Devotions Archives - Page 4 of 9

The Values Of Practical Wisdom

Posted on 3Mar CATEGORIES: Devotions

Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he has made crooked? (Ecclesiastes 7:13)

The crooked that needs straightening is the presence of afflictions and adversities in life. Both prosperity and adversity come from the hand of God. God often seems to place his children in places of deep difficulty, leading them into a corner from which there is no escape. Perhaps this is where you find yourself even now. Your situation is filled with uncertainty and is very serious, but it is perfectly right. For it is a platform from which God will display his almighty Grace and Power. He not only will deliver you but in doing so will impart a lesson that you will never forget. And in days to come, you will return to the truth of it through singing. You will never be able to ever thank God enough for doing exactly what he had done for you. Give thanks for prosperity and adversity and reflect on the goodness and comprehensiveness of the plan of God.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, Thank you for those paths that seem ever so crooked because you use them to display your grace and power. Please be with me today in the midst of my prosperity and adversity because I need you to encompass my entire life and I need your directions, wisdom and strength. In Christ Precious Name, Amen.

Put Out Into Deep Water

Posted on 2Mar CATEGORIES: Devotions

When he had stopped speaking, he (Jesus) said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch (Luke 5:4).

Jesus commanded Simon to place his nets in the water in order to depict a spiritual truth. The Lord did not say how deep. The depth of the water into which we sail depends upon how completely we have cut our ties to the shore, the greatness of our need, and our anxieties about the future. Yet the fish were to be found in the deep, not the shallow water. It is the same with us, our needs are to be met in the deep things of God. We are to sail in the deep of God’s Word, which the Holy spirit will open to you with profound yet crystal clear meaning.

Put out into (the) deep, “of the father’s will”. We must endure until we fully comprehend its infinite detail and goodness and its far reaching provision and care of us. We must never stop until he becomes to us a warm, shining, radiant, and fathomless sea, one in which we soak, basking and breathing and ultimately losing ourselves and sorrows in the calmness and peace of his everlasting presence. We must carry on until the Lord’s coming and his millennial reign are before us.

Jesus instructs us to set sail into all of these. Will you claim afresh and anew today to be immersed and drenched in these waters of life? How far have we advanced into this river of life? Lets loose the lines holding you to the shore and sail into the deep.

Prayer:

Lord, today I set forth going deep. I may not fully be aware of what the deep looks and I know that I may not fully grasp what it means, however I do know that you are at the helm and I will just trust in you as Simon did when he tossed his net out into the deep waters. As I push forward in my walk with you I do know the deeper in you I will grow. Thank you, In Jesus Name, Amen.

Get Larger Maps

Posted on 28Feb CATEGORIES: Devotions

Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said to Moses (Joshua 1:3)

You must walk it out with your own feet in obedience of your faith to God. Let us enter in and claim our total inheritance. Let us lift our eyes to the north, south, east, and west and Hear God say, “all the land that you see I will give you. You need to get larger maps, larger vision. He has given us his very great and precious promises. The land of God’s promises is open before us, and it is his will for us to posses it. We must measure off the territory with the feet of obedient faith and faithful obedience thereby claiming and appropriating it as our own. How many of us have taken possession of the promises God, in the name of Jesus Christ? Get larger maps!

Prayer:

Dear Lord, that I would have the faith to claim the things that you already promised to me, That I would be bold enough to step out and grab it. That I would be obedient and confident in you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Presence Of God

Posted on 25Feb CATEGORIES: Devotions

“Surely I am with you always to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Have you ever questioned God? And he answered you through his word? Surely he said, I am with you always. “So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). During such a dark place in my life I needed help, and only God could help me. He spoke these words to me, “Be still and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10). How I needed to hear those words. Do you need to hear from God? He is saying be still and know that He is your God. “God is your refuge and strength an ever present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1). Are you in trouble right now? He wants you to know he is here for you this very moment. “Come near to God and he will come near to you…” (James 4:8). “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you…” (John 15:16), God has chosen you. “See, I have graved you on the palms of my hands, your walls are ever before, says the Lord (Isaiah 49:16). “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart, says, the Lord (Jeremiah 29:13). Every generation shares the same need of divine redemption and help. All will find the answer to their need in Jesus Christ. He is the central figure of history and all men will finally face him one day.

