From God's Word Archive
February Luke 14:8-14
When you are invited by anyone to a wedding, do not recline in the chief seat, lest a more honorable man than you may be invited by him. And he who invited you and him shall come and say to you, Give place to this man; and then you begin with shame to take the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, Friend, go up higher. Then glory shall be to you before those reclining with you. For whoever exalts himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted. And He also said to him who invited Him, When you make a dinner or a supper, do not call your friends or your brothers, or your kinsmen, or your rich neighbors; lest they also invite you again, and a recompense be made to you. But when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you shall be blessed, for they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just. (Luke 14:8-14)
Lord teach us to look towards heaven in the face of the world that wants fame and fortune. Show us how to keep our eyes on the calling You have placed before us and seek to build others up instead of trying to exalt ourselves. Let us be devoted to You and Your Ministry working to build up those outside the church as well as those in the church so that Your Kingdom becomes stronger. Amen.
January Joshua 24:14-18
Now, then, fear Jehovah, and serve Him in sincerity and truth. And put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt, and serve Jehovah. And if it seems evil to you to serve Jehovah, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served Beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah. And the people answered and said, Far be it from us to forsake Jehovah to serve other gods. For Jehovah our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And He did those great wonders in our sight, and kept us in all our way in which we went and among all the people through whom we passed. And Jehovah drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We will also serve Jehovah, for He is our God. (Joshua 24:14-18)
May we choose You, Oh Almight God, first and leave all chains and distractions that hinder us far behind. Let us see that our lives in You will never lack anything that we truly need. May we believe and trudt with our all that wherever You call us, You will always see us through no matter how impossible the task might seem. Let us never cease to give You all praise, honor, and glory, for You are the only one truly deserving of all we have to give. In Your Most Holy Name. Amen.
December Daniel 3:14-18
Dan 3:14-18 - Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Do you not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if you are ready, at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, zither, the lyre, harp, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, fall down and worship the image which I have made. But if you do not worship, in that moment you shall be thrown into the middle of a burning fiery furnace. And who is that god who shall deliver you out of my hand? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to return a word to you on this matter. If it is so that our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, then He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
At a time when Christians should focus on the birth of Christ and Jesus being the true meaning of the season, we all to often find ourselves frustrated with buying that much wanted present, the special sales in the stores, and many other distractions. Just like those above, we are confronted with the choice to bow down to idols the world has set before us or choose the higher ground. May our hearts make the right choice and focus on Christ above all else this Christmas and all year long.
Heavenly Father, may we look to You and what the Christmas Season really means before anything else. May we be shining examples of Your Love to all those around us. With our eyes focused in the right direction, may we follow Your Call on us to free others from the chains and distractions with which this world has others bound. We praise You and thank You for the wondorous gift that You gave to us that first Christmas. May our lives always be filled and lead by Your Holy Spirit and bring glory to You. Amen.
November 11- November 24 1 John 3:18-23
1Jn 3:18 My children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And in this we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him, 20 that if our heart accuses us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not accuse us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
The verses above should be a continuous sign to all those around us and ourselves. If we live out our lives for Christ in every part of our lives, we will not only spread the word of God to those around us, but we will grow in our own hearts the faith and confidence that God is with us every step we take.
God may You be our Guide and our Light. Lead us to boldly profess Your Word to all the people in our communities. May we never cease to seek You with all we have and continue to grow in our faith. May Your Holy Spirit dwell within us so that Your Fire will never go out. May the darkness not gain any ground in our lives or in the lives of those around us.
October 21 - November 10 Psalms 141:1-10
Psalms 141:1-10 A Psalm of David. O Jehovah, I cry to You; make haste to me, give ear to my voice when I cry to You. Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Let not my heart turn aside to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity; and let me not eat of their delicacies. Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness; and let him correct me, it is oil on my head, let not my head refuse it; for still my prayer also shall be against their wickedness. When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet. Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cuts and splits wood on the earth. But my eyes are on You, O Lord Jehovah; in You I take refuge, do not leave my soul naked. Keep me from the traps which they have laid for me, and the snares of the workers of evil. Let the wicked fall into their own nets together, while I escape.
