Category Archives: General Devotions

May 2nd 2018 – The Throne of Grace

“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 a mighty tool in the hands of a Christian. When we come to God in prayer, we step beyond ourselves and enter into conversation with the God of the universe. In the book of Hebrews, it states that we should “come boldly to the throne of grace.” Imagine… weak and broken, we can come to God’s throne with boldness knowing that He will hear us.

Unfortunately, many times we come to God with our wish lists and plans, all the while missing the greater blessing. As we come to God in prayer and lay before Him our thanks and petitions, we begin growing in our faith. As we share with Him our hearts desire, we find ourselves desiring His heart. Many times in prayer, it is not our situation that is changed, but rather it is ourselves. What joy to know that we can lift our voice to God and in return find hope, peace and a life forever changed.

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

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me and allowing me to speak to You today. Because of Jesus, I am able to come to You directly and know that You are listening. Father, continue to change my heart and mind into that of Jesus. I lift up my family and friends who may not know You. Give me an opportunity to share the Gospel with them today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Looking to ask 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 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 lifeYou 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.

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 28th 2018 – Memorial Day Reflections

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Memorial Day is when we honor the men and women of our Armed Services who have made “the supreme sacrifice;” who gave their lives for their country.

Especially these days, when Memorial Day seems nothing more than a time for cookouts and swim parties, we cannot be reminded often enough about how great a debt we owe our war dead.

They gave up their hopes and dreams, families and friends. They submitted themselves to rigorous discipline, 24-hour-a-day duty, and placed their lives in great peril. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Their sacrifice should inspire in us a profound sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy, bought with a price. And that gratitude should compel us to lives of service as well. Serving Christ, our neighbor, and yes, our nation.

Memorial Day is a great time for each of us to look into the mirror … to examine our own lives. Are we living good lives in gratitude for all those who have sacrificed for us — including our men and women in the military, our families, our friends, and most of all Christ?

Are we kneeling before the cross? Are we, out of gratitude, doing our duty for Christ, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, ministering to those in prison, in whatever harvest field to which the Lord has called us?

Examine your life. Some Reflections to Ponder today?

Reflection #1 – Do I really believe what I say I believe?

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22)

Reflection #2 – How is my life different from thoses who live in the world?

“They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us” (1 John 4:5-6)

Reflection #3 – What do my recreational choices reveal about me?

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5)

Reflection #4 – If I was denied access to my bible for the rest of my life, would I have enough knowledge to still live and grow in my faith?

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11)

Reflection #5 – Would I be willing to suffer for my faith?

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:12-13)

Reflection #6 – Is there enough evidence of Jesus Christ in my life to draw people to the faith?

“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16)

Reflection #7 – What does my prayer life reveal about my relationship with Christ?

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2)

These are a few ideas I wanted to put out there to ponder. As we look around us its not hard to figure out that there are alot of people putting forth much effort to change this great country into something other than what made it so special. As you also can see, Christianity is on attack here on our homeland by an enemy that this nation welcomed with arms opened wide.

At the very least, thank those who have sacrificed their life for you and those you know that serve in this nations Armed Forces. Maybe you will do what I do when you see a guy or gal in uniform, even a veteran. Walk up to them and thank them for their sacrifice and service to protect us from the enemy.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for always being with me and protecting me from the enemy. Thank You for this great county, Thank You for the men and women that serve to protect it. I lift the leaders of our country to you and ask that You would draw their hearts to You, guide them that they would return to then biblical values that this great country was founded on. I am so greatful for the unselfish sacrifice of Christ on the cross for me. Allowing me to have a relationship with You. I praise You and love You Lord.. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

If you would like to experience true peace in your life, try seeking Jesus. click here to learn more

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 27th 2018 – Distracted and Waisting Time

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“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)

Do you ever waste time? Let me rephrase the question: Do you have a television or a smartphone?

