Be Strong In The Lord

TODAY’S VERSE
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”
Ephesians 6:10

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We need strength. There are so many circumstances in life that bring us to our knees – suffering with chronic pain, struggling to pay the bills, arguing with teenage children, feeling discouraged about our job or rocking from a ruined relationship. All of us have a story. None of us goes unscathed. But we do not have to bear our sorrows all alone and afraid. We don’t have to be helpless victims. Instead, Paul ends Ephesians with this word, “Finally, be strong.” Being strong is having a resilient attitude, a hopeful spirit, a resolve to never give up, to fight and to hang on. But how do we do this? How can we get the strength we need? Listen to how Paul finishes his verse. “Be strong in the LORD and in His mighty strength.” What a difference a few words can make. We can be strong in His strength. His strength is mighty. His strength is loving. And today, His strength is your strength. Like a child is carried in the strength of his father’s arms, God will carry you. Today, be strong; but not in yourself. Be strong in the Lord and His mighty power!

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You told me to be strong, however I have tried to be strong in my own power not Yours. I confess that I need Your power. I cannot live the life You want me to by myself. Please forgive me and help me be strong in You and Your mighty power. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

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Forget The Past

TODAY’S VERSE
“I have not achieved it (perfection), but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Philippians 3:13-14

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Paul started the whole “No perfect people allowed” movement! He knew the pressure that Christians were getting from the religious people. Get circumcised, follow the commandments, obey the law. Paul knew that this was a trap. He knew that there were two kinds of people that miss God’s standard of perfection. Those that say they do and those that pretend they don’t. Paul did not have to pretend to be perfect; he had a better way! He forgot his sin. Paul knew his struggle. He knew his shortcomings but instead of putting on the pretence of perfection, he focused on one thing: “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” How about you? There comes a time when you have to make a choice. Are you going to let the past dictate your life or your future? Follow Paul’s example, “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, you know my past better than I do and yet You are willing to forgive. Help me to do the same. Help me to forgive and forget the past and focus on what’s ahead. Help me live in the present reality of Your love and forgiveness and then press on toward living my life for You. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Prayer And Thanksgiving

TODAY’S PRAYER
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Prayer changes things. Karl Barth, a twentieth-century theologian wrote, “He is not deaf, He listens; more than that, He acts. He does not act in the same way whether we pray or not. Prayer exerts an influence upon God’s action, even upon His existence. That is what the word ‘answer’ means. The fact that God yields to man’s petitions, changing His intentions in response to man’s prayer, is not a sign of weakness. He Himself in the glory of His majesty and power, has willed it.” Paul knew this. That is why he tells us to stop being anxious. Instead, we are to pray, petitioning God, with thanksgiving in our heart. Why? Because we are coming to our Heavenly Father, who loves us, cares for us, is all powerful and will work everything according to His will. We can trust God with the ultimate outcome and in exchange He gives us something greater than any answer we could ever ask for. He gives us a promise. A promise to guard our heart and mind with His own peace. Not just any peace, but a peace that transcends anything that we can imagine. What is bothering you? What is it you need? What is breaking your heart? Talk to God about it. Today, right now, bring your requests to God and let His peace guard your heart and mind.
 
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know my needs. You know my anxious thoughts. I bring my circumstances to You and ask for Your help with all my requests. Thank You, Lord, for hearing me. Thank You for caring. Thank You most of all for the peace that You bring to my heart and my mind. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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The Real Deal

TODAY’S VERSE
“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”
Job 42:5

TODAY’S THOUGHT
It is so easy to walk in our Christian experience and really believe that we know God. We are like a baseball fanatic. You know the kind. He can tell you everything about a certain player. He can quote their batting average, number of homers, lifetime RBI’s. He knows where they played college ball, the names of his wife and children. He even has an autographed baseball. Yet, he has never met the player. Never went to his house, never sat with him at dinner or even had a discussion. Everything he knows is from reading or listening to commentators. Now don’t get me wrong, there is passion! Chances are he will fight you if you say something derogatory about the player. There is passion but it is based on admiration not friendship. Job came to a place where everything he thought he knew about God seemed empty and vain. And then He met God. Job knew all about God, He “worshipped” God, He even lived the way he thought God wanted him to; but when he saw God, it all changed. Knowing God in a personal and intimate way changes everything. And the beauty is that God created each of us with the ability to know Him. He has equipped us with the Holy Spirit who is to teach us all things and bring us into intimate fellowship with God. But the choice is yours. You can choose to spend time with God and ask Him to reveal Himself to you or you can continue to “know” about Him. Cry out to God today and ask Him to open your eyes like He did Job’s and you will be able to say, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, sometimes I feel so phony inside. I talk about You, I read about You, I pray to You, but I don’t seem to really know You. Today, Lord, help me be conscious of Your presence. Father, speak to me. Help the eyes of my heart to see You. I want to know You in a deep and personal way.  Help me Lord I pray. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Be Like Elijah

