August 2008
Day 1
Word for today:
As I wrote yesterday, satan is out to
destroy the children of God. He is strong in power and is cunning.
Even Samson with all his strength was no match for Satan. Nor was
Solomon with all his wisdom, because they underestimated him and
overestimated themselves. How can we keep the devil and his buddies
out of our "house"? As God's word say's, we must have a man
stronger then satan to deliver us. There is only one that qualifies
as that, and that is Jesus Christ. We as Christians need not fear
being controlled by satan. Jesus is not into a time-sharing program
with him. The Bible tells us in, 1 John 5:18,
He who has been born of God keeps himself,
and the wicked one does not touch him.
Satan may knock on our door and rattle the windows. He may threaten
to "huff and puff and blow the house down. But he cannot enter
because someone stronger has taken up residence. Jesus lives within
us and is our strength.
Bible verse for today:
Luke 11:22
(NLT)
For when Satan,
who is completely armed, guards his palace, it is safe—until someone
who is stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons,
and carries off his belongings.
Prayer for today:
Thank You Dear Heavenly
Father,
for being our strength.
You overcame satan when
You died on the cross
and rose again and You
continue to have power over Him.
Thank You for giving us
Your power and strength
that we too can over come
him.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 2
Word for today:
A gentleman tells the story of how he climbed a hill and when he reached
the top he stretched out on the grass to relax. Turning his head to
the side, his eyes focused on some blades of grass that were within
inches of his face. This short-range focus not only strained his
eyes, but it also blurred his vision of anything beyond the end of his
nose. As he began to adjust his focus, the distant city came into
view instead. He found he could shift his sights from near to far at
will. The choice was his. The Apostle Paul emphasized in Colossians
that followers of Christ need to be heavenly-minded, not
earthly-minded. We can adjust our view to earthbound thoughts,
blurring our view of anything beyond our nose or we can gaze through
this sinful scene and fix our attention on things above, which is
Christ Jesus. It is then and only then that we are in position to see
what's most important in life. Only the mind that's set on things
above can say no to sin and yes to Christ like holiness. The choice
is ours. Which it will be?
Bible verse for today:
Colossians 3:1-2
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your
affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
help us to set our
affections on things above
and not on things on this
earth.
Help us to keep our vision
clear to do
the work that You have
called us to do for Your kingdom.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 3
Word for today:
Since we gave our heart to Jesus, we
should be marked by a steady growth as we walk in fellowship with Him
and learn from Him each day. But so many Christians lives are up and
down like a roller coaster ride with times of intense joy and
peace followed by seasons of indifference. Pastor Jonathan Edwards
puts it like this, "Some are only religious by sits and starts. They
are like the waters in the time of a shower of rain, which during the
shower, and a little after, run like a brook and flow abundantly, but
they are presently quite dry, and when another shower comes, then they
will flow again. Whereas a true saint is like a stream from a living
spring which, though it may be greatly increased by a shower of rain
and diminished in time of drought, yet it constantly runs." Would
your life be characterized as "fits and starts" or like a stream from
a living spring? Jesus is the only one that can give us that spring
of living water that never runs dry. That is why we need to steady
His Word and walk and talk with Him every day. He is our closest
friend and with Him we will be like a brook which flows abundantly.
Bible verse for today:
John 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water.
Prayer for today:
Thank You Dear Heavenly
Father,
for the spring of living
water
that sprung up in our
heart when we gave our life to You.
Help us to keep that
spring flowing abundantly
by steadying Your word and
walking and talking with You daily.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 4
Word for today:
A pastor told a story about Mary, a widow, very poor, and totally
housebound because of her ailments in old age. Even with all her
earthly problems, she had learned to praise God amid her hardships.
Over the years she had come to savor with great gratitude every good
thing He sent her way. Because of her crippling pain it would take
her a long time to inch her way to the door, so when he was coming to
visit, he would call ahead on the phone and let her know he was on his
way and at what time he expected to arrive. Mary would then start her
slow journey to the door, reaching it about the same time the Minister
arrived. Without fail, he could count on her greeting him with these
triumphant words: "God is good!" So many times the one's that speak
of God's great goodness, is those that go through the most trials.
They choose to focus on the Lord's mercy and grace rather than on
their troubles, and so doing they taste His goodness. Do we taste and
see that the "Lord is Good" even when life isn't? The Bible says
that, what the devil meant for harm, God will turn it around for our
good. We just need to put our trust in Him and praise Him for His
goodness and the many blessings He sends our way.
