do I really pour out my heart to Him or do I just recite the same things over and over? How can I revitalize my prayer life?
2. Am I growing faint of working on something or dealing with some issue in my life? What are the waves that are battering me? Am I bringing them to God daily in prayer?
3. Is God my refuge? If He isn't, what do I take refuge in when I am struggling? How can I run to God and take refuge in Him? How can I do this more?
4. Do I recognize God's love and faithfulness? How can these qualities of God protect me? How can I be more aware of them in my life?
5. Am I praising God? Am I fulfilling my vows? Which am I better at doing, praising God, or fulfilling my vows? Why? How can I grow in these two areas?
Day 4
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
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 61
This devotional was originally written in November of 2009. I have left it as I wrote it then. The whole year of 2009 was extremely difficult for my family and I. In January of 2009, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer which we eventually learned, had spread to his liver. I struggled to hold our family together through the two surgeries and two rounds of chemotherapy that would consume the entire year. Writing these devotionals became a therapeutic outlet for me as I re-evaluated my relationship with God and clung to Him moment by moment. We made it through that year and many more after it. We have dealt with a reoccurrence of cancer last year and keep struggling on. God has always come through. Sometimes I do not see how the victory will come but it does come anyway. God has always been faithful and no matter what happens, I believe that He has used everything I have gone through to strengthen my faith, my family, and myself. He truly is the rock that is higher than I.
"Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations. May he be enthroned in God's presence forever; appoint Your love and faithfulness to protect him. Then will I ever sing praise to Your name and fulfill my vows day after day." ( Psalms 61)
"Listen to my prayer Lord, because I am growing weaker." Haven't we all been there? We fight and fight and keep going and keep going and then it just feels like there is nothing left. There is a limit to us and what we can do. Praise God, however, there is no limit to Him. When life is overwhelming, we need to let Him lead us to that rock that we can climb up on and be safe from the waves that are battering us. He is our refuge.
I have to confess, I have been battered lately. I have been struggling with life. My Joelle has been sick since off and on since October 2 with her asthma and a cold/flu. Just when I think she is getting better, she gets worse again. I have been sick as well for about two weeks and then last night, my middle daughter develops a 102 fever. This would usually be not that big of a deal, but since she was exposed to H1N1 by at least two classmates, I was a bit stressed. I took both girls to the urgent care today and was told not to worry too much about Lorelei, and Joelle got a breathing treatment and some stronger medicine to try and get her asthma under control. Now tomorrow, my husband is supposed to start his second round of chemo and I am trying desperately to get my grades done in the midst of all this. I have missed so much work already and am debating if taking tomorrow off would be a good thing or not. My house is an utter disaster area and I am so tired. So these are my waves. This is what is battering me. Now I need to face them and then I need to get up and climb up on the rock that is higher than I.
I do long to dwell in God's tent. I want some shelter. I am tired of doing it all and being responsible for everything. God knows my vows. He has given me the heritage of those who fear His name. I am in good company. This is all just temporary and God has it all under control. I just need to climb out of the water I am sinking in and rest in Christ. Our health will get better and we will move on. I will get my grades done. I always do somehow or other. And God's love and faithfulness surround me and protects me. I will praise God. I will be positive in spite all of this. I will. I will fulfill my vows.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Lift us to the rock that is higher than we are. We need You as our refuge. This world is too hard for us alone. We are fading away. Help us to run to You. Help us to get out of the rough water that surrounds us and lift up our arms to You, our Father and our Protector. We have made vows to You and we need You to help us fulfill them. You are able. We search for Your love and faithfulness. We know they are there. We look for You. We long for You. Hear our cry O Lord for without You, we are lost.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How is my prayer life? Am I crying out to God? Do I really pour out my heart to Him or do I just recite the same things over and over? How can I revitalize my prayer life?
2. Am I growing faint of working on something or dealing with some issue in my life? What are the waves that are battering me? Am I bringing them to God daily in prayer?
3. Is God my refuge? If He isn't, what do I take refuge in when I am struggling? How can I run to God and take refuge in Him? How can I do this more?
4. Do I recognize God's love and faithfulness? How can these qualities of God protect me? How can I be more aware of them in my life?
5. Am I praising God? Am I fulfilling my vows? Which am I better at doing, praising God, or fulfilling my vows? Why? How can I grow in these two areas?
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/30/15 (10/30/09)
Prayer Focus - Strangers
Day 2
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
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 60
"You have shown Your people desperate times;...But for those who fear You, You have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow." ( vs. 3a, 4)
"Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies." (vs. 11-12)
God never promised us life would be easy, just that He would be there. Sometimes He lets us go through terrible times, times when everything is sad and negative; desperate times the verse says. But if we fear God, we will gain the victory. No one else can help us and provide for us like He can. We will win in the end, if we stay with God and He will eliminate our enemies in the right time
.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do go through desperate times sometimes, but You are still there. Help us to remember that as we get older You have victories in store for us, however, and we rely on them. Fill us with Your love and protection because the help of man is worthless. You are our only true victory.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What desperate times have I gone through? Am I going through such a time now?
2. What does it mean to me to fear the Lord? How can I learn about what this means?
3. Do I fear God? How do I know if I do or not? What can I do to develop a greater fear of the Lord?
4. Do I truly believe the help of man is worthless? Who do I turn to for help? Do I go to God first, or my friends first? Can I try for one hour/ one day/ one week to go to God first whenever I have a need or problem or even joy?
5. What enemies am I fighting? What victories do I need? What will I do to thank God when we (God and I) are victorious?
Day 2
Pray for:
One person you admire or look up to
One person you met/meet today
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 60
"You have shown Your people desperate times;...But for those who fear You, You have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow." ( vs. 3a, 4)
"Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies." (vs. 11-12)
God never promised us life would be easy, just that He would be there. Sometimes He lets us go through terrible times, times when everything is sad and negative; desperate times the verse says. But if we fear God, we will gain the victory. No one else can help us and provide for us like He can. We will win in the end, if we stay with God and He will eliminate our enemies in the right time
.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We do go through desperate times sometimes, but You are still there. Help us to remember that as we get older You have victories in store for us, however, and we rely on them. Fill us with Your love and protection because the help of man is worthless. You are our only true victory.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What desperate times have I gone through? Am I going through such a time now?
2. What does it mean to me to fear the Lord? How can I learn about what this means?
3. Do I fear God? How do I know if I do or not? What can I do to develop a greater fear of the Lord?
4. Do I truly believe the help of man is worthless? Who do I turn to for help? Do I go to God first, or my friends first? Can I try for one hour/ one day/ one week to go to God first whenever I have a need or problem or even joy?
5. What enemies am I fighting? What victories do I need? What will I do to thank God when we (God and I) are victorious?
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Daily Devotional - 8/27/15 (10/27/09)
Prayer Focus - Enemies
Day 6
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
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you
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 57
"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me." ( vs. 1 - 2)
God fulfills His purposes for us. It is not our will that succeeds. We can make all the plans in the world but in the end, it is what God wants that triumphs. This can be a relief if we are hiding in the shadow of His wings, or a frustration if we are fighting His will for us. Hosea echoes this sentiment, "Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." (Hosea 14:9) If we are not willing to accept and live the life God has planned out for us, we will always have trouble and difficulties.
"For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies." (vs. 10)
If we consider the love God has for us, this walking in His will would not be so hard. When we know someone loves us, we are willing to do just about anything for them. God loves us more than anything that we can imagine. God's love is all around us. It fills the heavens and reaches to the sky. We cannot, with our mortal eyes, detect where the sky starts and stops and so it is with God's love. We cannot tell, as humans, where His love starts and stops. It just is; like the air. Without the air, we would die. Without God's love, we would all die as well. Sometimes we hear statements such as "How could there be so much bad in the world if God exists". If God didn't exist, that is all there would be. There would be no good anymore.
God is love. God is goodness and kindness expressed. God is beauty. God is light. Without God, there would be none of that. It would be all evil and darkness all of the time. God gave us freewill, and Satan does roam. We must remember that - there are two sides in this battle. I am grateful that there is someone good to cling to and that there is morning after night and sunshine after rain. I am glad there is God.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
I am glad that You have a purpose for me. I had so many dreams as I was growing up, but now - I have You. As my life is half over, I see how fleeting our time is. We want to number our days right and focus on walking in Your ways and Your will. We can get so preoccupied in our successes and failures, but we are so minuscule in the scope of eternity. We run to the refuge of Your wings. We long for Your love and faithfulness. We get so exhausted. You have the strength. You are to be exalted. We thank You for giving us life and we praise Your glory and perfection. We know the world would be a dark dark place without You. Help us to reflect Your glory and shed more joy and hope into the world. Help us to make it a better place for our existence as well. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What purposes does God have for me? Am I walking in them or stumbling in them? Why?