Prayer is the key to standing firm and growing in our faith. God can do amazing miracles in our lives and communities, but our Almighty God often chooses to leave it to us to pray for those miracles and be part of the work of His Kingdom. Christ said prayer is essential of living for God and following His Will. Simple prayers like David's words above and the rest of Psalms carry great power through the Holy Spirit due to being a conversation straight from the heart to God. Honesty in prayer and truly putting everything before God in prayer will cause our faith grow in great, immeasurable ways. Use the verses above as a true cry from your heart and see the great blessings God brings.
September 23 - October 20 Isaiah 8:18-22
Isaiah 8:18 Behold, I and the children whom Jehovah has given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Jehovah of Hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion. 19 And when they shall say to you, Seek to the mediums and to wizards who peep and mutter; should not a people seek to their God, than for the living to the dead? 20 To the Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because no light is in them. 21 And they shall pass through it, hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall be, they shall be hungry; They shall rave and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22 And they shall look to the land; and behold, trouble and darkness and gloom of anguish! And they are driven away into darkness.
These verses mark what God directs every Christian to do. We are to shine the light of God's Glory to everyone. The Lord chooses to use each Christian to breakthrough and eliminate the darkness and troubles of the world. Christians must ground themselves firmly in the Bible, seek God with their all, and be bold with the testimony of what God has done. When Christians fail to do this, the light within them fades, and they slowly fade into the darkness that all Christians should fight against.
God may You be our Guide and our Light. Lead us to boldly profess Your Word to all the people in our communities. May we never cease to seek You with all we have and continue to grow in our faith. May Your Holy Spirit dwell within us so that Your Fire will never go out. May the darkness not gain any ground in our lives or in the lives of those around us.
August 19 - Sept 22 Nehemiah 1:5-11
And I said, "I pray You, O Jehovah, the God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and mercy for those who love Him and keep His commandments; let Your ear now be open, and Your eyes open, so that You may hear the prayer of Your servant, which I pray before You now, day and night, for the sons of Israel Your servants, and confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very wickedly against You, and have not kept the commandments nor the statutes nor the judgments which You commanded Your servant Moses. I pray You, remember the Word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, If you sin, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you turn to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though you were cast out to the outermost part of the heavens, yet I will gather you from there and will bring you to the place that I have chosen to set My name there. And these are Your servants and Your people whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. O Jehovah, I pray You, let now Your ear be open to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name. And I pray You, bless Your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." (For I was the king's cupbearer.) (Neh 1:5-11)
Nehemiah makes a great heartfelt plea for himself and for all Israel. The words are a truly beautiful expression of sincere desire for God to restore the relationship that he and the Israelites desecrated and seperated themselves from. This verse should be a reminder to us of how much we need to dig deep inside ourselves and restore the relationship with God that we desperately need. This prayer of Nehemiah as well as others like Psalms 51 can be a way that God can restore that connection if we truly seek Him with our all. Please reread through the verse and let God work inside the heart with each cry from Nehemiah's soul.
August 1 - August 18 2 Chronicles 15: 12-15
(2Ch 15:12-15) And they entered into a covenant to seek Jehovah, the God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul, and that whoever would not seek Jehovah, the God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. And they swore to Jehovah with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with ram's horns. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought Him with their whole desire. And He was found by them, and Jehovah gave them rest all around.
King Asa of Judah led the people into a very strong covenant with the Lord. So strong a commitment of the people, that those who did not follow would be put to death. We should value our faith just as much because it truly is our very lives that are involved. If we truly do value our faith as much as these Israelites and seek God with our all, we will find rest. A rest because no matter what rises against us or how hard our circumstances are, God is right there with us, and He will keep us strong, safe, and protected.
