Showing posts with label devotionals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotionals. Show all posts
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
TTWO RESPONSES: Doubt versus Faith. A devotional. I had planned to write a couple of different Christmas things, but this is such a busy time of year I am only going to share a few thoughts with you on one aspect of the Christmas story. This is just somethin I put together quickly. Luke's Gospel presents us with two angelic visitations. The Angel Gabriel visits Zechariah in the temple: And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." [Luke 1:11-20] The second angelic visitation took place six months later, when Gabriel appeared to a young girl called Mary: And he [Gabriel] came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. [Luke 1:28-38 Notice that both Zechariah and Mary asked a question; but one was punished and one was not. Why? God doesn't punish people for asking a question, though he may choose not to answer, so that can't be the issue. I've heard it taught that the reason Zechariah was punished was because he had been praying for a son for many years and God was finally answering his prayer. Therefore Zechariah should have rejoiced and gladly accepted the message, whereas Mary had not been praying that she would be the mother of the Messiah so her question was understandable. I wonder though, if the difference didn't have something to do with faith. I'm not a pastor or theologian and I could be misreading this, so I encourage you to study this for yourself and allow the Lord to teach you. I see Zechariah as a person who had been praying for so long and had finally given up hope He still served the Lord and did what was good, he is described as a righteous man, but maybe he didn't want to get his hopes up again just to have them dashed. Maybe he didn't want to believe again because it would be too painful if it didn't happen. Even the visit of one of God's angels didn't penetrate his heart and cause him to hope again.. In that culture children were seen as blessings from God, so a childless couple were thought to have sinned in some way. You can imagine how fervently Zechariah and Elizabeth had prayed for a child in their younger days but as time went on and Elizabeth went through the change of life it seemed impossible for them to have a child and so perhaps they gave up hope. We tend to do that sometimes in our prayers, don't we? We pray fervently for something, such as the salvation of our parents or friends, but as time goes by and we don't see any changes in their lives we give up and stop praying. This is something we should not do, God rewards faithful and persistent prayer, even over many years. Abraham is a perfect example of this, he and Sarah prayed for a son and finally God gave them one when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. So, I think it could have been Zechariah's doubt and lack of trust that got him into difficulty. Gabriel tells him: "And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." As for Mary, I suspect her question came from curiosity. She was betrothed, which in that culture was as legally binding as marriage except that the girl still lived with her parents and there was no physical intimacy. That being the case she was naturally curious as to how she , a virgin, could become pregnant. We can see her faith and trust in God clearly in her response: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." [v38] We can't imagine how difficult and scary it would be for Mary to be discovered to be pregnant when she wasn't married. These days it is an accepted thing in our culture though that doesn't make it right, but in Mary's time and society she would have been shunned and possibly, if Joseph chose to denounce her, she may have been put to death by stoning. Apart from all of that, can you imagine the awesome challenge and privilege of being mother to God's only son? She might have been expected to do as Moses did and ask God to give the job to someone else but instead she says "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.". In Hebrews 11 we read these words: And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. So to sum up, we see two things: 1. Persistent, faithful prayer is pleasing to God. We should not give up praying even if we have been praying and waiting for many years. 2. We cannot please God and do what he wants us to do if we don't have faith and trust in him. We must believe that what he says he will also do, and put our confidence and trust in him, stepping out in faith even if what he is asking us to do seems impossible. I wish you all a very merry and blessed Christmas. wo Responses: a Devotional
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Reflecting on God's Love, a devotional
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
[1 John 3:1a ESV]
There are 2 things I love about this verse that I would like to discuss.
Firstly we are not just called God's children, that would be miracle enough, but we actually are his adopted children as the bible says:
Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this
[Ephesians 1:5]
I don't have any children of my own but there are a few young people in different parts of the world, mostly Africa, who call me Mum. I'm even a grandma. We aren't related in any biological sense but we care about each other like family. I have a Mum and Dad of my own who aren't biologically related to me, actually I have 2 mums as well as my natural mother. I separate the families in my mind by calling them my natural family and my other family.
My point is, God could just choose to call us his children but he goes one step further and actually adopts us into his own family through Jesus Christ. You know the saying you can pick your friends but you can't pick your relations? Well god picked us, the unlovely, the sinful, those who have rejected him and hurt him and disobeyed him and ignored him. he still picked us. I think if I were God and wanted to add to my family I'd pick the angels because, apart from the third of them who joined Lucifer's side, the angels are obedient to his every word and they don't sin. God didn't do that though, he chose to love us even though he knew exactly what our lives would be like and all the good and bad things we would do. the bible says:
This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.
[1 John 4:10
God wanted to show his love and he chose to do that by loving and saving us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. we are god's children.
the second thing I love about our verse from 1 john 3 is it talks about god's love, which we have spoken about already. God's love is not like our love, it doesn't fluctuate, it isn't less when we mess up and it doesn't increase when we do good although he is pleased when we do good. There is no force on heaven or earth that can stop God from loving us ... except if we ourselves reject God and totally turn away from him and
even then he will try to draw us back to him until the end of our lives.
this is incredibly comforting. I can't lose God's love unless I reject him. When I sin I may wonder why God puts up with me but I know he doesn't stop loving me. There was a time a few years ago when I strayed away from god and got into some stuff that I regret very much now. When I came back to god he didn't say "I'm not taking you back, my love for you has died because of your actions". no no no! He took me back, cleaned me up and put me back on the pathway to walk with him. If he did that for me he will do that for you, whatever you have done. If he could forgive and use the Apostle Paul, who persecuted the Church of /god in Jerusalem, then he can forgive anyone who asks him. Isn't that great news! How awesome God's love for us is!
This is what the Apostle Paul says about god's love:
I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can't be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation.
We need to realise that even if we don't feel that God loves us, he really does. In times like this we have to choose to believe what we know is true rather than relying on our own feelings or knowledge.
A point to remember is thatGod doesn't love us sparingly but willingly, lavishly, more than we can ever imagine. He doesn't accept us into his family grudgingly but welcomes us and loves us and works in our lives because he wants us to be the best we can be and he wants us to glorify him.