2. Do I believe God's ways are right? Which of God's ways are the most difficult for me to believe are right? Why?
3. How do I feel about good and evil? Why? Can this view be supported biblically?
4. What does God's love mean to me? Is it easy or difficult for me to comprehend? How can I have a deeper understanding of it?
5. How has God been faithful to me? Have I been faithful to God? How can I be more faithful?
Day 6
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
One person from your family (immediate or extended) that has given you trouble
One person from work or a social circle that has given you trouble
One person that you feel is a danger to your well being even though you have never met
One person who is unaware that they are hurting you
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 57
"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in You my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me." ( vs. 1 - 2)
God fulfills His purposes for us. It is not our will that succeeds. We can make all the plans in the world but in the end, it is what God wants that triumphs. This can be a relief if we are hiding in the shadow of His wings, or a frustration if we are fighting His will for us. Hosea echoes this sentiment, "Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." (Hosea 14:9) If we are not willing to accept and live the life God has planned out for us, we will always have trouble and difficulties.
"For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies." (vs. 10)
If we consider the love God has for us, this walking in His will would not be so hard. When we know someone loves us, we are willing to do just about anything for them. God loves us more than anything that we can imagine. God's love is all around us. It fills the heavens and reaches to the sky. We cannot, with our mortal eyes, detect where the sky starts and stops and so it is with God's love. We cannot tell, as humans, where His love starts and stops. It just is; like the air. Without the air, we would die. Without God's love, we would all die as well. Sometimes we hear statements such as "How could there be so much bad in the world if God exists". If God didn't exist, that is all there would be. There would be no good anymore.
God is love. God is goodness and kindness expressed. God is beauty. God is light. Without God, there would be none of that. It would be all evil and darkness all of the time. God gave us freewill, and Satan does roam. We must remember that - there are two sides in this battle. I am grateful that there is someone good to cling to and that there is morning after night and sunshine after rain. I am glad there is God.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
I am glad that You have a purpose for me. I had so many dreams as I was growing up, but now - I have You. As my life is half over, I see how fleeting our time is. We want to number our days right and focus on walking in Your ways and Your will. We can get so preoccupied in our successes and failures, but we are so minuscule in the scope of eternity. We run to the refuge of Your wings. We long for Your love and faithfulness. We get so exhausted. You have the strength. You are to be exalted. We thank You for giving us life and we praise Your glory and perfection. We know the world would be a dark dark place without You. Help us to reflect Your glory and shed more joy and hope into the world. Help us to make it a better place for our existence as well. We love You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. What purposes does God have for me? Am I walking in them or stumbling in them? Why?
2. Do I believe God's ways are right? Which of God's ways are the most difficult for me to believe are right? Why?
3. How do I feel about good and evil? Why? Can this view be supported biblically?
4. What does God's love mean to me? Is it easy or difficult for me to comprehend? How can I have a deeper understanding of it?
5. How has God been faithful to me? Have I been faithful to God? How can I be more faithful?
Monday, September 20, 2010
Daily Devotional - 9/18/10 (10/18/09)
Prayer Focus - Friends
Day 4
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
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 48
"Within Your temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love. Like Your name, O God, Your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with righteousness." (vs. 9 - 10)
"For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end." (vs. 14)
God will never stop being our God. He will guide us till the end if we let Him. His love for us is unfailing and as high as the heavens are above the earth. His love never fails. Everything else will. I have experienced that. At the waterpolo reunion I went to last week end, the memories of failing to win the National Championship in my senior year of college haunted me. After playing my freshman year, I took two years off. My team won the championship one of the years I did not play and then won once again the year after I graduated. The elusive victory that was so important to me never came. I failed. I had a chance to win the game for us, as did many other of my teammates. All we had to do was tie the game and we would have been the champions but we could not do it. I missed a shot that I had taken many other times over the years, my easiest shot and I barred the ball.
I again asked myself the question I had asked off and on for the past twenty years - Why? Why couldn't I have made it? It haunts me still, if I let it, although everyone else seems to have moved on. It was a lifetime ago, but for me, if I allow myself to think about it, it seems like yesterday. I wanted to be the best. For once in my sporting life, I wanted to be a winner. I was always the next best, always on the losing teams. Always -almost, but not quite. I wanted to win this last time, this last chance for me. I was sure it was going to happen this time. So when the game was over, it was devastating to know that that victory would never come for me. It was over. My waterpolo career was over. Waterpolo had failed me. I had failed me.
As I walked around the campus of my Alma mater, the questions came back up for me - Why? I had prayed. I had always tried to put God first, even in my waterpolo. I had not missed church for a game. I did not party. I tried to be a good example. So why had God not answered my prayers that day when He knew how important it was for me. This thought of having missed the mark and having failed echoed in mind, but it echoed over more than just my waterpolo career. It seemed to loom large over my entire college experience. Mediocre grades, mediocre relationships, always on the outside looking in at what others were experiencing. Always - almost victorious, almost good friends, almost happy. Almost.
I missed out on so much being so "almost". I felt like such a failure most of the time I was there in college. So much sadness. I had done so well in high school and yet I had struggled so much in college just to make it. So I asked myself - Why?
As I walked through the Eucalyptus forests on campus, a thought came to me. Maybe it was because God wanted me to realize that I was a winner already. I was a Christian and I had a relationship with Him. I was willing to forgo the immediate gratification that the world offered for something that would be longer lasting. I was willing to walk a different path and I was willing to do the hard work of dealing with my character and striving to become like Christ. That is true victory, anyway, not a fleeting athletic victory that is remembered only by a handful of individuals and posted in old scrapbooks.
I had won the victory in Christ; an eternal victory, and I have still won that victory. God had not failed me at all. He was guiding me to a greater victory. The peace that I feel now with my life and the blessings I have in my husband and children were bought with the hard work that I began in college. I have won the victory, the one that really matters, because Christ has won the victory, and that should be enough.
Here are additional verses to consider on the victory we have already won if we are right with God and Christ:
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." (2 Corinthians 2:14)
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:57 - 58)
"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from You; You are the ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all." (1 Chronicles 29:11-12)
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35 &37-39)
“This is the love for God: to obey His commands. And His commandments are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" ( 1John 5:3-5)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We thank You for the victories You give. They are eternal victories and far outweigh anything we can win here on earth. Temporal victories can be so fulfilling and we enjoy Your blessing but often even better comes for us when You say no to something we desire. Help us to not be like spoiled children who sulk and pout over not receiving something we have asked for. You are looking at these moments of our lives from the perspective of eternity and we cannot even fathom the riches and depth of Your wisdom and knowledge. We are grateful that You give us each new day and we are grateful for what our momentary troubles are gaining us. Help us to be obedient and joyful despite failures because they are really not failures in the long run. Keep our perspectives right and help us to let go of any past regrets. We cannot go back and take anything over so let us truly forgive and forget. Let us live today and each day from now on like there is no other for us and then we will find we can look back with a happy heart. We are grateful for Your directive to forget the past and strain toward what is ahead. Grant us obedience in this so that we may truly live.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I letting God be my guide? How can I do that?
2. Do I have any past regrets or failures that are haunting me? Have I ever talked to anyone about them? How can I let them go?
3. How do I feel when God says no or wait to me regarding something that I am praying about? Do I lose faith? Do I pout or sulk?
4. Do I have God's perspective about who is a winner? Do I consider myself a winner because I have a relationship with God or am I looking at more worldly achievements for my feelings of success?
5. Do I feel that my work for the Lord is worthwhile or am I tempted to feel discouraged when results are not readily evident? How can I keep the proper perspective on eternity?
Day 4
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
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 48
"Within Your temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love. Like Your name, O God, Your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is filled with righteousness." (vs. 9 - 10)
"For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end." (vs. 14)
God will never stop being our God. He will guide us till the end if we let Him. His love for us is unfailing and as high as the heavens are above the earth. His love never fails. Everything else will. I have experienced that. At the waterpolo reunion I went to last week end, the memories of failing to win the National Championship in my senior year of college haunted me. After playing my freshman year, I took two years off. My team won the championship one of the years I did not play and then won once again the year after I graduated. The elusive victory that was so important to me never came. I failed. I had a chance to win the game for us, as did many other of my teammates. All we had to do was tie the game and we would have been the champions but we could not do it. I missed a shot that I had taken many other times over the years, my easiest shot and I barred the ball.
I again asked myself the question I had asked off and on for the past twenty years - Why? Why couldn't I have made it? It haunts me still, if I let it, although everyone else seems to have moved on. It was a lifetime ago, but for me, if I allow myself to think about it, it seems like yesterday. I wanted to be the best. For once in my sporting life, I wanted to be a winner. I was always the next best, always on the losing teams. Always -almost, but not quite. I wanted to win this last time, this last chance for me. I was sure it was going to happen this time. So when the game was over, it was devastating to know that that victory would never come for me. It was over. My waterpolo career was over. Waterpolo had failed me. I had failed me.