Almighty God, let us pour ourselves out before You. May we be continually surrendering every part of our lives to You. Let Your Holy Spirit grow within us teaching us to seek You with our all. May we learn to have an attitude of forgiveness, both for the wrongs we commit and the wrongs committed against us. Purify and make us perfect in heart and mind so that like King Asa we will be a people after Your Own Heart. May value our faith in You more than even our very lives. May Your Kingdom come through us. Amen.
July 13 - July 31 1 Chronicles 28:9-10
1Ch 28:9-10 And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. For Jehovah searches all hearts and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. Take heed now, for Jehovah has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it
King David's words to Solomon in front of the congregation of Israel should also be the prayer of our hearts as well. We should focus on finding God and letting Him work within us to guide us to the direction He has for us. Then we need to make the choice to pursue what God has for us. When we follow after God with our whole hearts in such a way, like Solomon, we build a temple for the Lord. The only difference is that the temple we build is within our hearts.
Almighty God, let us pour ourselves out before You. May we be continually surrendering every part of our lives to You. Let Your Holy Spirit grow within us teaching us to seek You with our all. May we learn to have an attitude of forgiveness, both for the wrongs we commit and the wrongs committed against us. Purify and make us perfect in heart and mind so that like King David we will be a people after Your Own Heart. May Your Temple within our hearts become a guiding light drawing those around us to the same great joy we have being like You. May Your Kingdom come through us. Amen.
June 27 - July 12 (Accidentally deleted)
June 1 Thessalonians 5:11-25
1 Thessalonians 5:11-25 (11) Therefore comfort one another, and edify one another, even as you also do. (12) And, brothers, we beseech you to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and who admonish you, (13) and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. (14) Now we exhort you, brothers, warn those who are unruly, comfort the faint-hearted, support the weak, be patient toward all. (15) See that none gives evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue the good, both towards one another and towards all. (16) Rejoice evermore. (17) Pray without ceasing. (18) In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (19) Do not quench the Spirit. (20) Do not despise prophesying. (21) Prove all things, hold fast to the good. (22) Abstain from every appearance of evil. (23) And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelessly at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (24) Faithful is He who called you, who also will do it. (25) Brothers, pray for us.Discipleship is required of all Christians. The price is high, but the reward once we get to heaven is great. Passages like the one above is a guide for us to follow. We need to work together with each other to help attain all that Paul writes in these verses to reflect the teachings of Christ in the Gospels. Learning all we can and putting it into practice is the mark true disciples. Let us go out and accomplish great things for the Kingdom and Glory of God.
Almighty God, we place our lives in Your Hands. Use us where You need us and give us hearts filled with Your Holy Spirit. Touch us with Your Wisdom and fill us with Your Call. Empower us to take Your Message out into our community. May we help each other grow more and more each day in our faith and knowledge in You. Grant us peace and hope in You. May the Holy Spirit be a light that guides us. In Your Precious Name. Amen.
May 7 - May 12 Revelation 2:12-17
Revelation 2:12-17 "To the angel of the church
in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. (13) I know
where you live-where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You
did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful
witness, who was put to death in your city-where Satan lives. (14) Nevertheless,
I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching
of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food
sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. (15) Likewise you also
have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. (16) Repent therefore!
Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of
my mouth. (17) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will
also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who
receives it.
There are three keys points to take from the verses above. First is to hold fast to the name of the Lord. Hold true to God and do not deny Him to those around you. Secondly, do not let the community and other religions corrupt your faith. Keep true to what God teaches us in the scripture and the example of Christ. Finally, stand firm and proclaim what you believe to in the church and community.
Almighty God, thank You for the blessings You have given us. Continue to strengthen and build us up in the faith. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can withstand any hardships that come. May we always stay true to You and our faith in You. Let us not become corrupted by the false beliefs and community around us. Help us grow bold and stand our ground when others attack our faith. Give us the word to speak and loudly proclaim our beliefs from the mountain tops. We Give You All The Praise and Glory. In Your Precious Holy Name. Amen.
