“Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.  There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.  (Luke 19:1-2)

According to the world’s standards for evaluating worth, Zacchaeus was a failure. He was extremely short; he was disliked by everyone because he was a tax collector; and he even hated himself.

He was not proud of what he had achieved in life because he knew he had cheated people to get where he was. He was powerful and had a lot of money, but he absolutely had no friends and was incredibly lonely.

But one day Zacchaeus’ life was completely changed because Jesus walked by and wanted to spend time with him, he realized how much he mattered to God.

When Zacchaeus learned that Jesus was coming to town, he wanted to see him, but he was too short to get a glimpse above the crowd.

“So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”” (Luke 19:3-5)

That very moment when Jesus looked up and noticed Zacchaeus. Can you imagine how Zacchaeus’ felt? Did his heart start pounding, did he experiance butterflies deep in his stomach? Jesus was looking right at him, a small, despised, insignificant man.

Why did Jesus stop at that tree and look at him? Because He knew that’s exactly where Zacchaeus was.

God knows exactly where you are too. He knew where you were a week ago and he knows where you now and even where you will be tomorrow. You may feel like you’re stuck in a tree right now in your life. God knows where you are. You may feel like you’re out on a limb, Jesus knows. You may feel all alone, but Jesus stops and notices. You are not forgotten, you are not alone.

No tear has ever been hidden from Him. No hurtful word said to you has ever passed that he missed. No abuse has ever occurred that he didn’t see and grieve with you. He sees it all.

“What is the price of five sparrows, two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” (Luke 12:6-7)

The greatest gift of love anyone can ever receive is attention. When you give people your time, you give them your life. When you pay attention to someone and look them in the eye, you are saying, “You matter to me. You are valuable.”

There is never a moment, never a second in your life that God is not paying attention to you. He notices you 24 hours a day because he loves you; you are valuable to him.

Don’t forget to call your loved ones this Thanksgiving holiday and  spend some time and let them know they matter to you. Make amends to the ones you may need to, and brighten the day of someone that wouldn’t expect you to call. Let them know that they matter and you still care.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the always noticing me no matter how insignificant I may feel in the world, how lonely I may be because family doesnt call or how screwed up I may get. Today I come to You with nothing but empty hands and a heart that desires more of You. Please Lord, take my life and do with it as you please. I trust You and desire to glorify Your name in all that I do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Please Watch this short video animation. (Forward this devotion to someone that needs to hear what is says)

Invitation:

If you are reading these devotions and are not a follower of Jesus Christ, please be aware that these seeds of scripture are being sown in your heart right now… I am praying that they start to take root in your heart and you come to know personally the greatest truth you will ever hear.. Jesus Christ died on a cross for you. He loves you and He cares for you. When you call His name and ask for His help, He will set you free..  Click Here if you would like to learn more about Gods salvation or ask Him into your heart.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Even in life’s darkest hours, the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, can bring the light of God’s joy to the darkest corners of disappointment. Because the Holy Spirit is alive within us, joy will sooner or later bubble to the surface. The Spirit’s very presence is our reminder of two truths: that Jesus was raised from the dead and poured out the Spirit on us when we became his followers (Titus 3:3-7) and that God has assured us of sharing his glorious future with us (2 Corinthians 1:22). Where the Holy Spirit finds a home, there we will find joy. Thank God we are that home! (John 14:1-23)

“Fruit is always the miraculous, the created; it is never the result of willing, but always a growth. The fruit of the Spirit is a gift of God, and only He can produce it. They who bear it know as little about it as the tree knows of its fruit. They know only the power of Him on whom their life depends.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I welcome you into my home. Until I can come home and be with you, I thank you for making your home within me through the Holy Spirit. I thank you for the joy that is mine knowing that you live in me until I can come and live with you. In Jesus’ name I thank you and praise you. Amen.

God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life. Click here  to discover how you can find peace with God.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. (John 16:22)

If Heaven had visiting hours, Today I would clear my schedule. I would leave my phone behind, along with all the other responsibilities that seem so important at times. I’d tell everyone not to worry, that I would be back soon. “I’m going to see you, my Mom.”

I would pack a bag of things that you liked to eat, not forgetting your favorite sweet rolls. Also some things to show you, stuff you’ve missed since you’ve been gone.