As I walked around the campus of my Alma mater, the questions came back up for me - Why? I had prayed. I had always tried to put God first, even in my waterpolo. I had not missed church for a game. I did not party. I tried to be a good example. So why had God not answered my prayers that day when He knew how important it was for me. This thought of having missed the mark and having failed echoed in mind, but it echoed over more than just my waterpolo career. It seemed to loom large over my entire college experience. Mediocre grades, mediocre relationships, always on the outside looking in at what others were experiencing. Always - almost victorious, almost good friends, almost happy. Almost.
I missed out on so much being so "almost". I felt like such a failure most of the time I was there in college. So much sadness. I had done so well in high school and yet I had struggled so much in college just to make it. So I asked myself - Why?
As I walked through the Eucalyptus forests on campus, a thought came to me. Maybe it was because God wanted me to realize that I was a winner already. I was a Christian and I had a relationship with Him. I was willing to forgo the immediate gratification that the world offered for something that would be longer lasting. I was willing to walk a different path and I was willing to do the hard work of dealing with my character and striving to become like Christ. That is true victory, anyway, not a fleeting athletic victory that is remembered only by a handful of individuals and posted in old scrapbooks.
I had won the victory in Christ; an eternal victory, and I have still won that victory. God had not failed me at all. He was guiding me to a greater victory. The peace that I feel now with my life and the blessings I have in my husband and children were bought with the hard work that I began in college. I have won the victory, the one that really matters, because Christ has won the victory, and that should be enough.
Here are additional verses to consider on the victory we have already won if we are right with God and Christ:
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him." (2 Corinthians 2:14)
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:57 - 58)
"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from You; You are the ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all." (1 Chronicles 29:11-12)
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35 &37-39)
“This is the love for God: to obey His commands. And His commandments are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" ( 1John 5:3-5)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We thank You for the victories You give. They are eternal victories and far outweigh anything we can win here on earth. Temporal victories can be so fulfilling and we enjoy Your blessing but often even better comes for us when You say no to something we desire. Help us to not be like spoiled children who sulk and pout over not receiving something we have asked for. You are looking at these moments of our lives from the perspective of eternity and we cannot even fathom the riches and depth of Your wisdom and knowledge. We are grateful that You give us each new day and we are grateful for what our momentary troubles are gaining us. Help us to be obedient and joyful despite failures because they are really not failures in the long run. Keep our perspectives right and help us to let go of any past regrets. We cannot go back and take anything over so let us truly forgive and forget. Let us live today and each day from now on like there is no other for us and then we will find we can look back with a happy heart. We are grateful for Your directive to forget the past and strain toward what is ahead. Grant us obedience in this so that we may truly live.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I letting God be my guide? How can I do that?
2. Do I have any past regrets or failures that are haunting me? Have I ever talked to anyone about them? How can I let them go?
3. How do I feel when God says no or wait to me regarding something that I am praying about? Do I lose faith? Do I pout or sulk?
4. Do I have God's perspective about who is a winner? Do I consider myself a winner because I have a relationship with God or am I looking at more worldly achievements for my feelings of success?
5. Do I feel that my work for the Lord is worthwhile or am I tempted to feel discouraged when results are not readily evident? How can I keep the proper perspective on eternity?
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?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
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?
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?
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Daily Devotional - 9/7/10 (10/7/09)
Prayer Focus - Leaders (any type - World, State, Local, Church, Business, Work)
Day 7
Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
One leader from another country
One local leader
One political leader
One leader you disagree with
One leader you interact with on a daily basis
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 37
"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away." (vs. 1-2)
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain form anger and turn from wrath; do not fret- it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." (vs. 7-9)
It is okay to not worry. In fact, it is more than okay, it is what is expected of us. This seems so counter intuitive. I almost feel guilty if I am not worrying. "Perhaps I am not being responsible if I give up my worry," I think. There is so much that can go wrong in the world. There is so much that can go wrong in my life, in my children's lives. It is overwhelming to think about every danger and yet I often try to. Thankfully, I do not have to. I can give this up and I must remind myself that I need to do this on a daily basis.
This is not just a suggestion either. This is a command. In several places, I am told - Do not worry. It is very clear. I have been commanded to not worry about anything. Not about my life, what I will eat or drink. Not about my body, what I will wear (Matt 6:25-34). Not about evil men. Not even when they are carrying out their wicked schemes (vs 2). Not even then. I am commanded - Do not worry! The evil men will get what's coming to them. It will happen someday. What about the large global and political issues? What about the global economy or the H1N1 virus? Is God bigger than this new flu? Is God bigger than depression? Bigger than world crises? Yes. He is bigger that even these things. What about evil conspiracies and the evil plots of diabolical men. Even then, I am not to fear or worry. I am to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. I am to refrain from anger and turn from wrath. I am to not fret - it leads only to evil. Worrying will not add an hour to my life, rather it will dissipate the energy I have left that could be used to fight. Worry is a large consuming force of Satan's and it has far reaching consequences. I must start viewing it as God does, as a direct affront to Him. It is not a little sin. It is enormous.
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." (vs. 3-4)
But it is not enough to just stop worrying. I am to start doing something as well. I am to let go of worry and to grab a hold of doing good. I am supposed to start being proactive, not just sit around worrying. I am to start trusting in God, that He will take care of everything and that He knows the ins and outs of my life. I need to remember that not even a sparrow falls to the earth without Him knowing (Matt 10:28-31). Surely He knows my life and times. Surely, He knows my fears. With my youngest daughter's asthma and various other health issues, such as severe food allergies, I have had to come to trust God over and over again. Even as I write this, she is sick again and I am tempted to worry about the flu and all of the warnings of it striking hardest those with underlying health issues. I have had to come to grips with the fact that a day may come when God may want her back with Him. I have spent many nights in the emergency room with her already in her short five years. I am continually reminded that it is not up to me, and now I deal with my husband as well.
I cannot focus on these things or I will be crippled. There was a time when much less would send me off to bed to sleep til the storm had past. Those days are over. God has used life to mature me and He is continually perfecting the process. I have learned that I need to just focus on doing good. If I sit and worry, I waste the time I do have with those I love. I cannot be godly while in the midst of a worry induced panic. So I need to focus on doing good. I need to dwell in the land. I need to live; to be here in the moment, to be with my children and laugh and play. This is so hard for me. I am so used to worrying. It is almost a comfort to me, like a drink to an alcoholic. If I have my worry, I think I will be okay, but I will not be.
I am to live and enjoy safe pasture. I am to have life, and life to the fullest. That is why Jesus came (John 10:10). Then when I die, my existence will be even better. This is so hard for me to fathom. The afterlife is so unknown. I hope and pray to have the child-like faith of my Joelle, (my youngest), who tells me that she cannot wait to go to heaven so that she will not have asthma anymore and will be able to eat nuts and not react. She talks with such longing for the day she will be there and have her perfect body. She shares this with her little friends at school and she laughs and plays in the meantime. She is not afraid. She is not worried. She is good at living and good at trusting. I love that about her and strive to imitate it. Finally, I am to delight myself in the Lord. I am to get to the point where it truly is all about God and I can let go of the rest. Then and only then can He give me the desires of my heart because then and only then will I use His gifts correctly and my desires will also be what are pleasing to Him.
In the end, if we hope in the Lord, we will inherit the land (vs. 9). The Lord laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming (vs. 13). Better the little that the righteous have than evil with money. It is better to be righteous than rich (vs. 16). The power of the wicked will be broken (vs. 17). It may not seem like it now. Evil does seem to rule this old world, but if so, it is only temporary. God wins out in the end and that is what I need to cling on to. In times of disaster, I will not wither or fade (vs. 19). Even in famine, I will be supported and my children protected (vs. 19). For if the Lord delights in me, He will help me and make my ways firm.
I will wait for the Lord and keep His way. There is a future for the man of peace.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord Father,
We want You to delight in us. It is often difficult to know if anyone has ever truly delighted in us, but we would really like that. We want to be special to someone. Father, we know that the righteous are never forsaken. Help us to turn from evil and do good. We know that You will not forsake Your faithful ones. If we hide the law of God is in our hearts, we will not slip. If we are righteous, the Lord will not let us remain under the power of the wicked or be condemned. We are so grateful for You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I a worrier? How is this not trusting God? What specific things do I worry about the most? How can I surrender them to God?
2. Am I an angry person? If so, what is the anger about? How can I let this negative emotion go?
3. Am I living life to the fullest and being "in the moment" or am I hiding behind worry? What promises of God can help me to stop worrying?
4. How can I do good and be proactive with my life. What have I been avoiding because of worry or fear? What can I start doing?
5. Which promises in this psalm encourage me the most? Why? Which are the hardest for me to understand and grasp at a heart level? Why?