TODAY’S VERSE
“Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
James 5:17-18
Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
I Kings 19:3-4

TODAY’S COMMENT
I love the way James starts his example of Elijah and his miraculous prayer life. He says, “Elijah was a man just like us.” No wonder we feel pressure to be a super saint. You know, go to church with the halo just right and “S” on our chest. But that was not the point James was trying to make. James was really saying, “There are no perfect people needed to get God’s work done!” I am sure that the image of Elijah that James had in his mind wasn’t just the praying for rain to stop and start again; not just the fire coming from heaven to consume the altar; not just the flour and oil continuing to be supplied to the widow and her son; nor was it just the image of Elijah asking God to raise the widow’s son from the dead. I am sure that James also remembered the fact that Elijah was afraid of Jezebel’s threat to kill him and he ran, fleeing for his life. He knew that Elijah became exhausted and sat down under a tree and prayed that he would die. James knew that Elijah was a person just like you and I. Elijah had emotions that could lead to despair. He had depression, doubt, and fear. Like us Elijah exercised doubt and faith; fear and courage, advance and defeat.  But James also saw God work through Elijah’s life and prayers. God used Elijah even with his imperfections. God can do the same for you and I. We do not have to be perfect. We do not have to pretend to be something we are not. We can be like Elijah, real with God about our deepest feelings and fears. God will meet us where we are and give us strength to live for Him. Be real with God today.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank you for the example of Elijah. What a wonderful testimony of Your grace. How You took this person who could be so courageous one moment and so afraid the next and used him for Your glory. Father, use my life. I give it to You in all its complexity and contradictions. Thank You that I do not have to be perfect, just available. Use me for Your glory, I pray. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

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Forgiveness

TODAY’S VERSE
“Then Peter came to him and asked, ‘Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?’ ‘No, not seven times,’ Jesus replied, ‘but seventy times seven!”’
Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Forgiveness is not an option. Unfortunately though, we are allowed to chose whether or not we will forgive someone. Forgiveness is not an option if you want to live the kind of life that Christ did. If you want the peace of mind that comes from living the way God wants you to. If you want to be forgiven by God yourself and live with a clear conscience. If you truly want to live in the fullness of His Spirit, trusting Him with your life, then you will surrender to His love. You will trust His sovereignty. You will radiate from deep within your own heart all the forgiveness He has given you and you will in turn forgive others. Peter knew how difficult it was. He asked, “Seven times?” Jesus knew how important it was. He said, “Seventy times seven!” Today, search your heart. Is there unforgiveness? If so, turn to Christ; ask for His power, and forgive.   

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, unforgiveness is like a cancer to my soul. It is eating me alive and I seem powerless to forgive. Help me. Forgive me for my unforgiveness and give me the strength and the compassion to follow You and Your forgiveness on the Cross. Help me forgive today, I pray. For Jesus sake.
AMEN

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Be Still

TODAY’S VERSE

“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalms 46:10 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Have you ever noticed how we hate silence? I don’t mean the momentary silence after you walk inside from loud street noise. I mean the “quiet yourself down and think” kind of silence. It is so hard to shut off the inward noise. We are obsessed with busyness. It’s as if we are afraid to face who we really are and where we are in our journey. But we must face our loneliness. Leanne Payne makes this point in her book Listening Prayer. She writes, “Our Pastoral task is to help all needy individuals face their inner loneliness, and there begin to hear God and their own true self. Everyone one of us – not just those who are the most visibly wounded by the darkness in humanity and the world – has to face the inner loneliness and separation from God. We all need to begin the rigorous but sternly magnificent work of converting the ‘desert of loneliness’ within into the spaciously beautiful ‘garden of solitude’ where the true self comes forward and flourishes. This is the self capable of friendship and Christian fellowship.” As we face our life, we need to stop filling in the gaps with empty “busyness.” Instead, we need to consider who we are and all that God is. This will lead us on a beautiful journey of the soul. Why not start today? Throughout this day, stop and listen to your inner self; bring it to God and dialog with Him. May you begin to hear God and embrace your true self in Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, so many times during the day You cry out my name, but I am too busy “keeping busy” that I do not hear You. How many times, Lord, You have wanted me to turn to You in my loneliness but I fill the void with noise. Lord, I am sorry. I want to hear You, I want to know You. Help me start today to convert my “desert of loneliness” into a “garden of solitude.” In Jesus’ name. AMEN