Prayer:

Lord, I need your presence. I am holding onto your words today: you are with me; do not fear; I will strengthen you; be still; you’re my refuge and strength; draw near to you; you have chosen me; I will find you if I seek you. I have been encouraged that all my answers and needs will be found in you. Today become the center, the center of my life, so that when I see you face to face I will hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.” In Jesus Name, Amen.

A Meditation

Posted on 24Feb CATEGORIES: Devotions

Practice being alone with Christ! The scriptures says, “…And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples” (Mark 4:34). Jesus wants to explain all things to “You”. If you desire to have understanding, then dismiss the crowd, just as Jesus did, “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away” (Matthew 14:22). If you read the scriptures, Jesus spent a lot of time alone. Have you ever pictured yourself as the remaining person on earth, or the only person left in the universe? If you were the only person remaining in the universe, your every thought would be, “God and I”….. and yet he is already as close to you as that. Practice that solitude! Practice dismissing the crowd! Practice the majestic song “God and I”. Let no one come between you and your time with God. You will received conviction yet pardon, when you meet Jesus Alone!

Prayer:

Lord, show me how to dismiss the crowd today. I want to have times of solitude with you. I want the time with you so that you can “explain all things,” just as you did with your disciples. I want it to just be you and I. I want to dismiss the crowd! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Unveiled Faces

Posted on 22Feb CATEGORIES: Devotions

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Before coming into a relationship with Christ we once had a veiled face. We wore a covering that kept us from seeing the sin in our lives. When we have come to know Christ and are truly walking in a relationship with Him, he removes that veil, much like a groom would for his bride. During a wedding the bride and groom are openly joining in a covenant with one another, to be solely each others. The groom then lifts the veil and his wife can now see him clearly. As the bride sees clearly once the veil has been lifted it is the same with us. We can now see Christ clearly, we see His glory and along with that we see how he transforms us into his image and we too transform from glory to glory.

Today some of us have not been fully committed to the groom (or as the bible says the bride groom) to fully remove the veil. We still want to stay blinded by things/sin because we don’t want to give up our old ways. May I plead with you today? Do not hold onto that veil anymore, do not say stuck in old ways and patterns. God has great things for you but you can’t be in this relationship half hearten. This will be the best relationship you will ever have if you are willing to relinquish yourself to the Lord and allow him to lift that veil so that you can become more and more like Him.

Prayer:

Father, Today I stand before you without making any excuses and I am asking that you lift my veil. I want to see clearly, I want to see as you see, I want to be more and more like you, I want to be Transformed today. In Christ Name, Amen.

The True Vine

Posted on 19Feb CATEGORIES: Devotions

I am the true vine, and My father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:1-2).

Jesus’ purpose was to move his disciples from servants to friends. This would involve, a process of discipline in regards to his commandments. “Bear fruit,” fruit is the result of a process. No plant produces fruit instantaneously. Such is also the case with believers.Take away, has to do with lifting the branch to promote better growth. Prunes means “cleanses”. Once the fruit is on the vine, the vine-dresser cleanses the fruit of bugs and diseases. The spiritual counterpart is cleansing which is done through the word. The believer who lovingly obeys the Word of God produces much fruit. Not abiding in Christ has serious consequences; The person is withered, a loss of vitality, and a loss of reward. Failure to abide produces spiritual disaster. Christ loves believers unconditionally, but as (you) believers obey Christ’s word and abide in his love, you will come to experience and understand his love for you more and more. Are you questioning the numbers of trials in your life? Remember the vine-dresser and learn from it. Do you want me to stop pruning your Life? Shall I leave you alone?

