DAILY DEVOTION

Tuesday, July 23, 2013
WOW! I didn't realize how long it has been since my last devotion!! 
I must have really needed to jot things down today! Things in this world sure are a mess, aren't they? Yikes! Everywhere you look, there is hate and anger, sadness and despair. Although, there are moments of hope and joy through our faith that keeps believers hanging on and remembering that God is in control, even in midst of chaos. It seems as though no one likes each other anymore. Intolerance is at an excruciatingly high level. I've actually stopped watching the news, except for the weather. Our focus HAS to be on God!! It just HAS to be. You can't even read a story online without negativity and hate to the extremth degree!! I know extremth isn't a word.. but it gets my point across. We need to rely on Abba for our rest, strength and power to deal with all of the problems plaguing us today.  We need to rely on our Savior, Jesus as a source of comfort, hope, encouragement and wisdom. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance, and discernment. There is nothing we can do apart from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! 
As I was reading a prayer request this morning on the the Lords Fb page.. the Page of Prayer,  I was quickly reminded of Ecclesiates 3.....

Ecclesiastes 3 New International Version (NIV)

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. ¹³ That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. ¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

¹⁵ Whatever is has already been,
    and what will be has been before;
    and God will call the past to account.^[b]

¹⁶ And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
    in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

¹⁷ I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment
    both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
    a time to judge every deed.”

¹⁸ I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. ¹⁹ Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath^[c]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. ²⁰ All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. ²¹ Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

²² So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

There is nothing but comfort that comes from this. How can you not feel comforted after reading this. How can you not feel rejuvenated, refreshed.... spiritually revived?!!! 

HALLELUJAH!!!

 

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

God's Heart for Us

 I've always been the type that really needs to read something 2 times before it actually makes sense. Usually. But there are things I can absorb instantly. When it comes to scripture or devotions, I always pray that God will open my mind and heart before I read. I pray He'll lead and guide me through the words. He does. Never the less, I'm so glad that I am involved in 2 community groups that are now doing the exact same study on 'When God's People Pray'.  
If I were to ask my son, to has comprehension issues, to reread a chapter or paragraphs to try and sharpen those weak skills of his, he's totally distraught. It's so incredibly boring that he acts as though I just asked him to go outside and dig a 20 foot deep trench around the perimeter of our 1/2 acre size yard. When it comes to the Word of God and anything associated with Abba,  I THIRST for it! I would dig a trench just to get to be able to read it if that's what it takes. That's most certainly how I feel about this book as well.

Did you know that prayer didn't start with Adam and Eve? Nope. I actually started with their son Seth and his family. IN Genesis 4:25, after the death of Able by the hand of Cain, Adam and Eve had another son.... Seth. He grew and had a family. Once his son Enoch was born, verse 26 says, "... at that time, men began to call on the name of the Lord." 
Prayer has been around since the first family of recorded history.  

Question: What do you think Christians and the churches they attend miss out on when calling on God in prayer is not an essential part of their life and worship? (WGPP, Jim Cymbala)

Undoubtedly, they miss out on one of the greatest gifts the Abba has blessed us with.  They miss out on Gods immeasurable love for us. They miss out on his comfort, devotion and countless blessings He so desperately wants us to have if we just ask.  I have learned first hand, that when we call on the name of the Lord, He answers!  
Why do we (Christians) fight so hard for others to accept Christ? Why do we risk losing friends, being turned away by family and, in general, being viewed as religious freaks? 
I remember when I was in a past relationship with my ex-fiance, we were outside talking as he was working on his Land Cruiser. I can't remember the entire conversation. As a matter of fact I can't remember most of it because what he said to me after I expressed my desire for him to come to church with me, broke my heart. He asked.."You're not going all religious on me are you?!".  I think that was the beginning of the end, even though the end was still a few years away. It was a small simple question that literally rocked my world. Am I going religious on you? What?!! I don't remember what I said to that, or if I said anything. I did realize at that moment, my life wouldn't be the same, whether for the better or worse,  it was starting to change. I would read the Bible but not really fully understand the words. The parables and stories didn't make sense. At that moment, I prayed. I asked God for His help, I knew Him, already loved Him, but He was placed on the back burner of my life until that moment. He'd eventually be put on the back burner again, not long after that, but not for long. God knew I wanted and needed Him looooong before I knew. He watched out for me even when I didn't walk closely to Him. I believe with all of my heart, it was because I called on His name and asked for His help. He knew I'd slide back, but when that happened, He'd always be right there when I'd call on Him again.  I called on His name and He never left my side. Even when I wasn't giving Him the attention, He was waiting patiently for me for when I was ready. 
He knows what your heart desires even before you do. He wants to give you all that you could ever need and wants you to be at  peace and be truly happy. JUST ASK! 