Day 7
Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
One leader who you know is struggling with something
One leader from another country
One local leader
One political leader
One leader you disagree with
One leader you interact with on a daily basis
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 37
"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away." (vs. 1-2)
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain form anger and turn from wrath; do not fret- it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." (vs. 7-9)
It is okay to not worry. In fact, it is more than okay, it is what is expected of us. This seems so counter intuitive. I almost feel guilty if I am not worrying. "Perhaps I am not being responsible if I give up my worry," I think. There is so much that can go wrong in the world. There is so much that can go wrong in my life, in my children's lives. It is overwhelming to think about every danger and yet I often try to. Thankfully, I do not have to. I can give this up and I must remind myself that I need to do this on a daily basis.
This is not just a suggestion either. This is a command. In several places, I am told - Do not worry. It is very clear. I have been commanded to not worry about anything. Not about my life, what I will eat or drink. Not about my body, what I will wear (Matt 6:25-34). Not about evil men. Not even when they are carrying out their wicked schemes (vs 2). Not even then. I am commanded - Do not worry! The evil men will get what's coming to them. It will happen someday. What about the large global and political issues? What about the global economy or the H1N1 virus? Is God bigger than this new flu? Is God bigger than depression? Bigger than world crises? Yes. He is bigger that even these things. What about evil conspiracies and the evil plots of diabolical men. Even then, I am not to fear or worry. I am to be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. I am to refrain from anger and turn from wrath. I am to not fret - it leads only to evil. Worrying will not add an hour to my life, rather it will dissipate the energy I have left that could be used to fight. Worry is a large consuming force of Satan's and it has far reaching consequences. I must start viewing it as God does, as a direct affront to Him. It is not a little sin. It is enormous.
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." (vs. 3-4)
But it is not enough to just stop worrying. I am to start doing something as well. I am to let go of worry and to grab a hold of doing good. I am supposed to start being proactive, not just sit around worrying. I am to start trusting in God, that He will take care of everything and that He knows the ins and outs of my life. I need to remember that not even a sparrow falls to the earth without Him knowing (Matt 10:28-31). Surely He knows my life and times. Surely, He knows my fears. With my youngest daughter's asthma and various other health issues, such as severe food allergies, I have had to come to trust God over and over again. Even as I write this, she is sick again and I am tempted to worry about the flu and all of the warnings of it striking hardest those with underlying health issues. I have had to come to grips with the fact that a day may come when God may want her back with Him. I have spent many nights in the emergency room with her already in her short five years. I am continually reminded that it is not up to me, and now I deal with my husband as well.
I cannot focus on these things or I will be crippled. There was a time when much less would send me off to bed to sleep til the storm had past. Those days are over. God has used life to mature me and He is continually perfecting the process. I have learned that I need to just focus on doing good. If I sit and worry, I waste the time I do have with those I love. I cannot be godly while in the midst of a worry induced panic. So I need to focus on doing good. I need to dwell in the land. I need to live; to be here in the moment, to be with my children and laugh and play. This is so hard for me. I am so used to worrying. It is almost a comfort to me, like a drink to an alcoholic. If I have my worry, I think I will be okay, but I will not be.
I am to live and enjoy safe pasture. I am to have life, and life to the fullest. That is why Jesus came (John 10:10). Then when I die, my existence will be even better. This is so hard for me to fathom. The afterlife is so unknown. I hope and pray to have the child-like faith of my Joelle, (my youngest), who tells me that she cannot wait to go to heaven so that she will not have asthma anymore and will be able to eat nuts and not react. She talks with such longing for the day she will be there and have her perfect body. She shares this with her little friends at school and she laughs and plays in the meantime. She is not afraid. She is not worried. She is good at living and good at trusting. I love that about her and strive to imitate it. Finally, I am to delight myself in the Lord. I am to get to the point where it truly is all about God and I can let go of the rest. Then and only then can He give me the desires of my heart because then and only then will I use His gifts correctly and my desires will also be what are pleasing to Him.
In the end, if we hope in the Lord, we will inherit the land (vs. 9). The Lord laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming (vs. 13). Better the little that the righteous have than evil with money. It is better to be righteous than rich (vs. 16). The power of the wicked will be broken (vs. 17). It may not seem like it now. Evil does seem to rule this old world, but if so, it is only temporary. God wins out in the end and that is what I need to cling on to. In times of disaster, I will not wither or fade (vs. 19). Even in famine, I will be supported and my children protected (vs. 19). For if the Lord delights in me, He will help me and make my ways firm.
I will wait for the Lord and keep His way. There is a future for the man of peace.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord Father,
We want You to delight in us. It is often difficult to know if anyone has ever truly delighted in us, but we would really like that. We want to be special to someone. Father, we know that the righteous are never forsaken. Help us to turn from evil and do good. We know that You will not forsake Your faithful ones. If we hide the law of God is in our hearts, we will not slip. If we are righteous, the Lord will not let us remain under the power of the wicked or be condemned. We are so grateful for You.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I a worrier? How is this not trusting God? What specific things do I worry about the most? How can I surrender them to God?
2. Am I an angry person? If so, what is the anger about? How can I let this negative emotion go?
3. Am I living life to the fullest and being "in the moment" or am I hiding behind worry? What promises of God can help me to stop worrying?
4. How can I do good and be proactive with my life. What have I been avoiding because of worry or fear? What can I start doing?
5. Which promises in this psalm encourage me the most? Why? Which are the hardest for me to understand and grasp at a heart level? Why?
Saturday, September 4, 2010
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?
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?
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Daily Devotional - 9/1/10 (10/1/09)
Prayer Focus - Leaders
Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
Specifically:
their physical strength and needs
their emotional strength and needs
their mental strength and needs
their spiritual strength and needs
Dear Lord - I pray that you would open my ears to the messages You want to share with me today. I also ask for the strength to obey.
Psalms 31
"I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place." (vs . 7-8)
"My times are in Your hands;" (vs. 15a)
Everything is in God's hands. He has determined the times and places for me so that I would turn and seek Him (Acts 17: 26-27). Nothing is done away from the eyes of God. He has seen everything about my life and has been calling me all along. My times are truly in His hands. When I was 17, I made an ultimatum with God. I had grown up going to church and had gone to a Christian school from 1st through 8th grade. I knew the Bible. I knew what a Christian should be. I had tried at times. I had given my testimony before a large crowd at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes my junior year of high school. I had taught people to pray the prayer. I had tried, but the next year found me at every party I could find, drinking anything I could find. I was a hypocrite and almost everyone else I knew that professed to be a Christian was pretty hypocritical as well. I was done with it.
I went to Europe as a graduation present that year and proceeded to party across the continent. While in utter desperation with my life one night in Paris, I told God that I would give it one more try. I was going to go away to college where no one knew me. I would start over. If I could find people truly being Christians as the Bible said, and if I could actually do it myself and find freedom from the many sins that plagued me, then I would be a Christian and give it my whole heart. If I could not find it, then I would become an atheist. I reasoned that if God was real, He would answer this prayer, although I didn't really believe I would find anything different in San Diego. I would then become an atheist because there was no God and the Bible was false since it offered something that didn't exist. There was no grey area for me. Either God and His word were real and true and really did offer freedom as it said, or it was all a lie and I was going to live my life however I wanted and not worry about it anymore. It would be "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow I die." I prayed that prayer and I finished my trip out unchanged.
I went away to college at UCSD that September and the first night I was there met someone from the church I now attend. What a surprise! My times were in God's hand! I went to church and was amazed, although I did not like it the first time. These people were truly different I was soon to discover. Initially, I had hope that perhaps I could be different, but I was not convinced. I studied the Bible, and although no one particularly thought I would become a Christian, one person from the church stuck it out with me. I remember one particular study, she challenged me about some issues in my life and I became angry with her. I did not even see her out of my apartment. But when she left, I went and took some inappropriate pictures down off my wall. I sat on my bed and looked at the empty wall for quite awhile. I felt a strange emotion. I felt relief and I was surprised. For the first time in a long time, someone had called me on something that was wrong and I was so happy. Not even my parents were willing to ask me why I had these types of photos up, but here was a stranger that cared enough to lay our friendship on the line. It was the beginning of a great change for me.
I was so grateful to become a true Christian not much later. I had called out to God in desperation and He had truly answered me. I knew that finally. God did exist. The Bible was real. God would not let me be put to shame and God has not let me be put to shame all these years. At the precise time that I was most open, God was there. He put me where I needed to be back then so that today, I would be here where I am now. I praise God for never letting go of me. Despite all the years of ups and downs, there is nothing I would trade my life for. There is nothing I would trade my relationship with God for. I have spent all of my adult life trying to do this. Trying to be a disciple of Christ, and I can truly say with the psalmist:
"How great is Your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you,...Praise be to the Lord, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city...The Lord preserves the faithful, ...Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." (vs. 19, 21, & 23-24)
I hope and pray that everyone reading my posts may someday feel the same, if you do not already. Amen.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank You for continually reaching out to us. You have placed us exactly where You want us to be so that hopefully we will find You and come to know You. We are so grateful for Your unseen hand. A life with You is truly the best life we could find. We praise You for Your faithfulness. You are good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How did I become a Christian? Has there been a change in my life? What has it been?