Bible verse for today:
Psalm 34:8 (AMP)
O taste and see
that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be
envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
when we face great
troubles in this life,
Help us to focus on the
Lord's mercy and grace
rather than on our
troubles,
and therefore taste of
Your goodness.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 5
Word for today:
I read a story about a man who raised
chickens. Among them was a rooster whose occasional crowing greatly
annoyed a neighbor. Early one morning the disgruntled neighbor called
the farmer and complained, "That miserable bird of yours keeps me up
all night!" "I don't understand. He hardly ever crows and if he
does, it's never more than two or three times," the farmer replied.
"That isn't the problem," retorted the neighbor. "It's not how often
he crows that irritates me! What keeps me awake is not knowing when
he might crow!" So many times we are like that man. We worry about
what might happen rather than living a day at a time and rejoicing in
the Lord's sufficiency for the present. Instead we become anxious by
borrowing trouble from the future. Jesus tells us in His Word that we
should not worry about tomorrow. If we choose to trust Him, he will
give us rest for our soul, and the peace of God will fill our heart
and mind. We need to stop "waiting for the rooster."
Bible verse for today:
Matthew 6:34
Take therefore no thought for the morrow:
for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
When things pile up and
our troubles
seem to be high as the
mountain,
help us to put our faith
and trust in You,
and not worry about
tomorrow,
for Lord we know that You
will supply all our needs.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 6
Word for today:
Many times we feel trapped and things just aren't going the way we had
hoped. We become discouraged and then satin uses our doubts and we
began to look on the negative instead of the positive. We become
depressed and feel like giving up. At this time I have been going
through a very difficult medical illness for several months. At
times, I think, "God, are You there? Do You hear my cries?" and I
feel whats the use. But you know what? He answers back, "Yes, I am
here and I hear your cries. I will never leave You and I will walk
through this with you and give you strength and together we will make
it." To become depressed and feeling like giving us is exactly what
the devil wants Gods children to do. He then has control over us.
But we must never forget, God is greater than all our problems and if
we only trust in Him and His love, and give it all to Him, He will see
us through no matter how high the mountain or how wide the sea. Trust
in Him.
Bible verse for today:
Matthew 17:20 If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall
say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall
remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father, when
I feel trapped,
let me not forget that You
are greater than all my problems
and that I can trust You
to never leave me and will help me cope
and will guide me in the
right direction.
Thank You Jesus that we
can put our faith and trust in You
because we know You will
see us through no matter the situation.
And it is in Your name we
pray.
Amen
Day 7
Word for today:
Too often in our life we focus on the battle, and not the victory. Too
often we look only at the circumstances, and not the one who promised
us victory over our circumstances. When the disciples were in the
boat and the winds began to blow and the rain began to fall, the sky
darkened, and a great storm came upon them, all they could see was the
storm. They woke up Jesus who was sleeping in the boat, and in their
fear, asked Him to help them. Jesus seeing their fear, in an act of
compassion simply made the storm go away. The same Jesus who made the
storm go away for His disciples, is the same Jesus who can make the
storm in our life go away!!! Jesus is saying to us today, exactly
what He said to His disciples those many years ago. Why do you fear?
You see, when we are with Jesus, we don't have to fear no matter how
bad the storm may look. JESUS WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR US AND HE
ALONE HAS THE FINAL WORD!!! No matter what the storm may be in your
life, no matter what the battle may be, Jesus has already won the
victory.
Bible verse for today:
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not
dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help
thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 41:13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right
hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I
will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow
thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned;
neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We praise You and worship
Your Holy name.
We thank You Father that
no matter how fierce the storm,
how fierce the battle,
that You are right by our side.
With one word from You the
winds will cease,
and even if we walk
through the fire, we will not be burned.
Thank You Lord that we can
know,
that You have everything
under control and we need not fear.
Thank You Jesus and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 8
Word for today:
Life is NOT gray, it is black and white. It is either the truth, or it
is a lie. People try to tell us that we should be able to determine
for ourselves what truth is, but practically speaking this can't ever
work. Why? Well, what I feel is right, someone else might look at as
wrong. What I think is wrong, someone else may think is right. To
allow each one of us to determine for ourselves what truth is can
NEVER work since the standard for each one of us is different. That
is why the ONLY source for ABSOLUTE TRUTH is God. God gave each one
of us freewill, so we are free to believe whatever we want. But what
we choose to believe will not change or alter the TRUTH of God found
in the Bible. God's word never changes. As God's children it is the
only foundation on which we can live our lives. God has called us to
be the defenders of His truth. Don't be afraid to call sin sin. Live
your day to day life in an uncompromising way that lets the lost and
hurting around you know your life is different, because you are armed
with the TRUTH, and when opportunities present themselves, speak up
boldly and let people know what God says! What they choose to do with
that truth, then becomes an issue for them and God.