It does us good to reflect on these things. today I spent a few minutes thinking about who God is and reflecting on his great and awesome love. i came away from that feeling very grateful and deeply loved. I was thinking about the verse:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
[John 3:16]
I only got as far as "for god so loved the world" but there will be other times to reflect on the rest of it. I'm glad I took the time to do it today, I often get too busy and caught up with things but we all need to take more time to read god's word and think about what it says and how we can apply God's word to our lives. It draws us closer to god and helps us to learn more about god, or ourselves, or whatever we have been reading or reflecting on. I hope you will take some time soon to reflect on the verse at the top of this message, or on any verse you find that talks of god's love. We really need to know and believe that god does love us and that he showed it by sending Jesus
"who loved me and gave himself for me."
Galatians 2:20c.
Prayer:
God we thank you for your amazing, unfailing, steadfast love. thank you that you did adopt us into your family through Jesus. thank you that he did give himself for us. Lord help us to reflect on your great love so that we will have a deeper understanding of it and so that we will truly believe that you do love us, despite what the enemy may tell us.
we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. Amen.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
[1 John 3:1a ESV]
There are 2 things I love about this verse that I would like to discuss.
Firstly we are not just called God's children, that would be miracle enough, but we actually are his adopted children as the bible says:
Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this
[Ephesians 1:5]
I don't have any children of my own but there are a few young people in different parts of the world, mostly Africa, who call me Mum. I'm even a grandma. We aren't related in any biological sense but we care about each other like family. I have a Mum and Dad of my own who aren't biologically related to me, actually I have 2 mums as well as my natural mother. I separate the families in my mind by calling them my natural family and my other family.
My point is, God could just choose to call us his children but he goes one step further and actually adopts us into his own family through Jesus Christ. You know the saying you can pick your friends but you can't pick your relations? Well god picked us, the unlovely, the sinful, those who have rejected him and hurt him and disobeyed him and ignored him. he still picked us. I think if I were God and wanted to add to my family I'd pick the angels because, apart from the third of them who joined Lucifer's side, the angels are obedient to his every word and they don't sin. God didn't do that though, he chose to love us even though he knew exactly what our lives would be like and all the good and bad things we would do. the bible says:
This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.
[1 John 4:10
God wanted to show his love and he chose to do that by loving and saving us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. we are god's children.
the second thing I love about our verse from 1 john 3 is it talks about god's love, which we have spoken about already. God's love is not like our love, it doesn't fluctuate, it isn't less when we mess up and it doesn't increase when we do good although he is pleased when we do good. There is no force on heaven or earth that can stop God from loving us ... except if we ourselves reject God and totally turn away from him and
even then he will try to draw us back to him until the end of our lives.
this is incredibly comforting. I can't lose God's love unless I reject him. When I sin I may wonder why God puts up with me but I know he doesn't stop loving me. There was a time a few years ago when I strayed away from god and got into some stuff that I regret very much now. When I came back to god he didn't say "I'm not taking you back, my love for you has died because of your actions". no no no! He took me back, cleaned me up and put me back on the pathway to walk with him. If he did that for me he will do that for you, whatever you have done. If he could forgive and use the Apostle Paul, who persecuted the Church of /god in Jerusalem, then he can forgive anyone who asks him. Isn't that great news! How awesome God's love for us is!
This is what the Apostle Paul says about god's love:
I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can't be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation.
We need to realise that even if we don't feel that God loves us, he really does. In times like this we have to choose to believe what we know is true rather than relying on our own feelings or knowledge.
A point to remember is thatGod doesn't love us sparingly but willingly, lavishly, more than we can ever imagine. He doesn't accept us into his family grudgingly but welcomes us and loves us and works in our lives because he wants us to be the best we can be and he wants us to glorify him.
It does us good to reflect on these things. today I spent a few minutes thinking about who God is and reflecting on his great and awesome love. i came away from that feeling very grateful and deeply loved. I was thinking about the verse:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
[John 3:16]
I only got as far as "for god so loved the world" but there will be other times to reflect on the rest of it. I'm glad I took the time to do it today, I often get too busy and caught up with things but we all need to take more time to read god's word and think about what it says and how we can apply God's word to our lives. It draws us closer to god and helps us to learn more about god, or ourselves, or whatever we have been reading or reflecting on. I hope you will take some time soon to reflect on the verse at the top of this message, or on any verse you find that talks of god's love. We really need to know and believe that god does love us and that he showed it by sending Jesus
"who loved me and gave himself for me."
Galatians 2:20c.
Prayer:
God we thank you for your amazing, unfailing, steadfast love. thank you that you did adopt us into your family through Jesus. thank you that he did give himself for us. Lord help us to reflect on your great love so that we will have a deeper understanding of it and so that we will truly believe that you do love us, despite what the enemy may tell us.
we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. Amen.
[1 John 3:1a ESV]
There are 2 things I love about this verse that I would like to discuss.
Firstly we are not just called God's children, that would be miracle enough, but we actually are his adopted children as the bible says:
Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this
[Ephesians 1:5]
I don't have any children of my own but there are a few young people in different parts of the world, mostly Africa, who call me Mum. I'm even a grandma. We aren't related in any biological sense but we care about each other like family. I have a Mum and Dad of my own who aren't biologically related to me, actually I have 2 mums as well as my natural mother. I separate the families in my mind by calling them my natural family and my other family.
My point is, God could just choose to call us his children but he goes one step further and actually adopts us into his own family through Jesus Christ. You know the saying you can pick your friends but you can't pick your relations? Well god picked us, the unlovely, the sinful, those who have rejected him and hurt him and disobeyed him and ignored him. he still picked us. I think if I were God and wanted to add to my family I'd pick the angels because, apart from the third of them who joined Lucifer's side, the angels are obedient to his every word and they don't sin. God didn't do that though, he chose to love us even though he knew exactly what our lives would be like and all the good and bad things we would do. the bible says:
This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.
