How do we pray
Romans 5:1-5 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are —yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Prayer, that wonderful gift from God that connects us to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, should never be our last resort. Instead, it is the first place we should turn. For prayer is first and foremost a part of our praise to the most high God. Secondly, prayer is our conveyance of repentance, for how can we ask for God’s blessing if we carry unrepentant sins in our hearts.
Thirdly, prayer is the way we stand in the gap for others. When Nehemiah was assembling workers to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, he saw that as soon as a section was rebuilt, people would come behind them and tear it down. So he engaged men to follow closely behind the builders, thus protecting the newly built wall
Likewise, when our brothers and sisters in Christ are in need of protection, it is our responsibility to stand for them, preventing the enemy from encroaching in their territory. And finally, we pray for our own needs, knowing that God loves us and wants the very best for us. So how do we approach God? Boldly, for we are not coming timidly before a god we do not know, but instead we are asking our creator to hear our pleas.
Will He always give what we ask? No, but he will give us what we need, and what more could we us ask.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Man’s Plans vs The Almighty God
Proverbs 27:1 1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
Have you ever heard, or perhaps even spoken the words, “the Lord willing and the creek don’t rise”? The phrase, thought to have originated in the 1800’s by Benjamin Hawkins, the principal Indian agent for the government. He was trying to negotiate peace and when he said “the creek don’t rise,” he was supposedly referring to an uprising of the Creek tribe rather than a body of water. The saying became one of hope that an individual’s plans would not be circumvented by God’s will.
I am in a season of hoping “the creek don’t rise” so that I can safely navigate the waters surrounding me. Thankfully, I know that my hope is based on faith, and my faith is rooted in Jesus.
May we treasure faith and hope, knowing that life’s circumstances can never be too great for God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Living by the Spirit
Galatians 5:24 – 6:1:2 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Doing Good to All
6:1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Today’s devotional follows the fruit of the Spirit as outlined by Paul to the Galatians: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Paul goes on to say we must crucify the flesh. Jesus said in Mark 8:34 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
So how are we to apply this word to our own lives?
- Crucifying our flesh means we are to put to death any desires and actions that lead to sin. Sin starts with our thoughts, so instead of giving in to our thought life until we are acting on those thoughts, we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor 10:5.
- We are to avoid conceit by staying in the Word, recognizing that every good and perfect gift comes from God, James 1:17.
- We help others who are in error by praying that the Holy Spirit give us the words to speak that will penetrate the heart, assuring them we are not acting out of judgment but instead out of love.
- We watch our own hearts by staying aligned with the Scriptures and always listening for the Holy Spirit.
- We compare ourselves only to Jesus, living in Christ, and walking as close to Him as possible.
There is a lot packed into those few scriptures. The bottom line is we are His, and there is no place I would rather be.
I would like to remind you of the Hymn “Living for Jesus” by Thomas Chisholm.
- Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
- Living for Jesus Who died in my place,
Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all. - Living for Jesus, wherever I am,
Doing each duty in His holy Name;
Willing to suffer affliction and loss,
Deeming each trial a part of my cross. - Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,
My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;
Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,
Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.
May we look for opportunities today to live in the light of His love, taking the name of Jesus with us and sharing Him with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
GOD IS LOVE and HE IS LIGHT
1 John 3:16-21 God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Love. How much is written about love in the scriptures? The more we study Jesus, the greater His love is revealed. And, the more His love is revealed the more we are required to live in love.
One reason I enjoy studying 1, 2, and 3John is the focus on love and light. How much love are we supposed to have? We are expected to love enough to lay down our lives for another. But how do we do this?
May I suggest that laying one’s life down for another could be as simple as building that person up, and it certainly means that we live in the light and we do not consort with the darkness.
Did you ever hear of the duckling who was rejected by his mother? The farmer, being a compassionate man, placed the rejected duckling with the chickens. All was well until one day the farmer heard a commotion and followed the noise down to the pond. The duckling was circling the pond with one webbed foot in the water and the other foot on dry land. As he walked he very loudly flapped one wing and squawked, “Cockle doodle quack quack, cockle doodle quack quack.”
Just like that duck, we must choose where we spend our time—for Disciples, our choice is in the light rather than in the darkness, in God’s extraordinary love instead of hate and unforgiveness.
May we love like Jesus and live like Jesus, and may we invite others to join us in the light.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Praise No Matter what
Psalms 145:1-5 1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
After a year of illness, I just need to continue to praise my Lord. Am I completely healed? Not yet, but we live by faith and not by sight.
When David wrote this psalm. He employed an acrostic pattern, structuring each line beginning with the first letter of the alphabet and continuing in succession. One of the reasons this pattern is used is its usefulness in aiding in memorization. What tools do you use to help you memorize?
May we praise God from morning to night, knowing that all good things come from Him.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