Bible verse for today:
Luke 11:28 But He said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of
God, AND KEEP IT.
1Thessalonians 2:13
For
this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye
received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as
the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which
effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Prayer for the day:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help us to be more
diligent in reading and studying
Your word so we know the
truth.
Give us a hunger and
thirst for the Truth that only You can give us.
Help us to know the
difference as to when You are talking to us
and when the devil is
trying to trick us,
for You have said in Your
word that
he is a liar and the
father of lies.
Help us never to be
ashamed of Your word
and to stand up for what
we know is the Truth
because You have said it.
Thank You Jesus and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 9
Word for today:
The story goes, of a son who was just beginning to learn the
game of soccer, the father was trying to convey to him what he knew
about the sport. The son stated that he had developed his own
strategy in knowing how to get past his opponent. "When I'm dribbling
the ball, I can say, 'Hey, look over there!' When he does, I can
dribble past him!" As simplistic as this strategy of distraction
sounds, it's similar to the scheme satan uses on us as Christians---
and unfortunately it works. He has developed hundreds of ways to say,
"Hey, look over there!" All he has to do is distract us, and he has
us doing something other than serving or glorifying God. One of our
main goals we should have as we to strive to live for the Lord is to
keep "looking unto Jesus". We look away when we let everyday concerns
make us worry. We look away when we put our attention on others to
criticize them. We look away when we neglect Gods Word. Satan is a
great distracter. We need to ignore his urgings and keep our eyes on
Jesus. When we do, we will find it easier to live in a way that
glorifies God and we won't be doing satan's will.
Bible verse for today:
Hebrews 12: 1-2
let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us
run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus
the author and finisher of our faith;
Prayer for today:
Dear heavenly Father,
We know dear Lord that the
devil is out there
trying to distract us to
keep our eyes off of You
and from doing the work
that You have called us to do.
Help us Dear Lord to keep
our eyes on You
so we can serve only You
and Glorify our Father that is in Heaven.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 10
Word for today:
Nothing happens without a purpose, though we often never know what that
purpose is. If nothing else, may it draw us into a deeper and more
committed relationship with Him. HE is our source of hope and joy.
GOD KNOWS OUR NEEDS AND WILL SUPPLY THEM! He will help us through
whatever we may have to face if we just give it to Him and let Him
carry our burdens.
Bible verse for today:
Romans 8:28
And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who
are called according to His purpose.
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Many times things happen
that we question in our
heart, WHY?
Lord we know , that You
say in Your word,
Who are we to question?
Help us to have faith to
never doubt You,
for we know You have
promised us
that You have everything
under control
and that all things work
together for good,
for those that love You.
Help us Lord, that when
things happen that we don't understand,
that it may be a means of
drawing us into a deeper
and more committed
relationship with You.
We ask this in the name of
Jesus.
Amen
Day 11
Word for today:
Since we have given our heart to
Jesus, the spirit of God is within us now and will be always. At any
time of challenge or opportunity, the spirit of God will lift us to
new and greater heights of understanding and give us courage. Every
time we call out to the spirit of God, He will work in and through us
in powerful and wondrous ways. He is always there. Just call on Him.
Bible verse for today:
Isaiah 43: 1-3 Fear not:
for I have called thee by thy name; Thou art mine. When thou
passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the
rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon
thee. For I am the Lord thy God.
Prayer for today:
Thank You Lord Jesus,
that we can know by faith
that You are always with us.
That Your Spirit is within
us,
and even though we walk
through the floods or the fire,
that You are there with
us, and that You will see us through and
lift us to new and greater
heights of understanding and courage.
Thank You Jesus. We ask
this in Your name .
Amen
Day 12
Word for today:
When we are going through a crisis in
life, we need to call on God and remember that we are one in Him. It
is then and only then that we can have inner peace in facing
whatever our circumstances. We can have that inner piece knowing He
is right there beside us and will even carry us through if we are not
able to walk on our own. He is such a loving God. If we just give it
to Him He will see us through.