I would make my way up to Heaven to see you for the first time since your passing. After reaching the entrance gates, I’d see you standing there, looking as beautiful as ever, Your eyes clear and gleaming again, no more pain or sadness hiding in them. Your smile is bigger than ever before. All signs of illness are gone. Nothing remains but the look of complete happiness.
I’d hug you tight, never wanting to let go. It’s been too long since I’ve heard you say “I love you”

We’d sit on a bench much like the one at the park in front that old car. We were at Trail Dust town where I took you the last birthday I spent with you. I’d hold your hand and rest my head on your shoulder, much like we did that day – just you and I. I’d tell you stories and Jokes to make you laugh, a sound I’ve missed more than you could ever know.

If Heaven had visiting hours, I’d tell you about it all. I’d tell you about the nights I’ve cried because I miss having you around. I’d tell you about the laughs we have somehow been able to share. Life without you hasn’t been easy, I’m sure you’ve seen it all. However, there have been ups to go along with the downs.

After catching up on all the things that’s happening at home, we could spend the rest of the afternoon doing all the things we used to do when you were still around. I would share with you that I’m still writing the Christian devotions everyday, hoping that you have been able to continue to read them in Heaven.

When the day is over and it’s time for me to go, I’d be so sad to leave you. I’d remind you how much I love you and am trying to make you proud.  I’d give you one more hug, not wanting to let go. But it would be OK, because Heaven would still have visiting hours, and I could just come back again.

Madeleine Lavallee
February 21st 1935 – July 2nd 2016

Happy Birthday Mom! I Love and Miss you…

July 3rd 2016 – Saying Goodbye with Peace

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, please protect us from the vicious attacks of the enemy. Give us strength and protection when we are caught in the sadness of missing the ones we love. Please heal the hearts of the ones that have lost their parents, spouses, children or any loved ones in general.
Thank You the gift of ever lasting life with You in Heaven. All we have to do is ask You into our hearts and live for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, or need to ask him back into your life. Please click here to learn how to ask Jesus Christ into your heart.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

“Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)

Faith… at its root, is trusting in God. To have faith is to trust that God is going to do what He says He will do. This is the essence of the Christian walk, and it is part of our salvation and our continued journey with the Lord. The hardest part about faith often comes in the waiting. God has promised us many things, including His return, yet our waiting for that to happen can be difficult. This is why it’s important to trust what God says over what we see around us.

When we look at the world around us, we see on a global level corrupt governments, sinful behaviors and the devil wreaking havoc in people’s lives. This has caused us at times to cry out, “Lord Jesus, come,” but as we pray this, we also need to walk in faith. We need to trust that God’s plan is better than ours. He may be allowing the suffering to continue for a little longer so that others may come to salvation through Jesus. The good news is that one day He will return and when He does, all things will be made right and our world will never be the same. This is not a fairy tale, this is reality. Yes, we believe it by faith, but our faith is in the One God who has proven Himself faithful time and time again.

“When Christ returns, the world will be remade, our flesh will be made new and the devil will be destroyed.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the promises in Scripture. Give me the faith to trust in those promises regardless of what I am feeling or what I see in the world around me. I believe with my whole heart that You are God, that Jesus is my Savior and that He will one day return. Give me the power to share this message of hope with all those around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, or need to ask him back into your life. Please click here to learn how to ask Jesus Christ into your heart.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

“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.” (Hebrews 4:16)

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Prayer is an incredible gift bestowed upon us as Christians. When we approach God in prayer, we transcend our own limitations and engage in a profound conversation with the Creator of the universe. The book of Hebrews encourages us to “come boldly to the throne of grace.” Just think about it—though we may feel weak and broken, we can approach God’s throne with confidence, assured that He hears us.

Yet, how often do we present God with mere wish lists and plans, potentially overlooking the greater blessings that await us? In our prayers, as we express our gratitude and present our petitions, we cultivate a deeper faith. While sharing our heart’s desires with Him, we discover our own desires aligning more closely with His. Often, it is not our circumstances that change through prayer, but rather, it is our hearts that undergo transformation. What a joy it is to know that when we lift our voices to God, we receive hope, peace, and a life forever altered.