April 30 - May 6 Revelation 2:1-11
Revelation 2:1-11 "To the angel[1] of
the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars
in his right hand and walks among the seven golden
lampstands: (2) I know your deeds, your hard work
and your perseverance. I know that you cannot
tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who
claim to be apostles but are not, and have found
them false. (3) You have persevered and have endured
hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. (4)
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your
first love. (5) Remember the height from which you
have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at
first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and
remove your lampstand from its place. (6) But you
have this in your favor: You hate the practices of
the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (7) He who has
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the
right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the
paradise of God.
To the Church in Smyrna (8) "To the angel of the
church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the
Last, who died and came to life again. (9) I know
your afflictions and your poverty-yet you are rich!
I know the slander of those who say they are Jews
and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. (10) Do
not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I
tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison
to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten
days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I
will give you the crown of life. (11) He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all
by the second death.
The words were to churches of the early church, but each one can teach us both to embrace what the churches were doing right and to reject what the churches were doing wrong. The following prayer should pour from our heart.
Father, may we always remember to work out our faith and help those around us. Let us seek the truth in every situation. Help us keep the fire of Your Holy Spirit burning within us. Let us not cease to be as we were when we first believed, hungering for more of You, working hard to build You Kingdom, and always telling of the great things You have done. Teach us to rejoice even when the hardships and persecution comes. May we never fade from following Your will for our lives until the day we are welcomed home by You in Heaven. To You Be The Glory. Amen.
April 15 - April 30 Romans 6:1-6
Romans 6:1-6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? (2) By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (3) Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (4) We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (5) If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. (6) For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[1] that we should no longer be slaves to sin--Like the Roman church to which Paul was writing, we Christians tend to view Christ's death and resurrection as a credit card on which sins can just be charged over and over again. We stay trapped in sin believing that God's Grace will continue to wash us clean. We do not embrace the new life God gives to us. The reality of this is that over time we become hard and unaware of the sins that have built up and ensnared us. Eventually, we rebuild the wall that separated us from God. We should hold tightly to the new life that the Blood of Jesus purchased for us, and then we must charge forward, continually cleansing ourselves of faults and shortcomings. After this we need to fully embrace the call of Christ on our lives and keep growing in our faith.
Father, help keep us from falling into our old sinful ways. Keep our hearts from being hardened and turning from You and what You have for us. Help us search our hearts and lives so that we can clear out every part that separates us from You. May we learn to embrace all You have for us. Keep us ever growing in our faith and closeness to You. Fill us to overflowing with Your Holy Spirit. May we always bring You glory. In Your Precious Name. Amen.
April 8 - April 14 Luke 19:28-40
Luke 19:28-40 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. (29) As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, (30) "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. (31) If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' " (32) Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. (33) As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" (34) They replied, "The Lord needs it." (35) They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. (36) As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. (37) When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: (38) "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"[2]"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (39) Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" (40) "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
Who do we have on the throne of our hearts? This is a question we should always be asking ourselves. Are we like many at Christ triumphal entry that are caught up in the excitement of the moment, but in a short time, will shout "Crucify Him!"? Are we Christians that believe, but our hearts are focused on the things of this world? We also might be like the followers of Christ that have Him in head and Heart, but we do not give Him the throne and deny Him to the world, run, and hide. There are some that are like the disciples of Christ who have Him on the throne of their hearts, but, like the disciples at the crucifixion, have not yet received the filling of the Holy Spirit. Let us all choose to be the disciples who waited in the upper room and received the Holy Spirit in power and took the message out to the people, even at the risk of their lives.