Bible verse for today:
Isaiah 40:11
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd:
he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom,
and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is
my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green
pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
Prayer for today:
Lord help us to go with
the
peaceful flow we can have
through You,
and not be swept away by
our circumstances.
We are one with You Lord.
Give us the peace of God
within us,
to help us through every
circumstance.
Thank You Jesus, for we
ask this in Your name.
Amen
Day 13
Word for today:
God has given us freedom of spirit
which has set us free, and because we are free there is no substance,
person, or circumstance that can limit us. If we ever find ourselves
reacting to something or someone with fear, worry, anger, frustration,
or resentment, we can know that we have temporarily forgotten
that we can be free of such negativity. In prayer we need
to restore our soul's awareness that we are free indeed through Christ
who has set us free. We need not fear and worry or become angry,
frustrated and resentful because His love, power and strength is in us
and He will take away all fear and give us love in our hearts for
those that we would otherwise allow to cause us to become angry,
frustrated and resentful.
Bible
verse for today:
John 8:36
If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Romans 5:5
And hope maketh
not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Prayer for today:
Dear
God, I am grateful that in You, we are free.
Help us to stand firmly
in our freedom.
Help us to let nothing
disturb the serenity of our soul.
We know that we can only
be free because of the love of God in our heart.
Thank You Jesus and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 14
Word for today:
It is amazing how just five minutes alone with God, quietly resting in
an awareness of His presence, can soothe, invigorate and refresh
us. It gives us strength and helps us work more efficiently. Time
with God, our friend and companion, will bless us and enable us to
think and act with confidence.
Bible verse for today:
Isaiah 30:15 For thus said the Lord God,
the Holy One of
Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and
in confidence shall be your strength.
I like how the Good News Bible quotes this verse:
"Come back and trust in me. Then you will be strong and
secure."
Prayer for today:
Dear Father, we praise
Your Holy name.
We thank You dear Lord
that in our quiet time together,
You soothe us, refresh us
and give us strength,
for You have promised
us that if we put our trust in You,
we will be strong and
secure.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 15
Word for today:
Miscommunication between loved ones, and even with those we deal
with during the day, can create feelings of anger and hurt on both
sides and trying to resolve the situation with more discussion in the
midst of these negative feelings only make things worse. We may
finally feel like giving up, and in truth, this would be the best
response provided that we give up the situation to the Lord. Letting
go and letting God, we give up trying to fix the relationship
ourselves. Turning it over to God, our communication is transformed
from confusion into a silent, powerful message of pure love enveloped
in heartfelt prayer. Then we need to trust in God to pave the way to
heal the relationship through the power of His love.
Bible verse for today:
Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed
on Thee:
Prayer for today:
Thank You Jesus,
that even in our times of
disagreements with our loved ones,
we can call on You and You
will give us peace,
understanding and love
and help us to clear up
the confusion
and erase the anger and
hurt it may have caused.
Help us to let go and let
You handle
all our daily needs and
our communication with others.
We pray in Jesus name.
Amen
Day 16
Word for today:
The Lord has really laid it on my heart to touch on this, because as we
look around and we hear what is going on in the world today, it is not
hard to see that we are living in PERILOUS times. Some may ask, "Why
is God allowing this? If He is in control, why are these things
happening?" It tells us right in the Bible, that the devil has control
of this earth. When the devil took Jesus up to the mountain to temp
Him, it says in Matthew 4:8-10
Again, the devil taketh Him up into an
exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the
WORLD, and the glory of them; And saith unto Him, all these things
will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
He couldn't give it, if it wasn't his to
give in the first place. In Ephesians
6:12 it says,
for we wrestle not against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the RULERS
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness’ in HIGH
PLACES. It is very clear when we
look at the condition this world is in, that it is of the devil and
not of God. The devil is a liar and the father of lies,
John
8:44 .
In II Peter
5:8 it tells us
Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he
may devour: The devil knows his time
is very short on this earth, that his lease is almost up, and he is
working over time to get men to fall and do his evil work, and
unfortunately, men and woman are falling for his lies. That is why
God warns His children in Ephesians
6:10-11 Finally, my brethren, be
strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole
armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the WILES of the
devil. That is why in this day and
age that it is even more important that we walk with the Lord and in
His strength and let Him control our life. It is only through Him
that we can fight the evil of this dark sinful world. May God help us
all to call upon His name and let Him be our strength.
Prayer for today:
Dear heavenly Father,
it is so plain to see the
devil is working overtime
to get Your children to
fall.
You created us all to live
and serve You,
but because of sin, many
have fallen away
and are listening to the
devils lies.
