“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:7-8)
“If you abide in Me….” If we are born again, we do abide in Christ. If Jesus had said that and that alone, we would have had it made, but He continued, “And my words abide in you.”
Jesus’ words abide in us in the measure that they govern our lives in the measure that we act upon them. If Jesus’ words abide in us, we are bound to have faith, because the Bible says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
It would be impossible for Jesus’ words to abide in someone and for that person not to have faith!
Unbelief and doubt are a result of ignorance of the Word of God. If we live the Word, then when we come to pray, that Word dwells in us so richly that it becomes Jesus’ Word on our lips. It will be as if the Father’s words were on the lips of Jesus.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I abide in You. And Your words abide in me. Help me hide Your words in my heart, believe them with all my heart. I pray them. When I come to prayer, the Word that dwells in my heart becomes God’s Word on my lips, and it cannot return to God void. It will accomplish what it has been set to do. I praise You and am so greatful for your presence in my life. in Jesus’ name Amen.
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“Let all that you do be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)
In 1 Corinthians 16:14, we find such a simple command. Simply put, we are to do everything with love. While this may appear simple in direction, it’s not simple in action. Because we are broken vessels in an evil world, it can be difficult to do everything with love. After all, our first reaction is to preserve ourselves. Our emotions, our lives, our stuff; these are the things we strive to maintain at all cost… and love demands we lose them for the sake of others.
(Galatians 2:20) “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.”
As Christians, we are no longer slaves to ourselves. We have been freed to love others just as Christ loved us. He is our great example as well as our strength. We cannot love rightly on our own. We must depend on Jesus. So next time someone in traffic causes you to see red, look to the cross of Christ and the blood that He shed for you. He died for us when we didn’t deserve it so now we can forgive others even when they don’t deserve it.
“You’re not living until you give your life away and start to love.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am so grateful for Your love and grace. Because You loved me, I am able to love others in every circumstance. Give me strength to walk in obedient love and to look for opportunities to care for others around me. As Your love increases in me, may my selfishness decrease. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1)
Today we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Many don’t now that it is really very spiritual in its origins. In 1789 the United States 1st President George Washington declared Thanksgiving as a national day for giving thanks to God.
In the midst of all our feasting, it is easy to forget about the one we are celebrating. Sometimes we have no gratitude and forget to give thanks altogether.
Many will say things like, “What do have to be thankful for? My life is a mess, or my spouse has left me, or I lost my job. Maybe my children never call me, or I don’t have any friends.”
That is the ultimate test of the depth of your faith. Can you thank God when life stinks? When you’re going through tough times, don’t look at what’s lost. Look at what’s left, and be grateful for it!
Practice an “Attitude of Gratitude” because it develops your faith. How does gratitude develop my faith? It happens when times are tough — when things don’t make sense, when you can’t figure it out, when your prayers are unanswered, when everything is going the way you didn’t want it to go.
“Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:7)
Faith development happens when you can say in those circumstances, “God, I know you’re in control. I know you love me, and I know you can bring good out of this. I’m thankful that you’re bigger than my problem.”
“Thankfulness and Gratitude changes everything!”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You know the times I have been ungrateful, held ill thoughts toward You and my fellow humans. You know the times I complain and grumble about life and its circumstances, about suffering, going through endless trials and tribulations. I am greatful that You God are and always will be there with me, even when it seems like I am forever in the wilderness, running further and further from You, You, my God are there guiding me back to Your loving arms. I am thankful Lord for everything that You allow to cross my path. Thankful for the decisions that You allow me to make and the lessons that come from these decisions.
I’m thankful, Lord, that I do not have to live under condemnation anymore, that You have truly set me free, that I am a new creation. Thankful Lord that You have given me joy unspeakable. Thankful Lord that You are longsuffering, allowing me to mature in You! Lord, words do not express my thankfulness. For Your mighty power is at work in me, transforming me, renewing my mind. To You Lord belong thanks eternal. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.” (Acts 19:11-12)
In this verse, we see that it is God who works the miracles out among people, not Paul. This is an interesting section of scripture that some have twisted for their own monetary gain in the selling of such items as prayer cloths and other “miracle producing items”. The miracles were not from the handkerchiefs nor from Paul, but from God. These were merely the instruments God used. We should desire to be God’s instrument. God used unexpected means to restore health to those who were ill.
The Bible is a supernatural book. Jesus, our leader who died and didn’t stay dead, offers us eternal life. While this passage is not a model for ministry, it does demonstrate that God can work through various unconventional means to draw people to Him. God used Paul to heal people then, and God still uses people today. Did God use Paul to heal everyone that he came across? No. Some were healed and some were not. Remember, Paul prayed for God to heal him and apparently Paul was not healed. We should pray for God to heal others and even expect God to heal them while trusting in His will.
“Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)
God said to Paul, “I am not going to heal you but give you the grace to get through it.” Sometimes God doesn’t heal us and take us out of our situation or condition, but He gives us the strength to go through it. When He heals, we can give Him the glory. When He doesn’t, we are made stronger in our walk with Him.
“God can and still does heal people.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for giving me the strength to endure the difficulties of this world. Please help me to keep my focus on You and not on those difficulties. I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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“But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”(Acts 9:27)
“And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,” (Acts 4:36)
Barnabas was used by God to encourage Saul. He could have turned away from Saul in disbelief, but instead he encouraged him. Encouraging another person is one of the easiest and most effective ways to influence someone’s walk with the Lord. We pray for one another, but often the person may not know we are praying for them. It is only when we give them encouragement that they know. Do you like being encouraged? Of course you do. We all like to be encouraged. In fact, we all need encouragement. It only takes a few moments of time to inspire someone. A small amount of effort can make all the difference in the world. The next time you need encouragement, look for the opportunity to give encouragement to someone else.