There are so many television channels now. Yet I can sit with a remote control in hand and hardly find a single thing worth watching. I’ve also found myself wasting a lot of time doing so. And then came the smartphones, which people can’t seem to stop looking at. They look at them while they’re driving. They look at them standing in line at the store. They look at them while they’re walking in the cross walk. Everyone is sidetracked with this current technology, and I wonder how much time we waste. I believe that the enemy’s plan is to distract people with so much information, which is so unblibical that it dulls our hearts. Making us believe that we need look a particular way or possess certain things to be accepted by others. Many spend so much time posting the most mundane details about their life online. Which in fact is a complete waist of not only their time but the time of others reading it and responding.

Jesus told His followers that these 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.”

I’m convinced that when we get to Heaven, we’ll see things much differently. I think some things that we will have thought of as good during our lives on this earth may not be perceived as good in the same way. We think that good obviously means excellent health, having lots of money. We think good means having a successful career, driving nice cars. I am not saying these things are bad. But maybe they won’t be as good as we once thought they were.

On the other hand, we may think of any kind of a setback, sickness, or failure in life as a horrible thing. But I think that when we get to Heaven, we will realize that some of those setbacks and failures actually produced more spiritual fruit in our lives than the so-called good things. Things are not always as they appear.

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.

“It isn’t good to waste time, but it’s much worse to waste a life”

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 would like to experience true peace in your life, try seeking Jesus. click here to learn more

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 24th 2018 – Magnify My Faith and Wisdom

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So Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
(Esther 5:4)

The book of Esther is an amazing book. While not mentioning the name of God, it clearly displays the work of God in the life of His people. Esther was one of those individuals who was given power and placed in a role to change history. Sometimes, we think that following God means random acts of faith. While faith is crucial, we must also remember that we are called to be wise in our actions.

In Esther 5, Esther is using great wisdom. She has a hard message to take to the King, but rather than blurt it out at the wrong time, she is preparing herself and the king for the important conversation. People say, “I don’t have to use wisdom, I am using faith.” God gives us wisdom, creativity and intelligence to use. Esther used the wisdom, guided by faith, to bring about amazing results for the people of Israel. Are you walking in wisdom? Do you consider all the options; make a plan of action for your life, ministry or family time? We all could be more like Esther, intentional in our actions and lead by God’s wisdom. Even today, let’s prepare ourselves for ministering to others and then step out with faith to get it done.

(Proverbs 9:10) “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holyisunderstanding.”

“When we walk in faith, wisdom and boldness, incredible things can happen.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the Bible that helps me understand how I am to think and act. Help me to grow in wisdom and to be intentional with my life. In the times when You prompt me to act, please magnify my faith, especially when I don’t completly understand. Give me opportunities to step out in boldness to love, give and share my faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you would like to seek true peace in your life, try seeking Jesus. click here to learn more

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 23rd 2018 – Deflate Your Ego

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“Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” (1 Corinthians 8:1)

We’ve all been there. You find yourself standing face to face with someone who is absolutely certain that they know everything there ever was to know. In essence, they want to make sure you know all they know – and that’s a problem. While knowledge is important and the knowledge of God’s Word is vital to any Christian, we cannot let knowledge lead to pride. In fact, as we learn more about God, His grace and what He has done for us, it should lead us to humility and love – and deflate our pride.

Let me ask you this, has God’s Word led you to love others? Do you read God’s Word in order to know God more or so that you can win the next theological debate? Yes, we must know God’s Word and it should be front and center in our life; however, it should lead to a life of love and not arrogance. Or, maybe you find yourself on the other side and you aren’t in God’s Word like you’d like to be. Let me encourage you to pick it up and read it daily. Remember; take the time to read because He took the time to bleed.

“Bible knowledge should lead to love. Bible study should lead to Bible doing.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me and for Your amazing grace. Thank You for giving me Your Word so that I may know You more. Teach me Your ways and fill me with Your Spirit so that I can be used to reach others with the Gospel. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you would like to seek true peace and God’s blessings in your life, Ask Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour. click here to learn more

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 22nd 2018 – Life of Sacrifice and Blessings

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“But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.” (2 Timothy 4:5)

The Christian life is filled with both blessing and suffering. The spiritual blessings we receive as children of God are a great reminder of our Father’s love for us, yet we must remember that we will also suffer for the sake of Christ.