Help us Lord to put on the
whole Armour of God,
and go out there and do
Your work to win lost souls for thee.
We pray for our country
Lord, that You might
open the eyes of the
people,
that they will turn to You
before it is to late.
We ask this in Jesus name.
Amen
Day 17
Word for today:
Often we get so busy in our day to day lives, so caught up in the hectic
pace that we put ourselves through, that we just don't have time for
Jesus. After all, Jesus said, "without me you can do nothing". That
is all I need to know! Without Him, I am not capable of doing
anything. Of course, we all have talents and abilities that God has
blessed us with, and by the world's standards can accomplish much.
But nothing that we are doing in our own strength will have any
eternal significance. Our daily time with Jesus keeps us focused on
what is important in this life. It keeps us humble realizing how much
that we need the Lord in our lives each day. We need to take time
each day to be alone with Jesus. It is the most important thing we
can do. We need to take time to bring our needs to Him, the needs of
others, and use it as a time of thanksgiving for all that He has done
for us. If we do this our day will go better. Our troubles will seem
more manageable, and life will have a greater meaning. The Lord
loves us so much that He has made Himself accessible to us 24/7. We
don't need an appointment. We don't have to wait in line. He is
actually more eager to spend time with us, than we are with Him. We
need to be careful that we do not take Him for granted but take full
advantage of the access that He has given us to spend time with HIM
each and every day!
Bible verse for today:
John 15:5
"I am the vine, and you are the branches.
Those who remain in me, and I in them,
will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help us to realize, that
without You we can do nothing.
Oh, the devil tries to
tell us how good we are
and what great things we
are doing, but unless we are
doing them to honor and
glorify Your name it is worth nothing.
Help us to take the time
each day to call on You to help us
through the day and to
show us the way,
for it only with Your help
that we can make it through.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 18
Word for today:
What controls you? This is one of the most incredible challenges we have
each day in our Christian journey. The ultimate goal of every
believer is to be controlled at all times by the Spirit of God,
instead of the spirit of this world. It is when we are controlled by
the Lord, that we are able to fulfill our purpose in life, enjoy the
peace, joy, and the abundance of this life, and know God's richest
blessings. When we allow ourselves to be controlled by the things of
this world, we distance ourselves from God and whatever pleasure we
enjoy is only temporary, followed by much pain, and we miss God's best
for our life. With Him controlling our life, we can step out in faith
instead of fear. If we ask Him each day to walk with us and take
control and help us through. HE WILL.
Bible verse for today:
Isaiah 41:10 Do not be afraid---I am with you! I am your God---let
nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will
protect you and save you.
Prayer for today:
Thank You Lord
that we do not have to be
afraid,
that if we will only let
You take control of our life,
You will make us strong
and help us walk each step
of the way.
You will protect us and
save us.
Thank You Jesus,
and it is Your Almighty
name we pray.
Amen
Day 19
Word for today:
Whenever a parent or loved one becomes unable to handle their affairs any
longer they will appoint someone legally to have Power of Attorney to
handle their affairs for them. That person is responsible to act in
their behalf and carry on as if they were that person and handle that
persons business as they themselves would have handled it. When Jesus
descended into Heaven to be with His Father, He gave you and I Power
of Attorney to carry on His work here on earth while He is gone. We
are acting in behalf of our Father, because as Jesus said many times
in the scripture, everything that He did was to glorify His Father.
How do we know what Jesus, or the Father, would do? Because, Jesus
has given us His Holy word, the Bible, as our road map. Are we doing
our job as Power of Attorney for Jesus? We will one day be judged on
how we handled His affairs.
Bible verse for today:
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
as Power of Attorney to
carry on Your work here on earth,
help us to be good
stewards and servants
and to witness as You did
when You were on this earth.
Help us like You to be
about our Fathers business.
Thank You for giving us
the power and the strength,
and Your word as a road
map, to help us fulfill our duty.
In Jesus most Holy name we
pray.
Amen
Day 20
Word for today:
Everyone who lives, has times when the burdens of this life can become
overwhelming. Whatever the reason, however it happened, you wake up
feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. The joy,
the peace, the pleasures of this life seem so far away. We have all
been through these valleys so we know how difficult it can be. We
become so wrapped up in our own problems that we cannot see that there
is someone else who is going through the same thing right now. As
God's children, He has commanded us to bear one another's burdens. By
showing our interest, our compassion, our desire to help can make all
the difference in the world as we help one another. The Bible teaches
that we really are our brother's keeper. Reaching out with the love
of Christ to someone who is hurting is the ultimate ministry anyone
can perform in this life. God is telling us to go help that person
carry their burden today and they in return will help us carry ours
and God will bless us richly.