“The goal of prayer is not to have God answer according to our desires, but for our hearts to be attuned to receive based on His desires.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and allowing me to come before You today. Because of Jesus, I can approach You directly, confident that You are listening. Please continue to transform my heart and mind to reflect that of Christ. I lift up my family and friends who may not yet know You. Grant me the opportunity to share the Gospel with them today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Looking to invite Jesus into your life? Read below.

Jesus Christ says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him. (Revelation 3:20)

The Bible assures us of eternal life for all who accept Christ:

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:11-13)

If you have not yet asked Jesus into your heart, you can receive Him right now through faith and prayer.

Prayer is simply a conversation with God. He knows your heart, so there’s no need to worry about wording it perfectly. Here’s a suggested prayer to guide you:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and granting me eternal life. Take control of my life and make me the person You want me to be.

If you’ve prayed this prayer, congratulations! Luke 15:7 tells us that when one sinner turns to Jesus Christ as Savior, the angels rejoice. There’s a celebration in heaven right now over your decision! Remember this day as your “second birthday,” the moment you were born into a new life in Christ. You can trust in God’s Word that He has answered your prayer.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

“I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadowsat those whose hearts are right.” (Psalm 11:1-2)

David faced many attacks in his life as a man mightily used by the Lord. Because of envy King Saul tried to kill David before he became king. Later his own son would plot against him and seek to remove him from the throne.

When we place our trust in the Lord it is certain that we will be a target for the attacks of the enemy. To discourage you the enemy can even spring a sudden attack upon you using your family or the people you worship and serve with. In order for our lives to be firmly built upon the foundation of trusting in the Lord we should be in the Word, be with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and be continually exhorting one another with love and encouragement. The Bible gives us a list of battle gear to prepare us for spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 not because we don’t expect to face battles but because we do.

As believers and followers of Jesus we face battles and attacks in this world. From:

1) The world

2) The flesh

3) The devil and his accomplices

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, please help me to always put my trust in You and ask for your Grace  When the attacks come let me look to You and to Your Word for the weapons that You have fashioned for me to stand against the enemy. I come to You asking for help to discern the lies of the enemy, especially when the enemy hides within all the strife and tension that he creates. Open my eyes to recognize any spirit of division or confusion as the enemy’s plan to divert me away from God will for my life. I submit my life to You. Help me to surrender to You in every way and choose to live according to Your word. Continue to teach me by reading and speaking Your Word so that it is implanted in my heart and becomes part of my daily life. I want to live in obedience to You in prayer, in praise, in worship, and in gratitude. Thank You, Lord, that You have given all who accept You in their hearts victory over all the plans of the enemy. Thank You that he has to flee from our lives when we expose his plans to the light. Thank You for the wisdom to identify the enemy’s work in our lives and the power to resist him. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Put your faith and trust in Jesus! If you do not know Him personally please read below.

Jesus Christ says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20)

The Bible promises eternal life to all who receive Christ: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13)

If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, or need to ask him back into your life. Please click here to learn how to ask Jesus Christ into your heart.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

“But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.” (Acts 8:3)

Once there was a ruthless hit man who hated Christians. he did whatever it took to get them arrested, even murdered. Countless Christians were persecuted and killed because of this vicious man. Some time later, this man wanted to become a Christian. God forgave him and accepted him, despite all of His children this man abused.

We cringe when we read stories like that one. It seems like God is way too compassionate. We sometimes just want evil, vile people to get what they deserve. To get what they have coming to them. But even though God is intensely (and rightly) angry at evil, He offers grace and forgiveness to sinners, even the people we would define in our eyes as the “worst” of sinners. God will forgive any sinner, no matter how awful, if they repent, accept Jesus’ payment on the cross for their sins, and follow Him. God is extravagantly merciful. He is beyond.

The man described in the intro is actually someone your possibly familiar with: Saul, or Paul as we know him. Read his story in Saul’s Conversion Acts 9:1-20

Some questions to ponder.

• Is God to soft? – What use is it denouncing murderers if they can simply repent and God will show them mercy.
• What kind of God would do such a thing? “Is He neither tame enough more tough enough?