(Romans 8:17) “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”

The last chapter of 2 Timothy is Paul’s final written words. The apostle looks back over his life and sees a life poured out for the sake of Christ. His life was a life of sacrifice. He experienced persecution, shipwrecks, imprisonment and more. He also experienced the power of God through great miracles and visions. In the Christian life, these two things go together. As we sacrifice for Jesus, we will find great blessing and joy. You may not travel the world enduring persecution like Paul, but as you give up more of yourself for the Kingdom of God, you will share in both the sacrifice and power of Jesus Christ. What sacrifice could you make that would change the life of someone today?

“The irony in sacrifice is that you often exchange one thing of value for another with the latter being a true demonstration of where your heart lies.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the sacrifice of Christ for the removal of my sins. Give me the power to live a life of sacrifice for the sake of others. Open my eyes to the needs of others so that I can be a blessing. Fill me with Your Spirit and use me for Your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you would like to seek true peace and God’s blessings in your life, seek Jesus as your Saviour. click here to learn more

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 21st 2018 – I Believe God, Do You?

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“Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.” Acts 27:25

As the storm threatened and the boat pitched back and forth, when it looked as though everyone was going to drown, the apostle Paul encouraged the others on board: “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me” (Acts 27:25).

Those are not the words of a person in denial or out of touch with reality as some unbelievers might say. The fact is that Paul uttered them when they were still in the worst of the storm, with no tangible hope. They had the hope that had been given to Paul by God, the promise they would be delivered, but there was nothing visible to indicate that it really was going to happen.

This was faith, you see. It is faith when we can say, as things are unraveling around us, “God is in control. I know He is going to get me through this, and I know that He is faithful.” Paul was confident. He knew that God was the Master of his circumstances and the Captain of his boat. He knew that God was in control.

There was a time when Jesus told the disciples to launch out into the deep for a catch of fish, after they had been fishing for many hours and hadn’t caught a thing. Peter said, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5). The word that Peter used for Master is a unique nautical term that means “Captain of this boat.” Then the Bible tells us they caught so many fish, their nets were breaking.

So here is the question: Are you willing to let Him be the Captain of your boat? Are you willing to say, like Paul, “I believe God”?

“Faith is knowing God is in control, even when things are unraveling.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I ask that You increase within me your obedient spirit so that I may be obedient to Your instruction. Help me Lord to walk by faith and not by sight. I don’t always understand what You’re doing in my life, but I make a decision to trust You God, In these storms, I ask that You place within me your spirit of hope, peace and rest. Help me to endure all that comes my way. Right now, I make a decision to trust You Lord because I know that You’re in control of my life even when my life seems to be out of control. Lord, I thank You for clarity, guidance, provision and strength. I pray and ask for these things 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

May 20th 2018 – God Will Come Through

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“Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” (Esther 6:3)

In the book of Esther, Mordecai was in a hard place. He worked hard for the King and even helped save his life, yet because of one evil person, Mordecai’s life was threatened. While this may have been the case, there was good news coming for Mordecai. In fact, the very man who would love to see Mordecai dead, would be the man the King would command to honor Mordecai with a parade.

We can be definitely be encouraged by this story. Maybe it looks like things aren’t going well. You may be worshiping God, serving, giving and still the pieces aren’t coming together. But in the blink of an eye, the pieces will fall into place and God will show you His plan. His plan is far more glorious than any we can come up with. Today, be encouraged that God sees all that you do for Him. While we may have to endure hardships in life, the good news is that in this life and in the next God promises joy for those who trust in Him. He is faithful. He will come through in the end.

