Category Archives: General Devotions

January 16th 2017 – Distractions of the Heart

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“For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes–so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.” (Matthew 13:15)

How easily we can be distracted by many things, whether in our relationship with others or with the Lord.

Jesus told His followers that spiritual distraction begins with hearts that have grown dull, ears that are hard of hearing, and eyes that are closed. Using the illustration of a farmer scattering seed, Jesus compared the seed that fell among thorns to a person who hears God’s Word but whose heart is focused on other things.

(Matthew 13:22) “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.”

There is great value in having times throughout each day when we turn off the distractions of mind and heart and focus on our relationships with others, especially the one with the Lord.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, help me to turn off all the distractions around me, and make time to focus  on the relationships that matter the most.  Forgive me when our time together get aside because of the distractions, from this day forward may I not allow the distractions to take from the real things that are important.

Open my heart to Your word and may my heart be good soil for the seed of Your Word today. In Jesus precious name Amen.

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

If you are seeking Jesus in your life and want to quench yor unquenchable thirst. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

January 10th 2017 – God’s Perfect Timing

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“Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain. But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.” (Romans 15:28-29)

God is a blessing God. He desires to grant favor to His children. At the same time, we have our own free will, which God will not violate. Sometimes, we cheat God of the ability to bless us when we selfishly and stubbornly force our own way. The Lord’s clock does not abide by our calendar. As much as we want things to run according to our own design, God’s blueprint is much better. There is an order to things that God has established. He created all the gears, cogs and wheels of life that we do not understand.

Paul had desired to go to Rome but he knew that his trip would be much more profitable in the Lord’s timing. He had learned to wait on God’s timing and not force it on his own. Sometimes, we have to wait on God. Sometimes, we may know what God has called us to do, yet we know it is not yet time. When we wait on the Lord to say when the time is right, we can know it is going to be an incredible ride! It might not be easy, but it will be good. If it is easy, be careful. Satan will do everything he can to oppose God’s plans, and if you are not facing opposition, you may want to pray to see if you are indeed walking in God’s timing.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we love and praise you Thank you for the love, grace and mercy that You extend to me day in and day out. Thank You for Your goodness; for Your kindness. Thank You for the incredible plans You have for my life. Please lead me into and through them in Your timing and not in my own. In Jesus  name, Amen.

Seeking Jesus in your life?

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 into your life you can receive Jesus Christ right now by faith through prayer.

Prayer is just talking with God. He knows your heart, so don’t worry about getting your words just right. Here is 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 Saviour and Lord. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

If you have done this, then congratulations! (Luke 15:7) says that when one sinner accepts Jesus Christ as his or her Saviour the angels rejoice. So there’s a party going on in heaven right now over your decision! Remember this date as your “second birthday,” the day you were born into a new life in Christ! You have God’s Word that he answered your prayer.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

January 6th 2017 – Obedience Our Gift to God

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When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: “Go; take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the LORD.”(Hosea 1:2)

We often hear Christians say things like, “The Lord just wants me to be happy” or “God wouldn’t ask me to do anything that I can’t handle.” The truth is that God often asks His people to do what seems impossible. Hosea was told by God to take a wife that would cause him much pain. Abraham was told to sacrifice his only son, whom he called (laughter) and loved dearly. Mary, who was called most blessed among women, was required to stand by and watch her son die on the cross. These three, and many others in the Bible, were asked by God to do what we would think impossible for them; things that would bring pain and suffering. They had different circumstances, and different struggles, but the one thing they shared was obedience.

(Matthew 16:24-25) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Jesus went through incredible suffering and pain to free us from the bondage of sin. He did not die just so we could be happy. He did not give His life so that we could simply pursue our own selfish desires. He died to set us free and to give us the model of how to live free. He taught the disciples through His Word and led by example that our calling is to lay down our own lives for the sake of others.

“Following Christ is hard, but it’s the least we can offer Him for the price He paid.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me so much that You were willing to die a horrible death and suffer the humiliation of my sins. Lord, I choose to follow You, wherever You lead me, because I love You. Jesus, help me to walk in obedience. Give me Your strength, power and love so that I can willingly lay down my life for others. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can show the love of Jesus to those around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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

If you are seeking Jesus in your life and want to quench yor unquenchable thirst. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

December 26th 2016 – Honoring One Another

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“Honor widos who are really widows.”(1 Timothy 5:3)

 

Throughout the Bible we are called upon to honor those around us. In Exodus we are called to honor our mother and father. In the book of Leviticus, God calls us to honor the elderly. Into the New Testament we are commanded to honor our spiritual leaders as well as widows. To honor someone is to place them in a high place, to see them as important. In short, to honor someone is to place more significance on them than on ourselves.