Now I'm to the point where I want to grow further in prayer.  I never looked at prayer as something to improve on or to hone in on. Boy was I wrong. I have met those people that prayer is just as natural of an instinct as it is to breath. You walk up them and they ask how you are, you tell them and some will say they'll pray for you but for those that instinctively pray, they respond with and offer to pray with you at that very moment. 

I'm slowly losing friends. There, I said it. I was actually in denial about the extreme....ness  of this. I knew I personally had deleted a couple of them for posting things on Facebook that, to me, where of the highest disrespect a person could ever display. My response to things that I see now, is prayer. I simply pray for God to be in control. Of what, you ask? Well, of my response to any situation where He (God) is being disrespected. Which includes we, as Christ followers being persecuted as well. I pray that He makes clear to me whom He view as someone I need to prune from my life. This is so hard, because in once case, it was a friend I've known since high school. I'm no tree, but being pruned, literally, can't feel too good. Well, it doesn't feel good when God 'prunes' people out of our lives at first. When they're gone, as much as you may miss the times you were friends, you have a peace like you've never felt before. The nutrient sucking, dead, nourishment stealing branch is no longer doing it's damage. I don't like it, but sometimes it's necessary. Don't misunderstand, I believe that there is still hope for that person and will continue to pray for them. It just may be that they're time in my life, at that particular moment, is not a good thing. I don't prune on my own.  I leave that decision up to Abba.  

There are SO many things to pray about. Guidance, help, clarity, peace, comfort, understanding, mercy.  There are so many people to pray for. Why do we risk it all? Because we love the people in our lives, near and far, SO much, and want them to experience what we do.

I love ..... therefore.... I pray.


 


Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2012  
WHEN GOD'S PEOPLE PRAY


Prayer. Sometimes I think that word has lost power in a world that could be easily healed by it. In 2Chronicles 7:14, God Himself tells us.. ^"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Have the masses forgotten that God's blessings are there for the taking? I'm right smack dab in the middle of finding out why we've placed prayer on the back burner and pray that God leads me to His will.... especially when it comes to prayer. There's always that chance that this isn't the area He has set for me to be when it comes to guiding or encouraging others. All I know, is that right now, I feel closer to Him than I ever have, and it's all because of His guidance in making me a more powerful and effective prayer warrior, and I can't seem to keep quiet about it!! Let's face it.... this country, this WORLD, is a mess. To this, you're replying.. "No kidding Captain Obvious!", but the point I'm trying to make is, what do we do next? Nothing else seems to be working. Non believers and those who do believe but still refuse to put God first wonder why things are the way they are. Those who seek the Lord and His will, well, we know what's happening, and we know what we need to do. So, what's stopping us? Is it a fear of some kind? Here we are, a nation with the freedom (at least for now!) to pray when ever we want, almost wherever we want, and we take it for granted. It's no secret that I, and a group of my brothers and sisters at church have found another weapon to add to our arsenal. Jim Cymbala. Look him up. It's quite obvious that God is using this man to accomplish great things, like leading us back to the basics. Prayer. Just typing it, it feels like the word 'prayer' has lost it's punch, it's fervor. We say it so much when talking with friends, especially on Facebook...."I'll pray for you!, Praying!, Lifting you up in prayer!, Done., You got it!."....  However you type it in the comment box after someones plea for it, it means that you are praying. What are you praying? How are you praying? Are you asking for everything to be ok with that person or their situation? Are you praying that they get better or that they get the job, or that their husband/wife comes back? I know that used to be a very typical prayer that came from my lips. Ok then, you ask, exactly how should we pray? Let's find out together. I'm not doing this on my own. I'm no great leader or motivational speaker. Tony Robbins, I am not! I would like to ask that all of my friends participate in this by commenting about their experience with prayer.  My advice to everyone... PRAY. Pray about praying. Ask God to show you how to be more effective in your prayers to Him. He's going to LOVE that your desire is to have better communication with Him. 
Ladies, wouldn't you love it if your husband sat you down and said, "Honey, Darling, Sweetie, Love of my life, Baby, Snuggle muffin, Pookie wookie, hey you, (<--enter term of endearment choice here), What can I do to have better communication with you? What can I do to improve the way we communicate? I desire a more fulfilling, loving relationship with you and I know that in order to do that, we need to communicate more. I NEED and desire to know what you want from me. What is it? Just ask."....Not only is he asking, but he's asking honestly with deep sincerity!...... What would your response be ...after you came to from being rendered unconscious due to falling off of the chair and hitting your head on the floor? To me, it would be bliss. If your husband met your needs of communication (which lets him know your wants and desires in any area you discuss), lets be honest, it would be so much easier to want to meet the needs of his. And no, I'm not just talking about THAT desire. Don't act like you have no idea what I'm talking about! Don't get me wrong, I know that, as a woman of faith and from my reading of the Word, it shouldn't take the husband doing something good to make us do something good for him in return. I get that, but we are human. We, as God's child, should be a wife who desires to please her husband and meet his needs simply because we love God and want be obedient to Him. It should fill us with joy when we have that open communication with our spouse, and all needs can be met. I'm getting a tad off course, but you get the idea, I hope. When we go to God in prayer with praise and supplication for his will for us, He HAS to be overjoyed!! He IS overjoyed!! Mr. Cymbala reminded me of the passage of scripture found in James 4:2 and 3, when Jesus so beautifully spoke..."4:2 You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask; 4:3 you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions." Doesn't that sound like our marriages or other relationships? Our husbands aren't mind readers and neither are we. God is, but He wants to hear our request. He wants us to talk to Him.  ... Let's dive into this prayer thing!