Prayer:

Lord, please do not stop pruning my life. I need you. Please teach and shape me to be more Christ like. I want to serve you and you alone. Please “prune” me and purify me today. I give all that I am to you. Take my life that it may bear much fruit for you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

The Power Of Faith

Posted on 18Feb CATEGORIES: Devotions

Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours (Mark 11:24) . Do you believe? Jesus said if you would just believe. It shall be done.

For surely, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he “you” will have whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them (Mark 11:23). Casting the mountain into the sea is an extreme example of the absolutely impossible. Having faith in God can accomplish the impossible. From the depths of your heart you should never doubt the word of God. Jesus said, didn’t I tell you not to doubt? I have not forgotten my promise to you.

“In Hope Believed” (Romans 4:18). Base your hope on God’s promises, because the all-powerful God has promised it. By faith acknowledged that God is faithful and powerful enough to keep his promise. Will you trust the Lord today? He is working and in due time faith becomes sight. It is only human to want to see before we step out on the promise. Yet Jesus said to Thomas and to a long list of doubters who have followed. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.” (John 20:29)

Prayer:

Lord, your word says if I just have a little faith, the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20) that mountains could be moved. Well, here I am with this little bit of faith and I commit today to use it and trust in you. Though I may not see the results physically I am believing that it will be accomplished because your word says so and you are not a God who lies and you are always true to your word. Thank you Heavenly Father. In Christ Name, Amen.

Please Carry Me

Posted on 17Feb CATEGORIES: Devotions

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

In the beginning of this week I was walking my daughter to her class. We take this little path from the parking lot all the way to the classroom. On our path there is a somewhat of a little hill. This hill is not a big hill and is fairly simple to walk up, however it is more difficult when you have to carry items in your hand. The walk then seems much longer and so does the hill. For a little child who is carrying items, the hill has just become insurmountable. So, what does my daughter ask?, “Mom can you please carry me?” So of course I pick her up along with all the items that need to be carried (like her back pack). She then rest her head upon me. Together we trek up the hill and before we know it, we are up the little hill and and all is well. Much like my daughter wanting and even needing assistance we too are like this. In life we have hills (trials, circumstances) that are no problem to us and we can make it up just fine and then there are some days when we have to carry a heavy load and are struggling to make it. There is no need to be ashamed and say, “God\Father can you please carry me?” He will gladly take what you are carrying (your heavy load of burdens) scoop you up and carry you for as long as you need.

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. (Psalm 55:22)

Prayer:

Father, you are so gracious to take my burdens. You give me the strength when I am so weak. I love how you are always there in good and bad and whenever I asked to be carried you come and scoop me right up. Thank you. In Jesus Name, Amen

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. (Psalm 68:19)

Trust The Lord

Posted on 15Feb CATEGORIES: Devotions

“We should always approach God with rejoicing.”

In you O Lord I put my trust, let me never be ashamed, deliver me in your righteousness.(Psalm 31:1)

Put all your trust in him and rejoice in Jesus always. Never be ashamed for his name sake. He will even bow down his ear to your cry. Like the prayer of king David, in a time of trouble. King David rejoiced in the Lord.

Bow down your ears to me, deliver me speedily. Be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. Thank you for bowing down your ear to me and delivering me from the evil one, you are my rock of salvation. (Psalm 31:2)

The Lord is your defense today just trust him. God has given you life, for God enjoys receiving praise from his people. Let’s rejoice in the Lord today. Praise him from those who have been cleansed by God’s grace and renewed by his spirit. Trust God in your trails, in the good times and bad times. God is the audience for the music performing in his name. Acknowledge him and sing a new song to God with a renewed sense of wonder at all he has done for you. We should always approach God with rejoicing. We should never approach our worship with a casual attitude, we must offer him only our best. Just trust, just love, just hope, just pray till you have faith to see it.

Prayer:

Lord, today I rejoice in you. You always are with me in good and bad and I can always place my trust in you. You are my forever refuge, my hiding place. You deliver me from the enemy. You always hear me when I cry to you. You come in and shelter me in my times of distress. You O’ Lord are my ever present help. You do all that you do because you love me. Thank you and again I rejoice in you my Heavenly Father. In Jesus Name, Amen!