2. Have I experienced God placing me in a particular place so that I might turn to Him and find Him? What happened and how did I become closer to God from this event?
3. How do I feel about God's faithfulness and about the truth of the Bible? What holds me back from trusting completely? What can I do to develop greater trust in both?
4. How do I feel about my relationship with God? What is great about it and what could be improved?
5. Have I ever shared with anyone how I became a Christian? If not, why? What would I gain by letting others know about my experiences?
Pray for:
One leader who inspires you
Specifically:
their physical strength and needs
their emotional strength and needs
their mental strength and needs
their spiritual strength and needs
Dear Lord - I pray that you would open my ears to the messages You want to share with me today. I also ask for the strength to obey.
Psalms 31
"I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place." (vs . 7-8)
"My times are in Your hands;" (vs. 15a)
Everything is in God's hands. He has determined the times and places for me so that I would turn and seek Him (Acts 17: 26-27). Nothing is done away from the eyes of God. He has seen everything about my life and has been calling me all along. My times are truly in His hands. When I was 17, I made an ultimatum with God. I had grown up going to church and had gone to a Christian school from 1st through 8th grade. I knew the Bible. I knew what a Christian should be. I had tried at times. I had given my testimony before a large crowd at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes my junior year of high school. I had taught people to pray the prayer. I had tried, but the next year found me at every party I could find, drinking anything I could find. I was a hypocrite and almost everyone else I knew that professed to be a Christian was pretty hypocritical as well. I was done with it.
I went to Europe as a graduation present that year and proceeded to party across the continent. While in utter desperation with my life one night in Paris, I told God that I would give it one more try. I was going to go away to college where no one knew me. I would start over. If I could find people truly being Christians as the Bible said, and if I could actually do it myself and find freedom from the many sins that plagued me, then I would be a Christian and give it my whole heart. If I could not find it, then I would become an atheist. I reasoned that if God was real, He would answer this prayer, although I didn't really believe I would find anything different in San Diego. I would then become an atheist because there was no God and the Bible was false since it offered something that didn't exist. There was no grey area for me. Either God and His word were real and true and really did offer freedom as it said, or it was all a lie and I was going to live my life however I wanted and not worry about it anymore. It would be "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow I die." I prayed that prayer and I finished my trip out unchanged.
I went away to college at UCSD that September and the first night I was there met someone from the church I now attend. What a surprise! My times were in God's hand! I went to church and was amazed, although I did not like it the first time. These people were truly different I was soon to discover. Initially, I had hope that perhaps I could be different, but I was not convinced. I studied the Bible, and although no one particularly thought I would become a Christian, one person from the church stuck it out with me. I remember one particular study, she challenged me about some issues in my life and I became angry with her. I did not even see her out of my apartment. But when she left, I went and took some inappropriate pictures down off my wall. I sat on my bed and looked at the empty wall for quite awhile. I felt a strange emotion. I felt relief and I was surprised. For the first time in a long time, someone had called me on something that was wrong and I was so happy. Not even my parents were willing to ask me why I had these types of photos up, but here was a stranger that cared enough to lay our friendship on the line. It was the beginning of a great change for me.
I was so grateful to become a true Christian not much later. I had called out to God in desperation and He had truly answered me. I knew that finally. God did exist. The Bible was real. God would not let me be put to shame and God has not let me be put to shame all these years. At the precise time that I was most open, God was there. He put me where I needed to be back then so that today, I would be here where I am now. I praise God for never letting go of me. Despite all the years of ups and downs, there is nothing I would trade my life for. There is nothing I would trade my relationship with God for. I have spent all of my adult life trying to do this. Trying to be a disciple of Christ, and I can truly say with the psalmist:
"How great is Your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you,...Praise be to the Lord, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city...The Lord preserves the faithful, ...Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." (vs. 19, 21, & 23-24)
I hope and pray that everyone reading my posts may someday feel the same, if you do not already. Amen.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
Thank You for continually reaching out to us. You have placed us exactly where You want us to be so that hopefully we will find You and come to know You. We are so grateful for Your unseen hand. A life with You is truly the best life we could find. We praise You for Your faithfulness. You are good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. How did I become a Christian? Has there been a change in my life? What has it been?
2. Have I experienced God placing me in a particular place so that I might turn to Him and find Him? What happened and how did I become closer to God from this event?
3. How do I feel about God's faithfulness and about the truth of the Bible? What holds me back from trusting completely? What can I do to develop greater trust in both?
4. How do I feel about my relationship with God? What is great about it and what could be improved?
5. Have I ever shared with anyone how I became a Christian? If not, why? What would I gain by letting others know about my experiences?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/27/10 (9/27/09)
Prayer Focus - 7's
Pray for:
Seven things you are grateful for
Seven people who need your prayers
Seven places you care about
Seven characteristics that you want to grow in
Seven characteristics/ habits that you want to get rid of
Dear Lord - Thank You for always speaking to me. Help me to hear You today and as always, grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 27
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (vs. 14)
I am waiting. I am trying to be strong. I am trying to take heart. I feel so on edge. My emotions raw. It is so hard to wait in patience. When I think of all that I have to do, it is overwhelming. I lose any calm I have mustered. I cannot think of tomorrow. I must just live. One step ahead; one step. I am waiting and walking. I am not thinking about tomorrow. It will think about itself. I will write my writing. I will lie down to sleep and I will wake again. I will get in my car and drive to work. I will work. I will deal with 200+ children and drive home to deal with three more and a sick husband and a messy house. I am not thinking, although I am. I will just wait. I will be strong. I will take heart.
I will wait for each moment to come and I will deal with it. I fail when I think ahead. I failed today as I thought about tomorrow. I became irritable and disheartened. "I cannot do this," I thought and of course I cannot, but God can. All I have to do is wait and in the meantime do what has to be done as God would have me. I must be strong. My children depend on that. I am demonstrating Jesus to them. If I am not strong, what will they think? I must be strong. My husband depends on that. If I fall apart, what hope does he have?
And I am taking heart because I have the promises in this psalm. God will not forsake me. Even if my parents could, He would not. And I have tomorrow with all the newness it holds. I have a fresh start. I have 200+ eager faces with lives of promise that I have been blessed to contribute to. I have a way to make money to pay my bills. I have good health insurance. Amen to that. I have beautiful children waiting to be taught about God; waiting to see His truths lived out in my life. I have a husband who is recovering quickly and who has determination to fight for his life. I have forgiveness for the failures of today. It is all a matter of my perspective. I am taking heart.
"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." (vs. 13)
I will see God's goodness. I will see it here. In the meantime, I have work to do. I will do it. I will go and walk and take one moment at a time and I will wait on the Lord.
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (vs. 14)
Verses of Encouragement from Psalm 27:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" (vs. 1)
"Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident." (vs. 3)
"For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock." (vs. 5)
"Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me." (vs. 10)
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (vs. 14)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that You are strong when we are not. We feel as if an army is against us sometimes and yet even then we do not need to be afraid. It is so difficult to live by faith in this world. Help us to keep our eyes on the unseen. We know and rely on You. We are waiting on You and living today for You. Grant us renewed strength each morning. You are good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I waiting for God or am I trying to take things into my own hands? How do I know? How can I do a better job of waiting?
2. In what ways do I need to be strong right now? Who is depending on me? If I am not strong, how will it affect them?
3. How can I look at the difficulties in my life in a positive way? How does my perspective on life affect my feelings and my actions during the day?
4. Am I letting fear and worry keep me from doing the work and the activities I know I should be doing? How can I be more consistent in my follow through and obedience?
5. Have people in my life forsaken me or let me down? How has this affected me and how does it affect my relationship with God? Do I feel that God has ever forsaken or let me down? Why? Did He really or could there be another explanation for what happened?
Pray for:
Seven things you are grateful for
Seven people who need your prayers
Seven places you care about
Seven characteristics that you want to grow in
Seven characteristics/ habits that you want to get rid of
Dear Lord - Thank You for always speaking to me. Help me to hear You today and as always, grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 27
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (vs. 14)
I am waiting. I am trying to be strong. I am trying to take heart. I feel so on edge. My emotions raw. It is so hard to wait in patience. When I think of all that I have to do, it is overwhelming. I lose any calm I have mustered. I cannot think of tomorrow. I must just live. One step ahead; one step. I am waiting and walking. I am not thinking about tomorrow. It will think about itself. I will write my writing. I will lie down to sleep and I will wake again. I will get in my car and drive to work. I will work. I will deal with 200+ children and drive home to deal with three more and a sick husband and a messy house. I am not thinking, although I am. I will just wait. I will be strong. I will take heart.
I will wait for each moment to come and I will deal with it. I fail when I think ahead. I failed today as I thought about tomorrow. I became irritable and disheartened. "I cannot do this," I thought and of course I cannot, but God can. All I have to do is wait and in the meantime do what has to be done as God would have me. I must be strong. My children depend on that. I am demonstrating Jesus to them. If I am not strong, what will they think? I must be strong. My husband depends on that. If I fall apart, what hope does he have?