Wednesday, Sept. 26th, 1012

We are stewards of the Gospel. The power to proclaim the greatest news in heaven or on earth was not given to the angels. It was given to redeemed men. This was addressed to humble laymen. Some think that only ministers are to preach, but that is wrong. Every Christian is to be a witness; every follower of Christ is to preach the Gospel.

We can preach by sharing our experience with others. We can preach by exalting Christ in our daily lives. Sermons which are seen are often more effective than those which are heard. The truth is: the best sermons are both heard and seen. They are a sort of audiovisual testimony. We can also preach by giving to others, so they may preach. Missionary gifts, church offerings, and charitable contributions all speak eloquently of your unselfishness and Christian generosity.

In all these things, we are partners with God. We are helping by His grace to redeem the world. God needs our time, our talents, our witnessing,

and our money, today more than at any other time in history. Become a full, working partner with God.

Prayer for the day

Wherever I go today, make me conscious of the people I meet. They need Your love. So whether I can speak of You to them, say a kind word or minister in any way, I would be like You, Lord—ever loving, ever giving.
...Rev Billy Graham

Now.. before you non believers go all ballistic and comment on the part that says God needs our money, STOP and calm down! This is where God needs our money... general operating funds for each individual church building, missionaries, teaching resources for the church, food banks, homeless shelters, charitable organization (Kidney Foundation, Salvation Army, American Cancer Society..etc..), women's shelters, and any other community outreach program you can think of. :)

Tuesday, Sept. 25th, 2012 

Guilt is a prominent word among psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, and ministers too. The dictionary calls guilt “the act or state of having done a wrong or committed an offense.” The symptoms of guilt are many, but the root cause is one.

We have broken the moral law of the universe as expressed in the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. So we have a sense of guilt.

This guilt causes a var

iety of psychological problems such as insecurity, tension, hunger for approval, struggles for recognition. A sense of guilt, some psychiatrists point out, is as necessary as a sense of pain. We need both in order to keep us from getting hurt.

Prayer for the day

Your Holy Spirit touches my heart and makes me conscious of my guilt. Forgive me, Lord.
....Rev. Billy Graham

Understand that because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, when we go to God with a truly repentant heart and ask for our Father to forgive us, He will. It's done. He casts them as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12).  John 8:7-11 is PERFECTLY clear..."7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and sin no more"    We are now free from that guilt but MUST walk away from continuing to sin!
                         


Friday, Sept. 21, 2012

 
If you try to rationalize God exhaustively, you will fail. There are mysteries about God that we will never understand in this life. How can the small and finite, limited to time and space, understand an infinite God! We should not think it strange that it is impossible to explain many mysteries in the realm of matter.

Who can explain why objects are always attracted to the center of the earth? Who can fathom the law of gravity? Newton discovered it, but he could not explain it. Who can explain the miracle of reproduction?... Thus many evidences and many arguments could be advanced to indicate there is a God.

Yet the plain truth is this: God cannot be proved by mere rationalization. He cannot be contained in a tiny man-made test tube or confined to an algebraic formula. If God can be fully proved by the human mind, then He is no greater than the mind that proves Him.

Prayer for the day:
Lord God almighty, although my finite mind cannot comprehend the magnitude of Your greatness, I have felt Your presence in the quiet of my heart and I am gladdened.
....Rev. Billy Graham

Wed. Sept. 19, 2012

I do not quarrel with Karl Marx’s statement that “religion is the opiate of the people.” I never try to defend religion. Religion has spawned wars. Many so-called religious

people have been characterized by prejudice, pride, bickering, and even tolerance for slavery. However, I would call you to a simple faith in Jesus, who said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Are you really concerned? Are you disappointed with society? If you are, I challenge you to take the first step. I challenge you to look at yourself.

Prayer for the day

Forgive me, for so often failing to love my neighbor. May my life speak to others of Your love and compassion, Lord Jesus Christ.

.....Rev. Billy Graham

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