[1 John 4:10
God wanted to show his love and he chose to do that by loving and saving us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. we are god's children.
the second thing I love about our verse from 1 john 3 is it talks about god's love, which we have spoken about already. God's love is not like our love, it doesn't fluctuate, it isn't less when we mess up and it doesn't increase when we do good although he is pleased when we do good. There is no force on heaven or earth that can stop God from loving us ... except if we ourselves reject God and totally turn away from him and
even then he will try to draw us back to him until the end of our lives.
this is incredibly comforting. I can't lose God's love unless I reject him. When I sin I may wonder why God puts up with me but I know he doesn't stop loving me. There was a time a few years ago when I strayed away from god and got into some stuff that I regret very much now. When I came back to god he didn't say "I'm not taking you back, my love for you has died because of your actions". no no no! He took me back, cleaned me up and put me back on the pathway to walk with him. If he did that for me he will do that for you, whatever you have done. If he could forgive and use the Apostle Paul, who persecuted the Church of /god in Jerusalem, then he can forgive anyone who asks him. Isn't that great news! How awesome God's love for us is!
This is what the Apostle Paul says about god's love:
I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can't be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation.
We need to realise that even if we don't feel that God loves us, he really does. In times like this we have to choose to believe what we know is true rather than relying on our own feelings or knowledge.
A point to remember is thatGod doesn't love us sparingly but willingly, lavishly, more than we can ever imagine. He doesn't accept us into his family grudgingly but welcomes us and loves us and works in our lives because he wants us to be the best we can be and he wants us to glorify him.
It does us good to reflect on these things. today I spent a few minutes thinking about who God is and reflecting on his great and awesome love. i came away from that feeling very grateful and deeply loved. I was thinking about the verse:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
[John 3:16]
I only got as far as "for god so loved the world" but there will be other times to reflect on the rest of it. I'm glad I took the time to do it today, I often get too busy and caught up with things but we all need to take more time to read god's word and think about what it says and how we can apply God's word to our lives. It draws us closer to god and helps us to learn more about god, or ourselves, or whatever we have been reading or reflecting on. I hope you will take some time soon to reflect on the verse at the top of this message, or on any verse you find that talks of god's love. We really need to know and believe that god does love us and that he showed it by sending Jesus
"who loved me and gave himself for me."
Galatians 2:20c.
Prayer:
God we thank you for your amazing, unfailing, steadfast love. thank you that you did adopt us into your family through Jesus. thank you that he did give himself for us. Lord help us to reflect on your great love so that we will have a deeper understanding of it and so that we will truly believe that you do love us, despite what the enemy may tell us.
we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. Amen.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
[1 John 3:1a ESV]
There are 2 things I love about this verse that I would like to discuss.
Firstly we are not just called God's children, that would be miracle enough, but we actually are his adopted children as the bible says:
Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this
[Ephesians 1:5]
I don't have any children of my own but there are a few young people in different parts of the world, mostly Africa, who call me Mum. I'm even a grandma. We aren't related in any biological sense but we care about each other like family. I have a Mum and Dad of my own who aren't biologically related to me, actually I have 2 mums as well as my natural mother. I separate the families in my mind by calling them my natural family and my other family.
My point is, God could just choose to call us his children but he goes one step further and actually adopts us into his own family through Jesus Christ. You know the saying you can pick your friends but you can't pick your relations? Well god picked us, the unlovely, the sinful, those who have rejected him and hurt him and disobeyed him and ignored him. he still picked us. I think if I were God and wanted to add to my family I'd pick the angels because, apart from the third of them who joined Lucifer's side, the angels are obedient to his every word and they don't sin. God didn't do that though, he chose to love us even though he knew exactly what our lives would be like and all the good and bad things we would do. the bible says:
This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.
[1 John 4:10
God wanted to show his love and he chose to do that by loving and saving us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. we are god's children.
the second thing I love about our verse from 1 john 3 is it talks about god's love, which we have spoken about already. God's love is not like our love, it doesn't fluctuate, it isn't less when we mess up and it doesn't increase when we do good although he is pleased when we do good. There is no force on heaven or earth that can stop God from loving us ... except if we ourselves reject God and totally turn away from him and
even then he will try to draw us back to him until the end of our lives.
this is incredibly comforting. I can't lose God's love unless I reject him. When I sin I may wonder why God puts up with me but I know he doesn't stop loving me. There was a time a few years ago when I strayed away from god and got into some stuff that I regret very much now. When I came back to god he didn't say "I'm not taking you back, my love for you has died because of your actions". no no no! He took me back, cleaned me up and put me back on the pathway to walk with him. If he did that for me he will do that for you, whatever you have done. If he could forgive and use the Apostle Paul, who persecuted the Church of /god in Jerusalem, then he can forgive anyone who asks him. Isn't that great news! How awesome God's love for us is!
This is what the Apostle Paul says about god's love:
I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can't be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation.
We need to realise that even if we don't feel that God loves us, he really does. In times like this we have to choose to believe what we know is true rather than relying on our own feelings or knowledge.
A point to remember is thatGod doesn't love us sparingly but willingly, lavishly, more than we can ever imagine. He doesn't accept us into his family grudgingly but welcomes us and loves us and works in our lives because he wants us to be the best we can be and he wants us to glorify him.
It does us good to reflect on these things. today I spent a few minutes thinking about who God is and reflecting on his great and awesome love. i came away from that feeling very grateful and deeply loved. I was thinking about the verse:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
[John 3:16]
I only got as far as "for god so loved the world" but there will be other times to reflect on the rest of it. I'm glad I took the time to do it today, I often get too busy and caught up with things but we all need to take more time to read god's word and think about what it says and how we can apply God's word to our lives. It draws us closer to god and helps us to learn more about god, or ourselves, or whatever we have been reading or reflecting on. I hope you will take some time soon to reflect on the verse at the top of this message, or on any verse you find that talks of god's love. We really need to know and believe that god does love us and that he showed it by sending Jesus
"who loved me and gave himself for me."
Galatians 2:20c.
Prayer:
God we thank you for your amazing, unfailing, steadfast love. thank you that you did adopt us into your family through Jesus. thank you that he did give himself for us. Lord help us to reflect on your great love so that we will have a deeper understanding of it and so that we will truly believe that you do love us, despite what the enemy may tell us.
we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King. Amen.
Sunday, 12 June 2011
strength to face the hard times, a deootoinal
" The Lord's love never ends;
his mercies never stop.
They are new every morning;
Lord, your loyalty is great.
I say to myself, "The Lord is mine,
so I hope in him."