And I am taking heart because I have the promises in this psalm. God will not forsake me. Even if my parents could, He would not. And I have tomorrow with all the newness it holds. I have a fresh start. I have 200+ eager faces with lives of promise that I have been blessed to contribute to. I have a way to make money to pay my bills. I have good health insurance. Amen to that. I have beautiful children waiting to be taught about God; waiting to see His truths lived out in my life. I have a husband who is recovering quickly and who has determination to fight for his life. I have forgiveness for the failures of today. It is all a matter of my perspective. I am taking heart.
"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." (vs. 13)
I will see God's goodness. I will see it here. In the meantime, I have work to do. I will do it. I will go and walk and take one moment at a time and I will wait on the Lord.
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (vs. 14)
Verses of Encouragement from Psalm 27:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" (vs. 1)
"Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident." (vs. 3)
"For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock." (vs. 5)
"Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me." (vs. 10)
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (vs. 14)
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are grateful that You are strong when we are not. We feel as if an army is against us sometimes and yet even then we do not need to be afraid. It is so difficult to live by faith in this world. Help us to keep our eyes on the unseen. We know and rely on You. We are waiting on You and living today for You. Grant us renewed strength each morning. You are good.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Am I waiting for God or am I trying to take things into my own hands? How do I know? How can I do a better job of waiting?
2. In what ways do I need to be strong right now? Who is depending on me? If I am not strong, how will it affect them?
3. How can I look at the difficulties in my life in a positive way? How does my perspective on life affect my feelings and my actions during the day?
4. Am I letting fear and worry keep me from doing the work and the activities I know I should be doing? How can I be more consistent in my follow through and obedience?
5. Have people in my life forsaken me or let me down? How has this affected me and how does it affect my relationship with God? Do I feel that God has ever forsaken or let me down? Why? Did He really or could there be another explanation for what happened?
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/22/10 (9/22/09)
This is the post from the day after my husband's surgery last year. I have left it as it was. He is now doing better and appears to be cancer free.
Focus Letter - V
Pray for:
Five things that you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Help me to hear your voice today, all day, and grant me the strength to obey.
My husband made it through surgery and is recovering. They removed the lower right lobe of his liver which had confirmed cancer and, unfortunately, also found another tumor on the left side. This was destroyed by laser. There are still two small unknown masses in the upper right lobe as well. As a result of this, more chemotherapy is recommended. We were sad about the news but are faithful yet. Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Psalms 22
As I sat at my computer, after a long day at the hospital and after receiving the bad news about the spread of the cancer, I felt a bit numb. On opening the Bible to review the psalm for this post, I had to smile. How fitting for this to be the psalm today. The opening words spoke to me.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent." (vs. 1-2)
How I have felt this the past year. At every turn, we have received bad news. My husband was diagnosed with cancer in February but we were confident that it would be contained in the colon. After all, he was only 49. My mother had had colon cancer at 61 and hers had been contained; it had not spread although it was about the same size of a tumor. We went into surgery confident. The surgeon told us after the surgery that it did appear to be contained within the colon, but of course, he could not know for sure until the lab work. How shocked we were to receive the call about a week later to find out that it was not contained and that it was in the lymph nodes.
"My God, my God..." I thought.
"Well, at least it was only in two of the 30 lymph nodes they looked at," I said to my mother-in-law who was devastated by the news. Surely it hadn't spread very far. There was that spot on his liver that the doctors had noted before his original surgery. But they had not been worried about it. The doctor had felt that it was probably not cancer. I was confident my husband would do his chemotherapy and be fine.
He went in for a liver test to confirm that the spot was just a benign occurrence, a hemangioma, and we waited, not worried. The results came back. A biopsy was needed. The tumor was not a hemangioma. I remember receiving the call. It was a beautiful day and I was playing Candyland with my daughters. The sun streamed in from the window, creating a peaceful, happy glow in the room. We were laughing.
My husband was out running an errand when the phone call came in. "Mrs. Jacobs, the tumor is cancerous," the doctor said over the phone.
Everything stopped and again in my mind, "my God, my God..."
Six rounds of chemo; so difficult. The embolism to block off the cancerous part of his liver. The surgery prep, all in the hopes that this would soon will be over; that life would soon return to normal. Then yesterday, the surgery, to remove the right lobe of his liver; so that he would be cancer free. At pre-op, the doctor mentioned that if they find something in the left lobe, they would burn it with a laser. I paused.
"But there isn't supposed to be anything in the left lobe," I said.
"Well sometimes it is hidden from the MRI. We are going to check everything out. We will take good care of him."
"Okay," I said, thinking with less confidence now that there would be nothing in the left liver. This warning of his was all precautionary. The surgery was going to be the end of this. Six weeks recovery and then life would go on. It would be this way. I had decided.
At 12 noon, the doctor came out and I approached, eager to hear the good news. "We removed the right lobe, but there was a half an inch tumor deep in the left lobe as well."
"What?"
"The left lobe, a tumor. We destroyed it with the laser but there are still small unknown spots visible on the ultrasound as well. They are too small to know what they are. We recommend more chemotherapy."
"More?" I said sadly.
"Yes, more. Cancer is like a dandelion which spreads its seeds when blown. We don't know, can't know now. Everything else in the abdomen looks clear but the chemo - it is necessary." The doctor smiled at me in a serious, sad way. My heart sank. The chemo... the walking death. It is difficult to explain life during chemo. Lets just say, it is hard.
"My God, my God..." again I begin to think. Why? Why, at every turn, has the road to quick recovery been blocked? What is it we must learn, my husband and I?
And then I read on in Psalms 22, the psalm that goes on to prophecy Jesus' suffering on the cross.
"Yet You are enthroned as the Holy One; You are the praise of Israel. In You our fathers put their trust; they trusted and You delivered them. They cried to You and were saved; in You they trusted and were not disappointed" (vs. 4-5)
It is painful. This is painful. It is not what I wanted. But it is what God has given me. He has given me this, and He has given me Himself to fall back on. I am not alone. I am a part of His plan. This morning, in the calm of the cool, early morning air blowing in through the window, I remember God. I remember to give thanks. I am thankful my husband is still alive. I am thankful that they removed or killed all known cancer in his body. I am thankful he is as alert and well as he is after surgery. I am thankful for the 12 years and the three daughters that I have had with him. I am thankful for all the ways we have grown to be better people through all of this. I am thankful for all the ways that we will grow before this is over.
God has given me the assurance that He will be with me through these difficult times. He will never leave me or forsake me (Joshua 31:6). He has given me a Bible full of good promises, all of which have been given to me so that I will have peace. As He says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)"
He will deliver me. He will not disappoint me in the end. In the short term, I may have sorrow. I do have sorrow. But God is not in this for the short term. He is the God of eternity. In the light of eternity, I am not let down. Things may not happen as I have planned. It hasn't happened as I had planned, but I have been delivered so far. My husband has also been delivered so far. He is still here. We are still living in faith, and we are better people for all of this.
God is still with me, just as He was with Jesus as He went to the cross; surely not what Jesus had wanted but it was what needed to happen. Jesus suffered immensely, more than any of us ever will, and yet He returned to God and His sovereignty. I must remember His words at Gethsemane, " Not my will, but Yours be done." At times, we may be momentarily disappointed, but in the long run we are never. In the long term, the victory is always ours. In Christ we have the victory. God did not forget Jesus. He did not disappoint Him. There were three dark days and then Jesus arose and brought salvation to all of us. In the same way, God will not forget me either.
"You who fear the Lord, praise Him!...For He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden His face from him but has listened to his cry for help." (vs. 23-24)
There is a reason for all of this. I am not forgotten and I will praise Him yet.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We praise You for the life You give us. It is Yours to give and take away. We pray for acceptance and courage in the face of whatever is on the path You have set out for us. Help us to live lives that are acceptable to You no matter what happens.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. When have I felt forsaken? Why? How did I deal with it?
2. What has God given me to deal with presently in my life? How am I dealing with it? Am I turning to God, or away from Him because of it?
3. When life does not go as I have planned, how do I react? How can I react in a more trusting manner?
4. What reasons can I see behind some of the greatest crises that have occurred in my life?
5. What support systems do I have to help me in difficult times? What helps me to feel peace in my struggles? What verses do I turn to?
Focus Letter - V
Pray for:
Five things that you are grateful for beginning with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begins with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Help me to hear your voice today, all day, and grant me the strength to obey.