“Inspire someone with encouragement”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Please use me to encourage someone today. Help me to look for someone that is down or hurting. Give me the strength to encourage them in the things of the Lord. For some people, this may be pointing to the fact their sins could be forgiven. For others it may point to the fact that their sins have been forgiven. Give me the strength to encourage others in the same way that I would want to be encouraged. Thank You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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“Then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,” (2 Peter 2:9)
Too much of the world, it seems, has always been in a battle of good and evil. We see people do evil deeds and desire to see justice done. Sometimes, we can even get impatient waiting for justice. After all, wouldn’t it be best for God to get rid of all the evil people in the world? Surely, if he did, then none of us would be here. The reality is that God’s grace is on us all. He is perfect in his justice and will punish those who do evil. However, He is also full of mercy and desires that none should perish. Peter puts it this way…
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
One day, God will return to punish evil, but until then, He is giving evil people time to turn to Him for forgiveness and grace. Because of His patience, men like the apostle Paul went from being a hater of Jesus and His followers to being the greatest missionary to walk the planet. That same change is happening all over our world as people’s hearts are changed by the Gospel.
“God is patient in judgment. He will punish or reward at the perfect time.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your grace and for being so patient with me. Father, help me to walk in that grace and to share Your love and mercy with others. In this world of pain, help me to trust in You even when I may not understand all that is happening around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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“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.
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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.
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“Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.” (1 Corinthians 7:21-22)
We often think our circumstances in life are our problem. Whether it is our job, friends or family situations, we often think these are the source of our issues. Life can be uncomfortable at times, but, if you are a Christian, God has allowed circumstances in your life because he is forming Himself in you.
God is trying to help you in your circumstances and trials. By allowing you to go through difficult challenges in life, you can grow to be more like Him. Sometimes, trials can be painful. Is there anybody in your life that God is trying to use to remove what does not resemble Him in your life? You are precious to God and He loves you. He wants to grow you through your challenges. As you mature in the Lord, you should ask Him what He wants you to learn through them and allow Him to change you.
Consider a clay pot. The potter forms the clay to create a beautiful masterpiece. Once he forms it, he fires the clay to make it hard and usable for the tasks for which it was created. What if the potter pulled the clay out too soon? It would be half-baked and the clay pot would not be usable. The potter would then have to break the pot, grind the clay, re-wet it, form and fire it again. Life is a lot like this clay pot. Who wants to be a half-baked Christian? When we do not learn a lesson that God is trying to perfect in us, we have to go through it again and again until He forms Himself in us.
“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” (Philippians 1:6)
God has called you to serve Him. He is using your circumstances to free you from the bondage of the shame, guilt and sin that separates you from Him. Whatever is going on in your life–trust Him! God is willing to do whatever it takes to reach you. He wants to set you free.
“Our circumstances are usually not the problem; it is our response or attitude to the circumstances that is the problem.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,Thank You for loving me. Thank You for the opportunity to go through circumstances that form me to be more like You. Lord, You sentenced and punished Yourself for me so I could be forgiven. I thank You that You were willing to pay such a high price for me. I choose to walk in the incredible plans You have for me instead of the plans I have made. Help me to be faithful in the small things by listening to You. You are my hope, my love and my peace. Help me to hear Your voice and to discover my own call and adventure in life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)
Just as something wonderful happens when God’s people get together and study His Word, something extraordinary happens when God’s people get together and sing His praises. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) Now this verse is not saying that God only shows up when people worship, because God is omnipresent. But He manifests His presence in a very special way when His people lift up His name in praise and worship.
Did you know that the early church was a worshipping church. As we read above in Acts 2:46–47 it tells us, “They ate their food with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people”
The phrase “great joy and generosity” literally means (with unaffected joy) There was joy in the early church. They were vibrant. But they also had reverence. A few verses earlier in (Acts 2:43) we read “A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.”
There should be joy and reverence. Those are elements that should be in our worship. The Spirit-filled church will be a worshipping church, and the Spirit filled Christian will be a worshipping Christian.
Someone might say, “Well, I just don’t always feel like worshipping.” Do you think the first-century believers always felt like praising God? They were harassed. They were beaten. They were mocked. These Christians faced persecution on a massive scale, but they were thankful to God.
The Bible doesn’t say, “Give thanks to the Lord when you feel good.” Rather, it says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!” (1 Chronicles 16:34). That is how Job was able to worship God after calamity came knocking at his door.
“Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship.” (Job 1:20).
“Sometimes worship can be a sacrifice. But we should still worship with unaffected joy “
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am in awe of Your unending, unconditional love. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection on my behalf, I am able to be free from the bondage of sin and future condemnation. You are so good to me, and I desire to respond with a life of surrender to you. Fill me with Joy and reverence, fill me with Your Spirit and help me to live a life of love and service for You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.” (2 Chronicles 11:12)
Are you ready? They’re coming. No matter your age or status, as a follower of Christ, you will face battles. Sometimes these battles are unexpected and painful. They could be anything from developing a life threating illness to being assulted and robbed at gunpoint. At times the battle will rage inside your heart and mind unknown to those around you. However they may come, don’t be caught off guard. Instead, be ready to hold fast to the One who can help you endure.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)
Jesus, Himself, assured us that we would have trials, yet He did not leave it at that. Instead He said, “But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
What an encouragement to know that we can take our stand against the enemy knowing that Christ has already insured us of his defeat. As we stand in Christ, we will find strength for the battle and victory in the end.
“Be ready as a follower of Jesus to endure trials, tribulations and battles.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I praise You for all that You have done for me. Please help me to be ready for the battles. May I always look to You for strength and wisdom. Give me patience and help me to endure to the end. Teach me in the midst of the battle to trust in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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