[Lamentations 3:22-24
When the prophet Jeremiah penned these words, the people of God had gone into exile and things were very difficult for the nation , at that time. God sent them into exile because he was punishing them for their rejection of him and the law he gave them. God loved them and rescued them from Egypt but they still didn't obey him. Now God had enough and was going to show them who he really was.
Yet, even though these bad things were happening, Even though God's people had decided to worship other gods and do things that god hates, God's love for his people was still strong; unshakeable, unmovable, and he was willing to have mercy on them if they would only ask him to.
You might be going through a hard time right now. You might be thinking that God is far from you. Maybe you think he is angry with you for some reason. No, God's love is constant, faithful and dependable. his mercy is new every morning.
If you ask him, he will help you in your trouble. He's just waiting for you to make the first move. It's when we come to the end of ourselves and we can't do any more
that we see the power of God in action.
We may be helpless but we shouldn't worry because we have a biiiiiig God!
the bible says
"My help comes from the lord,
the maker of heaven and earth."
[psalm 121:2
Father God, we all go through hard times but thank you that you never leave us even if we think you are far away we know you have promised in your word that you will not leave us or forsake us. You are near, ready to help us, ready to extend your mercy to your people. Help us remember this whenever we go through hard times. we thank you Lord for your goodness and mercy to us. We thank you that you are faithful, lord, you will not forget your promises and we can trust you to do what you see is for the best. We praise you Lord. Amen.
his mercies never stop.
They are new every morning;
Lord, your loyalty is great.
I say to myself, "The Lord is mine,
so I hope in him."
[Lamentations 3:22-24
When the prophet Jeremiah penned these words, the people of God had gone into exile and things were very difficult for the nation , at that time. God sent them into exile because he was punishing them for their rejection of him and the law he gave them. God loved them and rescued them from Egypt but they still didn't obey him. Now God had enough and was going to show them who he really was.
Yet, even though these bad things were happening, Even though God's people had decided to worship other gods and do things that god hates, God's love for his people was still strong; unshakeable, unmovable, and he was willing to have mercy on them if they would only ask him to.
You might be going through a hard time right now. You might be thinking that God is far from you. Maybe you think he is angry with you for some reason. No, God's love is constant, faithful and dependable. his mercy is new every morning.
If you ask him, he will help you in your trouble. He's just waiting for you to make the first move. It's when we come to the end of ourselves and we can't do any more
that we see the power of God in action.
We may be helpless but we shouldn't worry because we have a biiiiiig God!
the bible says
"My help comes from the lord,
the maker of heaven and earth."
[psalm 121:2
Father God, we all go through hard times but thank you that you never leave us even if we think you are far away we know you have promised in your word that you will not leave us or forsake us. You are near, ready to help us, ready to extend your mercy to your people. Help us remember this whenever we go through hard times. we thank you Lord for your goodness and mercy to us. We thank you that you are faithful, lord, you will not forget your promises and we can trust you to do what you see is for the best. We praise you Lord. Amen.
Friday, 20 May 2011
God's Good Plans for Us, a Devotional
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.
[1 Corinthians 15:9:10a]
I am sure we all feel discouraged sometimes when we remember our past, the mistakes we made, the sins we committed, the people we hurt. We think "god couldn't possibly use us to do his work. The enemy encourages this belief by whispering to us "Surely you didn't think that god could use you after all you've done? Surely you didn't expect that God would have a purpose for you?"
I want to encourage you today that no matter where you've been or what you have done, God still has a wonderful plan for your life and he has work for each of us to do. As the bible says:
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
[Jeremiah 29:11 NLT]
you might ask "But what can I do for god?"he will show you in his good time. God knows exactly what he wants us to do and he will help us to do it , empowering and enabling us to do the work he gives us. Our part is to obey him and he even helps us to do that.
In reality none of us are worthy that God should use us to do his work. We all fail him so often. if he was looking for those who were perfect to do his work he would use angels, and of course he does send out his angels to do his will, but the wonderful truth is that god chooses to use us, weak, sinful human beings though we are. Of course, we need to be saved first, that is a prerequisite. We also need to be willing to obey him, even when he gives us work that is difficult and challenging. He won't tell us to do something that he wont give us the power and ability to do. Remember he knows us better than we know ourselves.
So how do I know that god can and will use anyone, no matter what they have done in the past, who is willing to follow him and do what he says? Well I know the story of a guy called Saul of Tarsus who called himself "The worst of sinners", the man who became known as the Apostle Paul.
He wasn't exaggerating when he called himself the worst of sinners, before he was saved he persecuted the Church. let's read about it:
But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house,
he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
[Acts 8:3]
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at
Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
][Acts 9]
Yet, once God revealed himself to him, he didn't look back. Almost at once he started preaching about Jesus with great boldness. Paul and his companions travelled around telling people about Jesus and were the first to take the message to the people of Europe. While in prison for his faith Paul wrote letters that have had an impact on lives even to this day.
If God can use a man like Saul of Tarsus aka the apostle Paul, he can use a person like you or I. Jesus can use anyone to do his work who is willing to obey him . Let us seek God and ask him to show us what he wants us to do, trusting him to give us the power and ability to do all that he asks of us.
though doing the work God has for us is a big part of the Christian life, God has other plans for us too. The most important thing about being a child of God is to develop a relationship with our loving heavenly father, who is always with us and delights to bless us with good things. Each new day is a gift from god full of promise. His mercy is new to us every morning and his love for us is everlasting!
Prayer: thank you god for all that you do for us and have done for us. Thank you that you can use anyone, no matter what their past, to do your work here on earth. We know that you have a reward in heaven for those who faithfully obey you. Thank you Lord that you love us enough to accept us as we are but you love us too much to leave us that way. I give you praise in the name of Jesus, amen.
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.
[1 Corinthians 15:9:10a]
I am sure we all feel discouraged sometimes when we remember our past, the mistakes we made, the sins we committed, the people we hurt. We think "god couldn't possibly use us to do his work. The enemy encourages this belief by whispering to us "Surely you didn't think that god could use you after all you've done? Surely you didn't expect that God would have a purpose for you?"