“As believers, we may for a season go unappreciated, but we will not be unrewarded.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your faithfulness and for the promise that You will never leave me. Help me to trust in you. Increase my faith and fill me with Your Spirit so that I can live in great expectation of what You have in store for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do you have a relationship with Jesus?

If you do not know Jesus personally, I encourage you not to pass up the precious gift of His love and eternal life. Jesus died on the cross for you and me. He loves us and wants to help us. If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior please click here 4 Simple Steps to Jesus

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 15th 2018 – Finding True Peace

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“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 )

People all around us are seeking peace in their life. They seek that peace through lots of different ways. For some, it’s entertainment, for others it could be relationships, food or even in drugs or alcohol. Some may even turn to religion for peace, yet fail to find it because human religions are based on man working his way to heaven. There is no real rest for the person who seeks to earn peace through rules and regulations.

But, then came Jesus.

Jesus came into the world to live the life we could not. He was perfect, blameless and humble. He lived in obedience to God the Father and fulfilled the law. Then as He hung on the cross He cried out, “it is finished,” thereby completing our salvation. Now, we come to God by faith in Christ and we are accepted. It’s by His grace we are saved, not works. Unlike the man made religions around us, Christianity is God coming to mankind and offering salvation on His works not ours. All we must do is rest, by faith, in the One who died so that we could be forgiven.

“To be able to ‘rest in your faith’ or have peace, you must be trusting in Christ alone.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for the work done on my behalf. Thank You that I do not have to work my way to Heaven, but instead can place my faith in the grace of Christ. Please give me rest and an abundance of peace in my life. Help me to continually seek You in my life, because it is in You where I will find true peace. Today open up opportunities to share this truth with the world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you would like to seek true peace in your life, try seeking Jesus. click here to learn more

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

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

May 8th 2018 – Stained Glass Saints

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“And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:13)

The 12 men that Jesus first called into His ministry were a rough-cut crew. Like rough-cut lumber they they had flaws, some were green, some warped, some didnt mesure up. But these are men we call saints today. Over time, we have venerated them. Forever enshrined in stained glass, they are like comic book superheroes, but from the Bible. We think of them with no shortcomings, no imperfections or flaws. They are the spiritual elite.

And how could they not be? These saints spent three close and personal years walking and talking with, and following Jesus.

A young girl was asked in her Sunday school class what a saint was. Thinking of those stained glass pictures, she said, “They are the people the light shines through.”

Is that not what all of us are called to be? We are to “let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works . . . So, what is a saint? A saint is a true believer.

But who exactly were these saints? These apostles that Jesus called? These men who changed the world? The more we get to know these men, the more human we see they are. Sometimes we think of them as one-dimensional characters, perched on pedestals. But any honest look at their stories in the pages of Scripture would reveal otherwise.

They weren’t scholars. They weren’t religious sages. The fact of the matter is, they were quite ordinary. They were hopelessly human, remarkably unremarkable. But they were available and obedient to the our Master’s call.

This is just one of the many reasons that I know that the Bible is truly the Word of God! It is a completely honest book. It gives us our heroes in full view “flaws and all”. Seing the flaws in these men Jesus chose does not discourage me, but quite the opposite. It gives me hope as a flawed person.

“Despite our flaws, God can use you and me.”

Prayer:

Heavenly Father” Thank you for not ever giving up on me, even in times when I’ve struggled and have tried choosing my own way. I ask that You Lord, would continue to fuel my hunger for Your word and more of You in my life. Your knowledge of me goes beyond my comprehension. Please help me to exercise my faith, knowing that Your purpose for my life is for my good, and Your pleasure. Like your chosen apostles, Help me choose to follow You with all my heart, even if its just one step at a time. Thank You for Your reassurance along the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Do you trust Jesus enough with your life? You should, Jesus died on the cross for you and me. He loves us and wants to help us. If you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, please click here 4 Simple Steps to Jesus

If you are in need of prayer for yourself or others, please Click Here and we will pray for you..

Rob Lavallee

Scriptural Seeds Ministries

http://www.scripturalseeds.org

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