(Romans 12:10) “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;”

What if we all lived lives dedicated to honoring one another? The battles over minor differences would disappear as we seek out the best interest of the other person. The fight to be noticed or to gain power would be erased from even the church as we rejoice with those around us rather than see them as enemies or competition. This is exactly what Jesus did. In Philippians 2 we see an image of Jesus stepping out of heaven for us. While we are not worthy of anything, He left His throne so that we could be forgiven. If we live as our Savior did, a servant to others, we will honor each other and the world will never be the same.

“To honor someone is to place a value upon them that supersedes the focus on ‘self’.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Today I thank You for the love and grace that You have shown me. Help me to show the same love and grace towards those around me. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I can honor them. Whether it’s through kind words, generous gifts or diligent work; give me the strength to live like Jesus. In His Name I pray, Amen.

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

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

December 16th 2016 -Eternal Reservation

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“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)

Jesus, in this verse, is telling us not to rejoice just because spirits are subject to us, but to rejoice because our names are written in heaven.  Have you ever made a reservation for dinner at a restaurant or maybe at an event and you get there and you tell them your name and they say, yes, you have reservations for two.

Well this scripture is saying just about the same thing. Jesus went before us and because we have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior we now have reservations in heaven.  We go to the restaurant or hotel and they open their book to see if our name is in there, and the Bible says that God does the same thing.

On that day, He will open the Book of Life and say to us, yes, you have believed on the Name of my Son. Yes, you have received the gift of salvation, the gift that only Jesus can give. Come, enter into my presence and enjoy the reservation that has been set from the foundations of the world.

I don’t know about you, but for me, I’m going to dance and lift my hands and say, “Thank you Jesus, for going to the cross for me and shedding your blood for me. Thank you for dying for my sins and because of what you have done for me, I will now live with you for all eternity.”

If this is Good News for you today, think of someone you can share this great truth with. Today, your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Today you have have a eternal reservation.

Register for your eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, click here to learn how it works..***Disclaimer*** (Not a timeshare…)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, because of Your sacrifice on the cross for me, and that I believe and confess in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. My name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and I I have my eternal reservation for heaven. Thank you for your endless pursuit of me Jesus.. I love and praise You. In you precious name.. Amen.

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

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

 

December 11th 2016 – Fellowship with the Father

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“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life– the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us– that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:1-4)

Our life and our fellowship with the Father, is all because of Jesus.  When you make Jesus the Lord of your life and His power comes within you, it changes everything.  We can say that it is a game changer.  You see, when I try to do things on my own, then I have my own power to help me overcome.  But when I let His life live big within me, I’m letting the life of the Eternal One, the very life of God Himself, reign within me.

Think of it like this.  We live in a world of computers.  If I wanted to figure out some big problem with my own mind it might never get done but if I put the information into a computer that has the software to figure it out, it will get done in no time. So it is with us.  Our Heavenly Father has been here forever and knows the answer to all of life’s problems.  He wants us to fellowship with Him through His Son Jesus, and when we do, all of a sudden it seems like things that seemed so big seem to get in line.

So today, don’t look to the problem, look to the Greater One Who lives within you.  Fellowship with Him.  Give Him a place of dominance in your life and watch how everything in life gets in line.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Today, I look to the You who lives within me. when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, and Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to You, we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things. I thank You and love You Jesus’  Amen.

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

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

December 10th 2016 – Be Quick to Show Grace

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“Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (Acts 15:10)

 

It is a sad reality that few Christians are willing to extend grace to one another as Jesus showed grace to us. On the day that we asked Jesus to forgive us of all our sins, He extended His grace toward us. God extends this same grace to each of us every day. What about your friends and family? Do they need grace? What about co-workers or maybe the person sitting next to you in church?

How quick we can be to call out the sin in others while we ignore the sin in our own lives. This shows just how poor our understanding is of what Jesus did for us. If we truly understand just how far down God had to extend His merciful hand to reach us, certainly we should be willing to reach out with the same grace to others.

Think about this. When we accept God’s grace for ourselves, but are unwilling to show grace to others, are we not claiming the gospel of grace for ourselves while charging the law to others? What pride! Colossians 3:12-13 reads, “Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

Be quick to show grace. Be ready to show mercy. After all, if when you look at someone else you see their sin, what do you think they see when they look at you? God’s grace is not only sufficient for us, it’s sufficient for us to show others.