I want to encourage you today that no matter where you've been or what you have done, God still has a wonderful plan for your life and he has work for each of us to do. As the bible says:
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
[Jeremiah 29:11 NLT]
you might ask "But what can I do for god?"he will show you in his good time. God knows exactly what he wants us to do and he will help us to do it , empowering and enabling us to do the work he gives us. Our part is to obey him and he even helps us to do that.
In reality none of us are worthy that God should use us to do his work. We all fail him so often. if he was looking for those who were perfect to do his work he would use angels, and of course he does send out his angels to do his will, but the wonderful truth is that god chooses to use us, weak, sinful human beings though we are. Of course, we need to be saved first, that is a prerequisite. We also need to be willing to obey him, even when he gives us work that is difficult and challenging. He won't tell us to do something that he wont give us the power and ability to do. Remember he knows us better than we know ourselves.
So how do I know that god can and will use anyone, no matter what they have done in the past, who is willing to follow him and do what he says? Well I know the story of a guy called Saul of Tarsus who called himself "The worst of sinners", the man who became known as the Apostle Paul.
He wasn't exaggerating when he called himself the worst of sinners, before he was saved he persecuted the Church. let's read about it:
But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house,
he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
[Acts 8:3]
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at
Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
][Acts 9]
Yet, once God revealed himself to him, he didn't look back. Almost at once he started preaching about Jesus with great boldness. Paul and his companions travelled around telling people about Jesus and were the first to take the message to the people of Europe. While in prison for his faith Paul wrote letters that have had an impact on lives even to this day.
If God can use a man like Saul of Tarsus aka the apostle Paul, he can use a person like you or I. Jesus can use anyone to do his work who is willing to obey him . Let us seek God and ask him to show us what he wants us to do, trusting him to give us the power and ability to do all that he asks of us.
though doing the work God has for us is a big part of the Christian life, God has other plans for us too. The most important thing about being a child of God is to develop a relationship with our loving heavenly father, who is always with us and delights to bless us with good things. Each new day is a gift from god full of promise. His mercy is new to us every morning and his love for us is everlasting!
Prayer: thank you god for all that you do for us and have done for us. Thank you that you can use anyone, no matter what their past, to do your work here on earth. We know that you have a reward in heaven for those who faithfully obey you. Thank you Lord that you love us enough to accept us as we are but you love us too much to leave us that way. I give you praise in the name of Jesus, amen.
Monday, 2 May 2011
comfort and Peace, a Devotional
He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.
[psalm 147:3]
Heavens and earth, be happy.
Mountains, shout with joy,
because the Lord comforts his people
and will have pity on those who suffer.
[Isaiah 49:13]
Early in January I had a loss; My cousin died of cancer. As I sat on my bed crying I called out to god to comfort me and let me feel his peace.
After some time I began to feel it, god's peace had come softly into my heart.
It didn't take the grief away but it helped me to deal with it: I knew I wasn't coping with this on my own.
Later that day my best friend Came and sat with me for a while, I am sure the Lord sent her to me to comfort me.
It's hard to understand why bad things happening our lives and in the lives of our loved ones. we know we live in an imperfect world and that sin is the cause of a lot of our problems. When things go wrong in our lives we call out to God,asking him to tell us why these things happen, but I think there are things we won't understand until we see Jesus face to face.
there is one thing we can know without a doubt, however. god understands our grief and pain, and he is with us when things go wrong. I think one of the most profound bible verses is also the very shortest verse in scripture
john 11:35 simply says
Jesus Wept.
Jesus was at the grave site of his friend Lazarus who died 4 days previously. the Lord was moved to tears by the grief of the man's sisters and friends and he wept, Even though he knew he was going to raise his friend from the dead.
Jesus understands our pain and grief. It's part of the reason why he
came down from heaven and lived as a man. Because we know he understands what we or our loved ones are going through, we can turn to him for help and comfort and strength to get through the difficult time.
Remember that he is in heaven praying for us and he knows how it feels to be sad, he knows how it feels to be in pain and to feel helpless at our friend's grief and pain. Jesus knew that Lazarus was dying and I'm sure he wanted to go to Bethany straight away or even say a word to heal him from where he was, but he had to stick to god's plan and he knew God would be glorified even more if Jesus was obedient to his will and waited but can you imagine how Jesus felt knowing how much they were suffering and having to wait till the right time before he helped them? I believe part of the reason why god wanted Jesus to wait before raising Lazarus is that Jesus could get an idea of the helplessness we feel when we see others hurting.
So, remember these things when you or one of your loved ones is suffering pain or loss or going through any other sort of hard time. don't let the situation push you away from god but draw near to him and cling to the rock of ages. He is ready to comfort and help us, to give us his peace and joy, if we will ask him.
I want to leave you with a thought and a promise from god's word. The bible says:
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
[psalm 30 5b]
Father I pray for anyone reading this who is going through grief or loss or sickness or any other sort of hard time that we may experience in this life. Father I pray for your peace to fill their hearts and that you would comfort them by your Holy spirit. I pray that the situation they are facing will only make them cling to you more and more. pour your steadfast love into their hearts and give them the strength they need to get through the hard time they are facing.
I also pray for those who's loved ones are facing grief or pain or hard times. we can feel so helpless Lord when we know someone we care about is suffering, give us wisdom to know when to speak, what to say, or when to be silent and just be there for them. I also pray that you will meet the needs of those who are facing hard times today. Lord we know that you hear us when we pray and that you are with us in every situation. Thank you for that dear Lord. I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
and bandages their wounds.
[psalm 147:3]
Heavens and earth, be happy.
Mountains, shout with joy,
because the Lord comforts his people
and will have pity on those who suffer.
[Isaiah 49:13]
Early in January I had a loss; My cousin died of cancer. As I sat on my bed crying I called out to god to comfort me and let me feel his peace.
After some time I began to feel it, god's peace had come softly into my heart.
It didn't take the grief away but it helped me to deal with it: I knew I wasn't coping with this on my own.
Later that day my best friend Came and sat with me for a while, I am sure the Lord sent her to me to comfort me.
It's hard to understand why bad things happening our lives and in the lives of our loved ones. we know we live in an imperfect world and that sin is the cause of a lot of our problems. When things go wrong in our lives we call out to God,asking him to tell us why these things happen, but I think there are things we won't understand until we see Jesus face to face.
there is one thing we can know without a doubt, however. god understands our grief and pain, and he is with us when things go wrong. I think one of the most profound bible verses is also the very shortest verse in scripture
john 11:35 simply says
Jesus Wept.