Bible verse for today:
Galatians 6:2
Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of
Christ.
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
help us to not only look
at our own needs,
but help us Lord to see
the needs of others.
Show us how we can help
them, by showing them Your love.
Lord it is only through
Your compassion,
and strength we can
overcome.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 21
Word for today:
In Psalm 118 we see a victorious yet battle-weary king and a throng of
grateful people entering the gates of the temple to thank God for
saving them. In the Old Testament, the temple represented God's
presence—the place where followers would go to pray to the Lord. I
thank God that today, we can enter into God's presence no matter where
we are. In a car, at work, or in the aisles of a grocery
store—wherever we take time to pray to him. We can be sure God hears
our prayers and answers each one wherever and whenever they are
uttered. Just like the victorious king in this psalm, we can enter
God's presence just by talking and communing with Him. Praising Him
and thanking him for answering our prayers. Oh, to be in the presence
of the Lord. What a blessed experience.
Bible verse for today:
(NLT)
Psalm 118:19-21
Open for me the gates
where the righteous enter; and I will go in and thank the Lord. Those
gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there. I
thank you for answering my prayer and saving me!
Psalm 145:18
The Lord is close to all
who call on him, yes, to all who call on him sincerely.
Ephesians 3:12
Because of Christ and
our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God's presence,
assured of his glad welcome.
Prayer for today:
We thank You Dear Heavenly
Father,
that no matter where we
are
we can come into Your
presence,
for where we are, You
are, Almighty God.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 22
Word for today:
Failure is part of the human existence. Every day we all fail to some
degree, but you know what? God still loves us. Whatever we may have
done doesn't change that. There are usually consequences when we
fail, but our failure DOES NOT change God's love towards us! Jesus
says in His word that there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in
Christ Jesus. If God does not condemn us, why do we condemn
ourselves? Once we ask God to forgive us, we need to forgive
ourselves...and get on with our life. Yesterday is over, today is the
most important day of our life. God gave us the gift of today to
serve and glorify Him.
Bible verse for today:
Romans 8:1 There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
we thank You that even
when we fail,
because of Your great love
for us,
You do not condemn us,
but You forgive us.
Help us to recognize and
ask forgiveness when we do wrong,
and then help us leave it
there with you and not condemn ourselves.
You are an Almighty God.
We thank You for such great Love.
Help us to be more like
You.
In Jesus name we pray.
Amen
Day 23
Word for today:
"What appears bad may be God's plan
for good." Homespun wisdom says, "If you fail to plan, you plan to
fail." We may not find it put just that way in the Bible, but
you will find many stories of both effective and poor planning. God
is a God of both purpose and planning. The Bible teaches that His
plan from the beginning of Creation, is to draw all men unto himself
in order to forgive and redeem. Planning is part of all of our
lives. The only question is if, in all our planning, do we consult His
perfect and eternal plan for our lives? If we do, we will come
through victoriously.
Bible verse for today:
(NLT)
Genesis 45:3-8 "I am Joseph!" he said to his brothers. "Is my father still
alive?" But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize
that Joseph was standing there in front of them. "Come over here," he
said. So they came closer. And he said again, "I am Joseph, your
brother whom you sold into
Egypt. But don't be
angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it. He sent
me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. These two years of famine
will grow to seven, during which there will be neither plowing nor
harvest. God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive so
that you will become a great nation. Yes, it was God who sent me here,
not you! And he has made me a counselor to Pharaoh—manager of his
entire household and ruler over all Egypt."
Prayer for today:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We are so thankful that
You know what the future holds,
and that You have a plan
for each one of our lives.
Help us Lord to trust in
You and let
You to lead us in Your
plan, so that we will not fail.
Thank You Jesus, and it is
in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 24
Word for today:
God's
spirit can be a constant source of joy in our life if we only let Him
in and spend time in His presence.
Bible verse for today:
Psalm 21:6
You bestow on him
blessings forever; You make him glad with the joy of Your presence.
Prayer for today:
Thank You. God, for the
joy we can feel in the
quiet times spent just
being in Your presence,
and the feeling of Your
presence expressed in the joy
of being with our loved
ones and friends.
Thank You Jesus for that
joy, and in Your name we pray.
Amen
Day 25
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