God is outrageously merciful. His mercy pulls the weight of guilt out from under any sinner. As His children, He wants us to follow suit. When people wrong us, God calls us to be like Him, to drop it. To forgive. To pull the weight out from under our case against them. God can forgive whomever He chooses to forgive. And He has chosen to forgive anyone who accepts His offer of salvation. While that is sometimes tough to swallow, how can we question the very grace by which we ourselves were saved? guilty of sin, we are all closer to murderers than we are to Jesus. Yet we’ve been forgiven by the God who’s beyond what we can imagine.

Prayer :

Heavenly Father, thank You for forgiving me of my sins and accepting me into Your kingdom even though, at times still sin against You. I often ask for forgiveness, however I also need mercy. I love You and want to please You, Your Grace is more then sufficient for me, anything above that is truly a blessing from You Lord, because I don’t deserve it. In Jesus’ name Amen.

If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, or need to ask him back into your life. Please click here to learn how to ask Jesus Christ into your heart.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

“And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. “(Matthew 6:13)

It’s amazing how we can be so quick to condemn what someone else has done yet rationalize compromised behavior in our own lives. The interesting thing about temptation is that it is, well, tempting.

Jesus said we should pray, “Don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). In this prayer we are asking God to guide us so we will not get out of His will and unnecessarily place ourselves in the way of temptation. We’re saying, “Lord, don’t let us be tempted above our capacity to resist.”

He won’t, of course, because the Bible says, “God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Yet sometimes those so-called gray areas come along, and we wonder whether it’s okay for a Christian to do certain things. Here’s a little litmus test to apply when that happens. First, pray about it and bring it into the clear light of the presence of God. If you can’t pray about something you’re about to do and say “hallowed be Your name” over it, then don’t do it.

Second, ask yourself, “How would this look if another Christian were doing this?” Would it look wrong? Would it have what the Bible describes as the appearance of evil? If so, then don’t do it.

Third, pray that you won’t fall into temptation. You can’t go through life without temptation, but you can pray, “Lord, don’t let me foolishly put myself unnecessarily in the way of going astray.”

You can appeal to God to place a guard over your eyes, ears, mouths, feet, and hands and what you say and hear and do.

“The enemy knows just what flavor of Sin to bait the hook with!”

Prayer:

Heavenly  Father, Thank You for loving me. I know that I have wrong and have sinned against You. Father, please forgive me and fill me with Your Spirit so that I can identify and fight temptation. Please keep me from trying to justify Sin in my life. Lord, when I find myself in a tempting situation, open my eyes to the way out so that I can escape. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Do you want to experience the kind of Peace and Love that is only found in Jesus? 

Jesus died on the cross for you. He loves you and wants to help you. He wants to bring peace in your life.

If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, or need to ask him back into your life. Please click here to learn how to ask Jesus Christ into your heart.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org

“then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men),” (2 Chronicles 6:30)

Trials, hardships, frustrations–whatever they’re called, we all deal with them at one time or another. The good news is that God desires to speak to us during those times. It could be that you are surrounded by circumstances that are difficult, or you may have made bad choices which have led to a bad situation. In those times, remember the words of Jesus Himself…

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28)

Many times in life, we can’t hear the Lord, even when He is shouting to get our attention. It’s often in those times of struggle that He whispers and we hear His voice loud and clear. If today you find yourself in the midst of hardships, seek the Lord. Use this time to seek forgiveness and cling to the grace of God. Cry out to God and He will hear from heaven and pour out His love upon you in abundance. When we do this, God makes the most of our pain and can bring something good from something bad.

“Whenever something in life goes wrong, use the moment to ask forgiveness and draw closer to the Lord.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the life You have given me. Lord, I pray that when this life gets difficult that I turn to You. Help me draw closer to You whether I am enjoying blessings or walking through trials. Father, may each day and circumstance be used to make me more like Jesus. Forgive me of my sins and fill me with Your Spirit so that I can be used to build Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Do you want to experience the kind of Peace and Love that is only found in Jesus? 

Jesus died on the cross for you. He loves you and wants to help you. He wants to bring peace in your life.

If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, or need to ask him back into your life. Please click here to learn how to ask Jesus Christ into your heart.

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

www.scripturalseeds.org