Jesus was at the grave site of his friend Lazarus who died 4 days previously. the Lord was moved to tears by the grief of the man's sisters and friends and he wept, Even though he knew he was going to raise his friend from the dead.
Jesus understands our pain and grief. It's part of the reason why he
came down from heaven and lived as a man. Because we know he understands what we or our loved ones are going through, we can turn to him for help and comfort and strength to get through the difficult time.
Remember that he is in heaven praying for us and he knows how it feels to be sad, he knows how it feels to be in pain and to feel helpless at our friend's grief and pain. Jesus knew that Lazarus was dying and I'm sure he wanted to go to Bethany straight away or even say a word to heal him from where he was, but he had to stick to god's plan and he knew God would be glorified even more if Jesus was obedient to his will and waited but can you imagine how Jesus felt knowing how much they were suffering and having to wait till the right time before he helped them? I believe part of the reason why god wanted Jesus to wait before raising Lazarus is that Jesus could get an idea of the helplessness we feel when we see others hurting.
So, remember these things when you or one of your loved ones is suffering pain or loss or going through any other sort of hard time. don't let the situation push you away from god but draw near to him and cling to the rock of ages. He is ready to comfort and help us, to give us his peace and joy, if we will ask him.
I want to leave you with a thought and a promise from god's word. The bible says:
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
[psalm 30 5b]
Father I pray for anyone reading this who is going through grief or loss or sickness or any other sort of hard time that we may experience in this life. Father I pray for your peace to fill their hearts and that you would comfort them by your Holy spirit. I pray that the situation they are facing will only make them cling to you more and more. pour your steadfast love into their hearts and give them the strength they need to get through the hard time they are facing.
I also pray for those who's loved ones are facing grief or pain or hard times. we can feel so helpless Lord when we know someone we care about is suffering, give us wisdom to know when to speak, what to say, or when to be silent and just be there for them. I also pray that you will meet the needs of those who are facing hard times today. Lord we know that you hear us when we pray and that you are with us in every situation. Thank you for that dear Lord. I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Our help Comes from the Lord, a Devotional
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
[Psalm 121:1-2]
the second verse of Psalm 121 has been a favourite of mine for a long time. there are a few reasons why I like it. it's short and to the point, it tells me something about god: that he made heaven and earth, and it tells me something about myself: my help comes from the Lord.
People look for help in all kinds of places. Maybe they think if they have enough money it will solve all their problems. Or, they might think if they work hard enough they can solve all their problems. They might depend on friends to fix things for them, which might work for a while but in time even the best of friends will let us down if we totally depend on them for all our help, because there is only so much anyone can do. Some people have given up on solving their problems and gone to parties or the bottle or casual sex or even drugs for help to forget their problems, even temporarily. None of these things are much help and some are counter-productive.
But, there is one who can and will always help us in our time of need, if we ask him ... that is, God. The help he may give us isn't always what we expected, maybe not the help we wanted, but later on we will look back and see how God's help was most helpful after all.
The Psalm lists a few ways that god helps us and i will list them for you now.
- "he will not let your foot be moved..." [verse 3a]
This promises that if we keep walking in God's ways then the Enemy will not be able to pull the rug out from under us. Once we are in God's hands he keeps us safe, if we will stay as close to him as possible.
-- he who keeps you will not slumber. [verse 3b]
God doesn't have business hours. He's always available at any time. he doesn't sleep so even in the night if troubles come god is available, only ever a prayer away.
-- "The LORD is your keeper;" [v5a]
he is the one who keeps us safe. he is our great shepherd and he always watches over us, his flock.
-- " the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night."
The LORD will keep you from all evil; [V5b-7a]
This speaks of protection. God protects us from the enemy's schemes, he even protects us from our own folly at times. We must stay close and obey him. we have to realise that he sees the bigger picture and we don't so we must do what he says is best for us.
This reminds me of the Lord's prayer where it says
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
[Matthew 6:13]
The enemy will trap us any way he can and our flesh is often a willing accomplice. we need God's help to avoid the pitfalls the enemy leaves for us. God is willing to help us but again we must obey him and keep close to him. With god's help the enemy will not be able to get a foothold in our lives.
-- "he will keep your life.
The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore. [v7b-8] "
God watches over our lives and helps us to live them in the best way we can. He will help us make wise choices about our future. his word is full of principles that, if we follow them, will make our lives the best they can be, bringing glory to our god.
Of course, there are many other ways in which god helps us. The bible is full of stories about how God helped different people as they faced a variety of situations. So, if you need help today, turn to the one who is most able and willing to help you, even if it's not in the way you wanted or expected. Turn to God and humbly ask him for the help you need, then wait and see what he does. In time you will be able to say:
" My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth."
Prayer:
O god we thank you that you are willing to help us. You are so generous to us Lord. help us to remember, when things get crazy in our lives, that you are always there, reaching out your hand to help us if we will take it. May we glorify you in all that we do and may we choose to live in ways that are pleasing to you. In the name of your son, our Lord and saviour Jesus, the Messiah, the holy one, amen.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
[Psalm 121:1-2]
the second verse of Psalm 121 has been a favourite of mine for a long time. there are a few reasons why I like it. it's short and to the point, it tells me something about god: that he made heaven and earth, and it tells me something about myself: my help comes from the Lord.
People look for help in all kinds of places. Maybe they think if they have enough money it will solve all their problems. Or, they might think if they work hard enough they can solve all their problems. They might depend on friends to fix things for them, which might work for a while but in time even the best of friends will let us down if we totally depend on them for all our help, because there is only so much anyone can do. Some people have given up on solving their problems and gone to parties or the bottle or casual sex or even drugs for help to forget their problems, even temporarily. None of these things are much help and some are counter-productive.
But, there is one who can and will always help us in our time of need, if we ask him ... that is, God. The help he may give us isn't always what we expected, maybe not the help we wanted, but later on we will look back and see how God's help was most helpful after all.
The Psalm lists a few ways that god helps us and i will list them for you now.