“Grace is not just something we receive, it is also something we give.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace. Please forgive me for the times when I have not shown that same grace to others. Help me to show grace from now on so that others will see You in me. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen

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

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

December 3rd 2016 – Sharing Jesus

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“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

The Lord wants to reveal Himself to people, His goodness to people that don’t know Him. Unless God reveals Himself to someone, they won’t get it. The fact that we get it is not because we are so wise but because God has shown us. He opens our hearts to His Word, and it’s His gift by grace through faith and not by our own works.

(Ephesians 2:8-9) “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

The world tries to separate man from God. When modern man tries to explain God from worldly perspectives, it ends up in a foolish mess. The cross is foolishness to those who don’t understand. People cannot “get it” until God reveals it to them. Does this mean we should quit sharing and just let people figure it out themselves? Of course not! Our calling is to share and leave the rest up to God.

If your motivation in sharing the Gospel is to have people accept Jesus, then you will become discouraged. If your motivation is obedience to God, then when someone accepts Jesus, you get to revel in the joy of obedience. It’s an obedience issue and not a quota to be met. When God shows up, things happen! Share with expectation and know that whether someone accepts Jesus or not, you are a faithful steward of the love of Christ.

(Romans 10:14) “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”

“God wants us to reveal His goodness to people that don’t know.”

Prayer:

Heavenly  Father, Thank You for loving me. Thank You that in Your vastness as Creator of the Heavens and earth, You desire to know me. You call me to share with others. Lord, give me the mind of Christ so that I may see You and myself more clearly than I ever have. In Your grace and mercy, I am comforted to know that You have offered me forgiveness. Empower me the with a passion to tell others about You so I can reveal Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen

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

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

November 20th 2016 – Share Your Story

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“Then he said: ‘I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.'” (Acts 22:2-3)

In Acts 22, Paul shares his testimony. Why is he doing this? Is it so others will be amazed at his religious upbringing or at the depth of his biblical training? Is it to glorify his past? No, Paul is sharing his testimony to lead others to Christ by explaining who he was before Jesus, what Jesus did, and the joy that he now has because of Jesus. This is one of the most effective ways of sharing your faith.You see, people can argue about historical facts and they can disagree over cultural details, but people cannot argue with the fact that you found love, joy and forgiveness at the foot of the cross. Brother or sister, don’t be shy about telling your ‘God story’. Tell it to as many as will listen and you will be amazed at how God will use it to change the lives of those around you.

“Share your life story often with people.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me and saving me. Though I was a sinner, You sought me out and saved me from who I was so that I could live for You forever. Please give me courage and opportunity to share my testimony with others and forgive me for times when I had opportunities to share and did not. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen

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

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

November 19th 2016 – Thank You for Being Patient with Me

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“But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Genesis 15:16)

God is responding to Abram in a dream after the promise that Abram had been given that his descendants would be as the stars in the heavens. God spoke to him showing that the Lord would be the one completing the promise. It’s interesting to note that the promise God gives concerning the land is hinged on allowing four hundred years longer for the people who lived there to dwell in it. God was graciously allowing time for them to change their ways and repent.

In (2 Peter 3:9) we are told “The Lord is not slack concerning Hispromise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Often our circumstances can cause us to respond with a shortsighted emotional reaction that can produce depression or  or even anger and frustration . Usually this happens because things aren’t done in ‘our time’ or ‘our way’. Yet we see the Lord declaring to Abram not only am I going to fulfill my promise to you, but in addition to that I’m waiting on this whole other people group, the Amorites, to reach the point of no return before I give your descendants the land.

God is so patient with you and me. But He is also patient with everyone else. Could it be that He is inviting all of us to walk in the same patience and mercy that He has towards us with our spouse, kids, boss, co-workers, and even those we don’t get along with? God’s given us time to repent, now let’s get wisdom from Him so we can walk toward others helping them repent as well and redeem the time He has given us. As we see in Ephesians

(Ephesians 5:16-18) redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit”

“God’s covenant with Abraham was not just for a nation, but for the nations. That covenant ushered in Jesus, who came with the promise of righteousness for each of us.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, for being so patient with me and allowing me the opportunity to repent and turn to You so that I can be forgiven. Thank You for saving me. Lord, please help me have the same grace and patience with others that You have toward me. Help me Lord, to share with them that it is by Your goodness and grace that they have the chance to repent and receive Your forgiveness and salvation. I trust You to lead me and complete Your patient work in me for this. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

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

If you are seeking Jesus in your life or want to recommit your life to Him. Click Here to learn more.

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org