Christ may we always keep our hearts and minds in check by listening for Your guidance and direction. Let us keep You enthroned in our hearts and seek out the filling of the Holy Spirit. Let us not fade into the background or deny You before those around us. Instead, may we be filled with Your Holy Spirit and proclaim boldly Your word to the people by spoken word and through our actions. May we be strong and faithful to do whatever You call us to do no matter the cost. Amen.
April 1 - April 7 2 Kings 5:10-14
2 Kings 5:10-14 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." (11) But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. (12) Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage. (13) Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" (14) So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
We are a broken people in need of the Lord, but the path to God is often like Naaman's being cleansed. We have our own thoughts of how it should go, and because of our pride, we resist following what God asks of us. In our minds, we think we can do it on our own, but we must release our pride and surrender to the will of God. Christ's example is the template of what we must follow. The brokenness of our hearts and lives will then be mended just as Naaman was cured when he surrendered to the Lord's Direction spoken through Elisha.
God, let us surrender our pride and rebellious spirit, then let us follow Your path that You have laid out for us. Teach us to daily pursue and work towards becoming like You, Jesus, and our need to be a part of Your Bride, the Church. Free us from the chains with which the world and our culture bind us. May we always be open to the guidance of Your Holy Spirit and remain true to You and Your Call on our lives. May we be a blessing to those around us through Your Work in us. In Your Holy Name Amen.
March 18 - 31 Matthew 13:18 - 23
Matthew 13:18-23 "Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: (19) When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. (20) The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. (21) But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. (22) The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. (23) But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Many will hear the message of the Gospel, but
there are also many who will not accept it or let it
become polluted by the culture around us. This is
what happened to many in Jesus' day and continues to
happen today as many Christians do not pursue their
faith and/or rest in the false comfort of a
salvation that is not lived out in their daily
lives. God calls us to daily seek Him and the
fellowship of other Christians so we may learn from
each other and grow in the faith.
God, Open our eyes and ears to Your Word. Teach us to daily pursue and work towards becoming like You, Jesus. Free us from the chains with which the world and our culture bind us. Let us never cease to spread Your Gospel and plant good seed. May we always be open to the guidance of Your Holy Spirit and remain true to You and Your Call on our lives. May we be a blessing to those around us through Your Work in us. In Your Holy Name Amen.
March 11 - March 17 Numbers 6:22-27
Numbers 6:22-27 The LORD said to Moses, (23) "Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: (24) " ' "The LORD bless you and keep you; (25) the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; (26) the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." ' (27) "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."
With Easter coming, Christians should realize the
power of these verses, especially when we return to
God all our devotion and heart. God's power flows in
more abundance to those who use that power to
fulfill the call the God places on each of us. The
last verse sums up the way to the rest of the verses.
If Christians keep the name of Jesus on their hearts
and lives, God will bless us and give us an stronger
faith.
God, bring our hearts in match with Your Call on our lives. May You give us the strength to face no matter what comes against us in life. Keep our minds focused totally on You. Let us open our hearts to You and receive Your Blessings through the Holy Spirit, even when those blessings come through tests and trials. May we rest entirely in Your Care. In Your Precious Name. Amen.
March 2 - March 10 1 Kings 3:23-28
1 Kings 3:23-28 The king said, "This one says, 'My son is alive and your son is dead,' while that one says, 'No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.' " (24) Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword for the king. (25) He then gave an order: "Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other." (26) The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, "Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!"We are called to be peacemakers as Christians. Part of that is to be arbiters of peace and resolving conflicts with God's direction. Like Solomon in the verses above, we must look to God to give us the discernment to choose what is right and bring about peace and justice. Facing conflict may be difficult to do that many would rather avoid, but Christians are called to use God-given Wisdom to bring and end to conflicts around so peace can be restored.
May you give us the wisdom to follow the call You have placed on each of us to resolve conflict and be arbiters of peace. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and grant us the boldness to face conflict in the world around us. Whether it is friends and family or coworkers and those around us in the community, let us trust in Your leading to settle disputes when asked. May our choices bring about Your Perfect Peace and hearts that praise You for Your many blessings that You give Amen.