My husband made it through surgery and is recovering. They removed the lower right lobe of his liver which had confirmed cancer and, unfortunately, also found another tumor on the left side. This was destroyed by laser. There are still two small unknown masses in the upper right lobe as well. As a result of this, more chemotherapy is recommended. We were sad about the news but are faithful yet. Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Psalms 22
As I sat at my computer, after a long day at the hospital and after receiving the bad news about the spread of the cancer, I felt a bit numb. On opening the Bible to review the psalm for this post, I had to smile. How fitting for this to be the psalm today. The opening words spoke to me.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent." (vs. 1-2)
How I have felt this the past year. At every turn, we have received bad news. My husband was diagnosed with cancer in February but we were confident that it would be contained in the colon. After all, he was only 49. My mother had had colon cancer at 61 and hers had been contained; it had not spread although it was about the same size of a tumor. We went into surgery confident. The surgeon told us after the surgery that it did appear to be contained within the colon, but of course, he could not know for sure until the lab work. How shocked we were to receive the call about a week later to find out that it was not contained and that it was in the lymph nodes.
"My God, my God..." I thought.
"Well, at least it was only in two of the 30 lymph nodes they looked at," I said to my mother-in-law who was devastated by the news. Surely it hadn't spread very far. There was that spot on his liver that the doctors had noted before his original surgery. But they had not been worried about it. The doctor had felt that it was probably not cancer. I was confident my husband would do his chemotherapy and be fine.
He went in for a liver test to confirm that the spot was just a benign occurrence, a hemangioma, and we waited, not worried. The results came back. A biopsy was needed. The tumor was not a hemangioma. I remember receiving the call. It was a beautiful day and I was playing Candyland with my daughters. The sun streamed in from the window, creating a peaceful, happy glow in the room. We were laughing.
My husband was out running an errand when the phone call came in. "Mrs. Jacobs, the tumor is cancerous," the doctor said over the phone.
Everything stopped and again in my mind, "my God, my God..."
Six rounds of chemo; so difficult. The embolism to block off the cancerous part of his liver. The surgery prep, all in the hopes that this would soon will be over; that life would soon return to normal. Then yesterday, the surgery, to remove the right lobe of his liver; so that he would be cancer free. At pre-op, the doctor mentioned that if they find something in the left lobe, they would burn it with a laser. I paused.
"But there isn't supposed to be anything in the left lobe," I said.
"Well sometimes it is hidden from the MRI. We are going to check everything out. We will take good care of him."
"Okay," I said, thinking with less confidence now that there would be nothing in the left liver. This warning of his was all precautionary. The surgery was going to be the end of this. Six weeks recovery and then life would go on. It would be this way. I had decided.
At 12 noon, the doctor came out and I approached, eager to hear the good news. "We removed the right lobe, but there was a half an inch tumor deep in the left lobe as well."
"What?"
"The left lobe, a tumor. We destroyed it with the laser but there are still small unknown spots visible on the ultrasound as well. They are too small to know what they are. We recommend more chemotherapy."
"More?" I said sadly.
"Yes, more. Cancer is like a dandelion which spreads its seeds when blown. We don't know, can't know now. Everything else in the abdomen looks clear but the chemo - it is necessary." The doctor smiled at me in a serious, sad way. My heart sank. The chemo... the walking death. It is difficult to explain life during chemo. Lets just say, it is hard.
"My God, my God..." again I begin to think. Why? Why, at every turn, has the road to quick recovery been blocked? What is it we must learn, my husband and I?
And then I read on in Psalms 22, the psalm that goes on to prophecy Jesus' suffering on the cross.
"Yet You are enthroned as the Holy One; You are the praise of Israel. In You our fathers put their trust; they trusted and You delivered them. They cried to You and were saved; in You they trusted and were not disappointed" (vs. 4-5)
It is painful. This is painful. It is not what I wanted. But it is what God has given me. He has given me this, and He has given me Himself to fall back on. I am not alone. I am a part of His plan. This morning, in the calm of the cool, early morning air blowing in through the window, I remember God. I remember to give thanks. I am thankful my husband is still alive. I am thankful that they removed or killed all known cancer in his body. I am thankful he is as alert and well as he is after surgery. I am thankful for the 12 years and the three daughters that I have had with him. I am thankful for all the ways we have grown to be better people through all of this. I am thankful for all the ways that we will grow before this is over.
God has given me the assurance that He will be with me through these difficult times. He will never leave me or forsake me (Joshua 31:6). He has given me a Bible full of good promises, all of which have been given to me so that I will have peace. As He says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)"
He will deliver me. He will not disappoint me in the end. In the short term, I may have sorrow. I do have sorrow. But God is not in this for the short term. He is the God of eternity. In the light of eternity, I am not let down. Things may not happen as I have planned. It hasn't happened as I had planned, but I have been delivered so far. My husband has also been delivered so far. He is still here. We are still living in faith, and we are better people for all of this.
God is still with me, just as He was with Jesus as He went to the cross; surely not what Jesus had wanted but it was what needed to happen. Jesus suffered immensely, more than any of us ever will, and yet He returned to God and His sovereignty. I must remember His words at Gethsemane, " Not my will, but Yours be done." At times, we may be momentarily disappointed, but in the long run we are never. In the long term, the victory is always ours. In Christ we have the victory. God did not forget Jesus. He did not disappoint Him. There were three dark days and then Jesus arose and brought salvation to all of us. In the same way, God will not forget me either.
"You who fear the Lord, praise Him!...For He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden His face from him but has listened to his cry for help." (vs. 23-24)
There is a reason for all of this. I am not forgotten and I will praise Him yet.
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We praise You for the life You give us. It is Yours to give and take away. We pray for acceptance and courage in the face of whatever is on the path You have set out for us. Help us to live lives that are acceptable to You no matter what happens.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. When have I felt forsaken? Why? How did I deal with it?
2. What has God given me to deal with presently in my life? How am I dealing with it? Am I turning to God, or away from Him because of it?
3. When life does not go as I have planned, how do I react? How can I react in a more trusting manner?
4. What reasons can I see behind some of the greatest crises that have occurred in my life?
5. What support systems do I have to help me in difficult times? What helps me to feel peace in my struggles? What verses do I turn to?
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?
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Daily Devotional - 8/19/10 (9/19/09)
Focus Letter - S
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begin with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Please help me to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 19
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (vs. 14)
If I can please anyone in this world, if anyone is going to be happy with my life, I want that person/being to be God. I know I can't please everyone, and sometimes even pleasing those closest to me seems impossible. I used to worry about this quite a bit and compromise myself trying to make everyone happy. I wanted everyone to like me but in striving for this, I became someone even I didn't like. I came to the conclusion that I couldn't worry about it anymore. I had to live with myself and my conscience, and so I had to have integrity. I needed to be true to the one who matters the most - God.
Now I want everything about me to be pleasing to Him. How can I have this in my life? How can my words and even the thoughts of my heart be good and be pleasing to God? I fail so much in this area and I know that I only see the tip of the iceberg. As I mature as a Christian, I continue to see how far away I am and it seems impossible, but it is not.
"Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me." (vs. 12-13)
God knows we fall short. He can see all of it. I think He is so kind to us in letting us see only what we can handle. If we could see the complete depth of our sin and depravity all at once, I think that would be the end of us. Thankfully, He has mercy. But we do need to deal with our sins if we want to be pleasing to God.
In the verses written above, the author points out two types of wrongdoings that must be forgiven and dealt with. First he mentions our hidden faults. I equate this to what is often referred to as iniquity. These are those character issues and predispositions; those deeper controlling factors that lead to our outward sins. Often they can stem from family issues and perhaps even biological factors. A deeper study of this might be of interest. I know there have been times that I have done things and then wondered why on earth I did them. There was no conscious reason but there was a driving force hidden somewhere in me. We need these forgiven. We need to pray to be transformed and to have the deep core iniquities uprooted.
Next there are the willful sins. The psalmists asks God to keep him from them. The willful sins fall into two categories - sins of omission and sins of commission. Sins of commission are those things we do that we know we shouldn't. Basically, they consist of doing something wrong. They are spelled out by God in the Bible, so it is important we find out what they are. There are several lists of these types of sins in the New Testament. I have posted two of them below. One list consists of the "major sins"; the ones most people probably think deep down are wrong even if they are still doing them. The other is more intense as it lists the sins of the heart. Disobedience to our parents is on this list as is ingratitude and being a lover of ourselves. This list may surprise some as our society takes pride in many of them. The sins of omission are the second type. These are all of those things we know we should do and don't. This one is particularly frightening to me because I am excellent at having "good intentions". I always remember with trepidation the saying my mother used to tell me, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
So how can we deal with the sin in our lives so that we may be continually pleasing to our God? The first step is to turn to Him. The beginning of the psalm declares the awesome power of the Lord and the beauty of His creation. It reads as follows:
"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." (vs. 1-4)
When we turn our eyes to Him and His ultimate authority and strength, it makes more sense for us to obey and turn from our sins. Often we continue doing wrong because we do not realize the greatness of God and how He can fulfill us. We turn to sin to fulfill us and it cannot. We worry because we forget God. We turn to love in the wrong ways because we forget God has this love for us. We are mean and selfish because we forget God can take care of us. The root of all sin begins with us forgetting God and His power (Romans 1:18-32). So in order to deal with our lives, we need to remember God. We don't need the sins, we only need God.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." (vs. 7-8)
Next, we need to turn to His words which give us the directions for life. They tell us what to do and not to do. God was gracious enough to spell it out. He is not a God of confusion. He is the ultimate God of peace and order. He shows us the way. We need, then, to obey if we want to be free from sin. It is not enough to just look at the Word, we must do what it says (James 1:22-25).