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God’s Power

TODAY’S VERSE
“For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.”
I Corinthians 4:20 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Sooner or later there has to be power. You can talk all about the virtues of a team in sports but it will be obvious whether they can live up to the hype when they play a game. You can say how good a recipe is but after awhile all the adulations in the world won’t make a difference, you have to taste it for yourself. Paul heard about the arrogance of some of the teachers in Corinth but there was only one thing Paul wanted to know. Was the power of God alive in their ministry? We can tell all our friends, neighbors and relatives about God but they are more interested in the difference God is making in our life. Is God’s power alive in the way we pray, the way we live, the way we serve? Is God’s power manifested in the changed lives of those we have introduced to Him? Is the fruit of the Spirit alive in our daily walk with Him because of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit? Today let’s do more than talk about God. Let’s talk to Him, and ask Him to exhibit His mighty power in everything we say and do for Him. 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I pray that Your power will be alive in my life. I pray that You will manifest Your power in mighty ways as the Holy Spirit guides and directs all I say and do. I pray in Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Get Comfort, Give Comfort

TODAY’S VERSE
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
II Corinthians 1:3-4

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Why is it so important that we do not fall into the trap of thinking that we have to be perfect? Because, there are no perfect people! Instead God expects us to admit our struggles and come to Him for help. And then, we humbly go and help others. In his book Abba’s Child, Brennan Manning shares the insight that Mike Yacinelli, author and co-founder of Youth Specialties, had after he went on a spiritual retreat. Mike writes, “Finally, I accepted my brokenness. I never came to terms with that. I knew I was a sinner. I knew that I continually disappointed God, but I could never accept that part of me. It was a part of me that embarrassed me. I continually felt the need to apologize, to run from my weaknesses, to deny who I was and concentrate on what I should be. I was broken, yes, but I was continually trying never to be broken again – or at least to get to the place where I was very seldom broken. It became clear to me that I had totally misunderstood the Christian faith. I came to see that it was in my brokenness, in my powerlessness, in my weakness that Jesus was made strong. It was in the embracing of my brokenness that I could identify with other’s brokenness.” Might we learn the same lesson that Mike did. Might we cry out to God and be comforted and then invite others to experience the same kind of comfort we received. This is the true Christian experience.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord, I admit that I have troubles. I bring them to You in exchange for your comfort. Help me in return, not to have false shame, but rather embrace my humanness and Your grace and comfort others in the way You comfort me. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

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Lord, I Am Coming

TODAY’S VERSE
“My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘LORD, I am coming.”’
Psalms 27:8 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There are a lot of voices calling out for the attention of our heart. Depending how deep you are thinking, you can have a new thought every two to ten seconds. That’s anywhere from ten thousand to fifty thousand thoughts a day. How many of these are cries of the heart? How many come from emotional pain? How many are the result of unsolved spiritual issues? How we ruminate over and over again, struggling to find peace and joy. And yet if we listen, if we stop, quiet ourselves, we will hear it. We will hear the voice of God crying out to us. David heard it. He wrote, “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’” How God wants your heart. How He desires to fellowship with you. And yet we resist. We have so many important things to tend to. Yet God is calling, “Come and talk with me.” David’s heart heard the voice of God and David said, “Lord, I am coming.” What does your heart say? Today, come to God. Come and talk with Him. Come and listen. Come and fellowship. God is calling you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, I come and quiet myself before You. I need You so badly and yet I don’t know where to start. Teach me. Show me how to know You. Help me talk to You. Lord, hear the silent cries of my heart. Hear my inner thoughts. I come to You now, in Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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