- "he will not let your foot be moved..." [verse 3a]
This promises that if we keep walking in God's ways then the Enemy will not be able to pull the rug out from under us. Once we are in God's hands he keeps us safe, if we will stay as close to him as possible.
-- he who keeps you will not slumber. [verse 3b]
God doesn't have business hours. He's always available at any time. he doesn't sleep so even in the night if troubles come god is available, only ever a prayer away.
-- "The LORD is your keeper;" [v5a]
he is the one who keeps us safe. he is our great shepherd and he always watches over us, his flock.
-- " the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night."
The LORD will keep you from all evil; [V5b-7a]
This speaks of protection. God protects us from the enemy's schemes, he even protects us from our own folly at times. We must stay close and obey him. we have to realise that he sees the bigger picture and we don't so we must do what he says is best for us.
This reminds me of the Lord's prayer where it says
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
[Matthew 6:13]
The enemy will trap us any way he can and our flesh is often a willing accomplice. we need God's help to avoid the pitfalls the enemy leaves for us. God is willing to help us but again we must obey him and keep close to him. With god's help the enemy will not be able to get a foothold in our lives.
-- "he will keep your life.
The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore. [v7b-8] "
God watches over our lives and helps us to live them in the best way we can. He will help us make wise choices about our future. his word is full of principles that, if we follow them, will make our lives the best they can be, bringing glory to our god.
Of course, there are many other ways in which god helps us. The bible is full of stories about how God helped different people as they faced a variety of situations. So, if you need help today, turn to the one who is most able and willing to help you, even if it's not in the way you wanted or expected. Turn to God and humbly ask him for the help you need, then wait and see what he does. In time you will be able to say:
" My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth."
Prayer:
O god we thank you that you are willing to help us. You are so generous to us Lord. help us to remember, when things get crazy in our lives, that you are always there, reaching out your hand to help us if we will take it. May we glorify you in all that we do and may we choose to live in ways that are pleasing to you. In the name of your son, our Lord and saviour Jesus, the Messiah, the holy one, amen.
Sunday, 3 April 2011
devotional on loneliness
Psalm 68:6
God places lonely people in families. He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives,but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land.
[GWT]
\Are you a lonely person? Do you think that there aren't many people in your life who care about you? Do you feel alone in a crowd? There are many of us who can relate. i have already talked about the difficulties of my teenage years and thinking that noone loved me even though I was wrong to think that way. I was among family and among other good people but I felt isolated and yes, I felt very lonely.
If you are feeling lonely then i have three thoughts i want to share with you.
1. God is always with you he will never leave or forsake you.
God promised this in his word.:
for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
[Hebrews 13:5b]
and
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
[Matthew 28:20 B]
If we feel lonely all we need to do is whisper a prayer to him. He is there with us; not physically but very present anyway. . the thing that first attracted me to Jesus was that I was told he would be my very best friend, and he has been. No matter what I've done or where I've been he has always been with me just as he promised. . if he did it for me he will do it for you too so take heart and whisper a prayer and you will see what a wonderful friend he can be.
2. God will, if you ask him, bring people around you; he will give you friends who will understand you and be able to help you.
The bible says that
God places lonely people in families.
[Psalm 68:6]
God brought some wonderful people into my life, especially my two best friends. We became a family and we picked up other family members over the years. God has also brought improvements in my relationship with what I call my natural family. We aren't as close as some families are but we are on the way. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if god did it for me he will do it for you, you just need to ask him.
3. if you are a Christian then you are part of the biggest family ever! The bible says:
Because of his love, God had already decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. That was what he wanted and what pleased him,
[Ephesians 1:5 NCV]
How can we be part of God's family? Well he adopted us. God and his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit were like a family but God decided to adopt us into his family through what Jesus did for us on the cross. That doesn't make us God, just like being adopted into a natural family doesn't give us the genetic make-up of the adoptive parents, but it does make us part of the biggest family ever. Every Christian in the world is our brother or sister. If you are feeling lonely ask God to bring some Christian brothers and sisters into your life.
I hope my words have given comfort and maybe some food for thought for anyone who is feeling lonely out there. if you have any questions or comments you can email me at
rishie@dodo.com.au
I don't know all the answers though, of course.
Prayer:
lord I thank you that you are always with me, you never leave me. I pray for anyone reading this who is dealig with loneliness or feeling unwanted. Pleas assure that person that you do love them and, if they are one of your children, that you will never leave or forsake them. Thank you lord for all you do for us every single day. I pray in jesus' name, amen.
may God bless you.
God places lonely people in families. He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives,but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land.
[GWT]
\Are you a lonely person? Do you think that there aren't many people in your life who care about you? Do you feel alone in a crowd? There are many of us who can relate. i have already talked about the difficulties of my teenage years and thinking that noone loved me even though I was wrong to think that way. I was among family and among other good people but I felt isolated and yes, I felt very lonely.
If you are feeling lonely then i have three thoughts i want to share with you.
1. God is always with you he will never leave or forsake you.
God promised this in his word.:
for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
[Hebrews 13:5b]
and
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
[Matthew 28:20 B]
If we feel lonely all we need to do is whisper a prayer to him. He is there with us; not physically but very present anyway. . the thing that first attracted me to Jesus was that I was told he would be my very best friend, and he has been. No matter what I've done or where I've been he has always been with me just as he promised. . if he did it for me he will do it for you too so take heart and whisper a prayer and you will see what a wonderful friend he can be.
2. God will, if you ask him, bring people around you; he will give you friends who will understand you and be able to help you.
The bible says that
God places lonely people in families.
[Psalm 68:6]
God brought some wonderful people into my life, especially my two best friends. We became a family and we picked up other family members over the years. God has also brought improvements in my relationship with what I call my natural family. We aren't as close as some families are but we are on the way. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if god did it for me he will do it for you, you just need to ask him.
3. if you are a Christian then you are part of the biggest family ever! The bible says:
Because of his love, God had already decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. That was what he wanted and what pleased him,
[Ephesians 1:5 NCV]
How can we be part of God's family? Well he adopted us. God and his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit were like a family but God decided to adopt us into his family through what Jesus did for us on the cross. That doesn't make us God, just like being adopted into a natural family doesn't give us the genetic make-up of the adoptive parents, but it does make us part of the biggest family ever. Every Christian in the world is our brother or sister. If you are feeling lonely ask God to bring some Christian brothers and sisters into your life.