In dealing with sin, the guidance given in I John 1:5-10 is a good place to start. It states that we need to get things out into the light. We need to confess our sins to someone. The power of this is so incredible. I think that is why Satan does whatever he can to prevent us from doing so. We fear that if people really knew us, they wouldn't like us. The exact opposite is true. We think nothing will change even if we are open. How wrong that is. Even modern psychology acknowledges the benefit of openness, which is what therapy is all about. It works because it is God's principle. He really does know.
Secondly, we need to accept God's forgiveness. We need to let it go and move on. If we continue to dwell on something, the likelihood of it repeating itself increases. If God, who is perfect can forgive us, who are we to not. Thirdly, we need to fill ourselves up with good things, the fruits of the Spirit. It is not enough to just empty ourselves of evil because then we leave ourselves open for more evil and sin to come right back in. We need to stuff ourselves so full of God and His good benefits that there is no more room for the sin and iniquity in our lives. (Luke 11:24-26)
There is great reward in keeping God's word. The sins and iniquities that plague us can be things of the past. I love I Cor 6:9-11 because it mentions some of the more serious sins that can plague us (and I was guilty of some on the list) and then it says - That is what some of you were! It is true. Our sins and iniquities can be in the past. They can be what we were, not what we are now. What an awesome truth this is. I know. It is worth it to please Him. Let us strive to do so!
Verses for reference:
Isaiah 53:5-6
"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His words we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
II Timothy 3: 1-5
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than overs of God -having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
James 4:17
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins"
Galatians 5: 19-25
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
I Cor 6:9-11
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful that You deal with our lives. We want to change but are unable to on our own. We are so grateful for the promises in Your word about how we can be transformed into Your likeness more and more each day. We want to please You. Help us to recognize and turn from our iniquities and willful sins so that we can say that the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouths are pleasing to You. We commit ourselves to You today.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Who am I striving to please? How do I know? Do my actions and words support this?
2. What sins do I need to deal with right now in my life? What are my sins of commission and omission?
3. What might be the iniquities in my life? How can I start to deal with them?
4. Am I being open about my life? Who am I open with? If I am not being open, is there someone I could open up to?
5. Am I accepting God's forgiveness? Is there anything in my life that I have not accepted forgiveness for? Is there anyone that I need forgiveness from? When will I ask them? If I am not ready to do so, how can I get myself in the place to do so? Do I need to forgive anyone? When will I do this?
Pray for:
Five things you are grateful for that begin with the focus letter
Five people whose first or last name begin with the focus letter
A place that begins with the focus letter
A characteristic to grow in that begins with the focus letter
Dear Lord - Please help me to hear Your everpresent voice and grant me the strength to obey.
Psalms 19
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." (vs. 14)
If I can please anyone in this world, if anyone is going to be happy with my life, I want that person/being to be God. I know I can't please everyone, and sometimes even pleasing those closest to me seems impossible. I used to worry about this quite a bit and compromise myself trying to make everyone happy. I wanted everyone to like me but in striving for this, I became someone even I didn't like. I came to the conclusion that I couldn't worry about it anymore. I had to live with myself and my conscience, and so I had to have integrity. I needed to be true to the one who matters the most - God.
Now I want everything about me to be pleasing to Him. How can I have this in my life? How can my words and even the thoughts of my heart be good and be pleasing to God? I fail so much in this area and I know that I only see the tip of the iceberg. As I mature as a Christian, I continue to see how far away I am and it seems impossible, but it is not.
"Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me." (vs. 12-13)
God knows we fall short. He can see all of it. I think He is so kind to us in letting us see only what we can handle. If we could see the complete depth of our sin and depravity all at once, I think that would be the end of us. Thankfully, He has mercy. But we do need to deal with our sins if we want to be pleasing to God.
In the verses written above, the author points out two types of wrongdoings that must be forgiven and dealt with. First he mentions our hidden faults. I equate this to what is often referred to as iniquity. These are those character issues and predispositions; those deeper controlling factors that lead to our outward sins. Often they can stem from family issues and perhaps even biological factors. A deeper study of this might be of interest. I know there have been times that I have done things and then wondered why on earth I did them. There was no conscious reason but there was a driving force hidden somewhere in me. We need these forgiven. We need to pray to be transformed and to have the deep core iniquities uprooted.
Next there are the willful sins. The psalmists asks God to keep him from them. The willful sins fall into two categories - sins of omission and sins of commission. Sins of commission are those things we do that we know we shouldn't. Basically, they consist of doing something wrong. They are spelled out by God in the Bible, so it is important we find out what they are. There are several lists of these types of sins in the New Testament. I have posted two of them below. One list consists of the "major sins"; the ones most people probably think deep down are wrong even if they are still doing them. The other is more intense as it lists the sins of the heart. Disobedience to our parents is on this list as is ingratitude and being a lover of ourselves. This list may surprise some as our society takes pride in many of them. The sins of omission are the second type. These are all of those things we know we should do and don't. This one is particularly frightening to me because I am excellent at having "good intentions". I always remember with trepidation the saying my mother used to tell me, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
So how can we deal with the sin in our lives so that we may be continually pleasing to our God? The first step is to turn to Him. The beginning of the psalm declares the awesome power of the Lord and the beauty of His creation. It reads as follows:
"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." (vs. 1-4)
When we turn our eyes to Him and His ultimate authority and strength, it makes more sense for us to obey and turn from our sins. Often we continue doing wrong because we do not realize the greatness of God and how He can fulfill us. We turn to sin to fulfill us and it cannot. We worry because we forget God. We turn to love in the wrong ways because we forget God has this love for us. We are mean and selfish because we forget God can take care of us. The root of all sin begins with us forgetting God and His power (Romans 1:18-32). So in order to deal with our lives, we need to remember God. We don't need the sins, we only need God.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." (vs. 7-8)
Next, we need to turn to His words which give us the directions for life. They tell us what to do and not to do. God was gracious enough to spell it out. He is not a God of confusion. He is the ultimate God of peace and order. He shows us the way. We need, then, to obey if we want to be free from sin. It is not enough to just look at the Word, we must do what it says (James 1:22-25).
In dealing with sin, the guidance given in I John 1:5-10 is a good place to start. It states that we need to get things out into the light. We need to confess our sins to someone. The power of this is so incredible. I think that is why Satan does whatever he can to prevent us from doing so. We fear that if people really knew us, they wouldn't like us. The exact opposite is true. We think nothing will change even if we are open. How wrong that is. Even modern psychology acknowledges the benefit of openness, which is what therapy is all about. It works because it is God's principle. He really does know.
Secondly, we need to accept God's forgiveness. We need to let it go and move on. If we continue to dwell on something, the likelihood of it repeating itself increases. If God, who is perfect can forgive us, who are we to not. Thirdly, we need to fill ourselves up with good things, the fruits of the Spirit. It is not enough to just empty ourselves of evil because then we leave ourselves open for more evil and sin to come right back in. We need to stuff ourselves so full of God and His good benefits that there is no more room for the sin and iniquity in our lives. (Luke 11:24-26)
There is great reward in keeping God's word. The sins and iniquities that plague us can be things of the past. I love I Cor 6:9-11 because it mentions some of the more serious sins that can plague us (and I was guilty of some on the list) and then it says - That is what some of you were! It is true. Our sins and iniquities can be in the past. They can be what we were, not what we are now. What an awesome truth this is. I know. It is worth it to please Him. Let us strive to do so!
Verses for reference:
Isaiah 53:5-6
"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His words we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
II Timothy 3: 1-5
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than overs of God -having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
James 4:17
"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins"
Galatians 5: 19-25
"The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
I Cor 6:9-11
"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
Prayer for the Day
Dear Lord,
We are so grateful that You deal with our lives. We want to change but are unable to on our own. We are so grateful for the promises in Your word about how we can be transformed into Your likeness more and more each day. We want to please You. Help us to recognize and turn from our iniquities and willful sins so that we can say that the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouths are pleasing to You. We commit ourselves to You today.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
QFT
1. Who am I striving to please? How do I know? Do my actions and words support this?
2. What sins do I need to deal with right now in my life? What are my sins of commission and omission?
3. What might be the iniquities in my life? How can I start to deal with them?
4. Am I being open about my life? Who am I open with? If I am not being open, is there someone I could open up to?
5. Am I accepting God's forgiveness? Is there anything in my life that I have not accepted forgiveness for? Is there anyone that I need forgiveness from? When will I ask them? If I am not ready to do so, how can I get myself in the place to do so? Do I need to forgive anyone? When will I do this?
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