February 18 - March 1 Acts 16:22-26
Acts 16:22-26 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. (23) After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. (24) Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. (25) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (26) Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.True worship is done no matter the circumstances and is often in response to the harshest situations like those experienced by Paul and Silas above. When such pure worship happens, the Holy Spirit moves among us shaking the foundations of our hearts, breaking down walls, destroying chains and opening doors. Worship allows the Holy Spirit to guide us through the rebuilding of our hearts and lives into a better reflection of Christ. The more Christ-like we become the more power we have in the Holy Spirit to change lives for the Glory of God.
Give us hearts that are purified by Your Holy Spirit. May we worship You with our all no matter the circumstances we face. May we focus ourselves on You alone and forget the distraction around us. May we enter in Your Presence through true worship and see the foundations tremble as doors are opened and hearts are freed from the chains that bind and weigh us down. Strengthen and empower us to then go and be Your instruments through the Holy Spirit to bring about the same freedom in others. In Your Holy Name. Amen.
February 4 - February 17 John 4:19-26
John 4:19-26 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. (20) Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." (21) Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. (22) You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. (23) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. (24) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (25) The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." (26) Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."
We are to worship in spirit and in truth. Christians are the fulfillment of Christ's words above. Sadly, many Christians do not know what it is like to have a true worship experience. We become bogged down by other concerns that keep our hearts from truly worshipping. We let relationships, the world, and sin create a wall between us and God. We need to tear down the wall through surrendering ourselves to God and begin to truly worship God with the praise and outpouring of ourselves that only God deserves.
Teach us how to truly worship You. May we learn to surrender our whole selves to You. Let us meet the wall we have built up between You and us with a sledgehammer and a torch. Let us destroy the wall completely and set fire to the rumble so it can never be built up again. Let us pour out of ourselves all the negative parts within us so that You might fill us back up with Your Holy Spirit. May we learn what true worship is like and become so hungry for it that we give You our all to get it. Amen.
January 21 - February 3 Psalms 95:1-7
Psalms 95:1-7 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD ; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. (2) Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. (3) For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. (4) In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. (5) The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. (6) Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; (7) for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Worship is essential to the Christian Life, both for building the relationship with God and for equipping our spirit for service of others. Reaching out to God is the core of worship. As the popular song by Matt Redman states, " I coming back to the Heart of Worship, and it's all about You, Jesus." Worship should focus our vision on God and moving toward the goal He has for us. We need to surrender ourselves to God and give Him all the praise and glory for the many blessings that He has poured out on us. We need to build our relationship with God through worship and learning to place our trust Him for everything.
May we learn to trust in You, Heavenly Father. Give us hearts focused on You and teach us what it means to worship You in truth with our whole hearts. Let our hearts be fully surrendered to Your Will. Grant us the Hope and Grace from Your Holy Spirit to stand strong grow in faith and power. May our spirits see You fill our places of worship like Isaiah in his vision of the temple. May our hearts respond just like Isaiah spoke in the same vision. Let us ask for forgiveness; then say, "Here I am. Lord send Me." All praise and glory be to God. In His Precious and Holy Name. Amen.
January 6 - January 20 Hebrews 11:1-2
Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (2) This is what the ancients were commended for.
Through faith, we can be miracle workers and great blessings to all those around us and even the world. God can take the smallest of things and make them great with a simple mustard seed of faith. Hebrews 11 is the proof of what faith in God can do. Through simply surrendering our all to the Lord and believing in Him and His Love for us, God can do today the same great works of faith described in chapter 11.
May we learn to trust in You, Heavenly Father, and grow daily in our faith. Give us hearts devoted completely to You. Make us open to the great and miraculous things that You have for us to do. Let us surrender our faults to You and pray daily for each other and the world, so all will see You and know You like we do. Praise and Glory be given to You alone. Amen.
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