I hope my words have given comfort and maybe some food for thought for anyone who is feeling lonely out there. if you have any questions or comments you can email me at
rishie@dodo.com.au
I don't know all the answers though, of course.
Prayer:
lord I thank you that you are always with me, you never leave me. I pray for anyone reading this who is dealig with loneliness or feeling unwanted. Pleas assure that person that you do love them and, if they are one of your children, that you will never leave or forsake them. Thank you lord for all you do for us every single day. I pray in jesus' name, amen.
may God bless you.
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Making Time To Spend With god In Prayer:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
[1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]
I have a friend. We have been friends for more than 20 years now. we spent a lot of time together years ago, sometimes we would call each other on the phone and talk for hours. I still love talking to her but usually,unless I make the first move and call her she doesn't call me. I understand, after all I know she has a busy life, she has 2 daughters and a husband and she works a few days a week. It would be nice though if she would call me sometimes. don't you have people like that in your life that say they will call you or keep in touch and they don't?
I have two other friends that I share a house with. we have lived together for 16 years. They are a married couple and I have a room in their house. Even though they like to have times when they are alone, they always have time for me. If I go a day without talking to them I regret it. Sometimes we don't even talk but just sit silently together, only speaking when we have something to say.
So what does this have to do with prayer? i was thinking about this today. It seems like when bad things happen in our lives we are constantly calling out to God for help but when things are going ok we sometimes forget to pray. I have prayer times twice a day but sometimes I think "Well here i am, father, but I don't really know what to talk to you about." sometimes I have things on my mind and it's good to talk to god about them but other times I just rest in god's presence, speaking if I have something to say and listening in case he has something to say to me.
the point is, he is always available any time we want to talk to him. More than that, he wants us to come talk to him as often as we can, even if there's nothing specific we have to say to him. he knows that we are busy with different things but he wants as much of our time as we are prepared to give him. He wants to be involved in the things we do. The bible says:
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
[Proverbs 3:6]
He knows we can't always drop everything and get on our knees, sometimes all we can do is send up a prayer while we're working and he accepts that. He is glad when we spend time with him, no matter how long or short. That thought just makes me want to praise him. The God of the universe wants to have a relationship with me and wants me to talk to him at any time!
The bible tells us to:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
[1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]
Does that mean we are supposed to spend all our lives on our knees praying? I think we would soon have very sore knees if we tried that. no, it means that we should learn to always be aware of our relationship with God and that we should keep those lines of communication open at all times so that we can talk to god and he can talk to us. Whether we send up what I've heard called "arrow prayers" [little prayers like "god help me" or "I love you Lord" or "What should i do about this lord?"] or whether we take some time out of our activities to sing and praise God or to talk to him about what is on our hearts, we need to keep open the lines of communication with our heavenly father.
The more effort we put into our relationship with God the more our love and faith in him is going to grow and the more we will know him. We can't get to know someone without talking to them and we get to know them as we spend time with them.
I hope this message has encouraged you to spend some time in prayer today. Remember that god loves you and he is waiting to hear from you.
Prayer:
Father i thank you that you love us and that because of your grace and mercy you have made us part of your family through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. help us to make more time for you even in the midst of our busyness. Thank you that you are always there for us whenever we reach out to you. I praise you God and thank you for your love and kindness in Jesus' name Amen.
[1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]
I have a friend. We have been friends for more than 20 years now. we spent a lot of time together years ago, sometimes we would call each other on the phone and talk for hours. I still love talking to her but usually,unless I make the first move and call her she doesn't call me. I understand, after all I know she has a busy life, she has 2 daughters and a husband and she works a few days a week. It would be nice though if she would call me sometimes. don't you have people like that in your life that say they will call you or keep in touch and they don't?
I have two other friends that I share a house with. we have lived together for 16 years. They are a married couple and I have a room in their house. Even though they like to have times when they are alone, they always have time for me. If I go a day without talking to them I regret it. Sometimes we don't even talk but just sit silently together, only speaking when we have something to say.
So what does this have to do with prayer? i was thinking about this today. It seems like when bad things happen in our lives we are constantly calling out to God for help but when things are going ok we sometimes forget to pray. I have prayer times twice a day but sometimes I think "Well here i am, father, but I don't really know what to talk to you about." sometimes I have things on my mind and it's good to talk to god about them but other times I just rest in god's presence, speaking if I have something to say and listening in case he has something to say to me.
the point is, he is always available any time we want to talk to him. More than that, he wants us to come talk to him as often as we can, even if there's nothing specific we have to say to him. he knows that we are busy with different things but he wants as much of our time as we are prepared to give him. He wants to be involved in the things we do. The bible says:
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
[Proverbs 3:6]
He knows we can't always drop everything and get on our knees, sometimes all we can do is send up a prayer while we're working and he accepts that. He is glad when we spend time with him, no matter how long or short. That thought just makes me want to praise him. The God of the universe wants to have a relationship with me and wants me to talk to him at any time!
The bible tells us to:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
[1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]
Does that mean we are supposed to spend all our lives on our knees praying? I think we would soon have very sore knees if we tried that. no, it means that we should learn to always be aware of our relationship with God and that we should keep those lines of communication open at all times so that we can talk to god and he can talk to us. Whether we send up what I've heard called "arrow prayers" [little prayers like "god help me" or "I love you Lord" or "What should i do about this lord?"] or whether we take some time out of our activities to sing and praise God or to talk to him about what is on our hearts, we need to keep open the lines of communication with our heavenly father.
The more effort we put into our relationship with God the more our love and faith in him is going to grow and the more we will know him. We can't get to know someone without talking to them and we get to know them as we spend time with them.
I hope this message has encouraged you to spend some time in prayer today. Remember that god loves you and he is waiting to hear from you.
Prayer:
Father i thank you that you love us and that because of your grace and mercy you have made us part of your family through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. help us to make more time for you even in the midst of our busyness. Thank you that you are always there for us whenever we reach out to you. I praise you God and thank you for your love and kindness in Jesus' name Amen.
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