I am reading another old book called Devotional Prayers by Henry Thornton. Amazing depth of insight and words from a man who lived in the 1800s. I absolutely LOVE this book. It is a book of real faith, purified faith, deep faith, simplified faith. I love to read these prayers in the morning when my own prayers lack substance. Love what he says on pg. 19.
You have given to each of us our work in life; Lord, enable us diligently to perform our respective duties. Let us not waste our time in unprofitableness or idleness, nor be unfaithful to any trust committed to us. Let us not put on the mere appearance of goodness, nor try in any way to deceive those around us. But let us remember that Your eye is upon us, and let us have the testimony of our consciences, that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have our conversation in the world.
Simplicity...
Godly Sincerity... two character traits I pray for in my life.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
Love this excerpt from today's reading:
"I am the Resurrection and the Life; all lasting Life emanates from Me. People search for life in many wrong ways: chasing after fleeting pleasures, accumulating possessions and wealth, trying to deny the inevitable effects of aging. Meanwhile, I freely offer abundant Life to everyone who turns toward Me. As you come to Me and take My yoke upon you, I fill you with My very Life. This is how I choose to live in the world and accomplish My purposes. This is also how I bless you with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory. The Joy is Mine, and the Glory is Mine; but I bestow them on you as you live in My Presence, inviting Me to live fully in you."
"I am the Resurrection and the Life; all lasting Life emanates from Me. People search for life in many wrong ways: chasing after fleeting pleasures, accumulating possessions and wealth, trying to deny the inevitable effects of aging. Meanwhile, I freely offer abundant Life to everyone who turns toward Me. As you come to Me and take My yoke upon you, I fill you with My very Life. This is how I choose to live in the world and accomplish My purposes. This is also how I bless you with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory. The Joy is Mine, and the Glory is Mine; but I bestow them on you as you live in My Presence, inviting Me to live fully in you."
Psalm 106
Interesting how we as a people are bent on rebellion. We forget much of the amazing things that God has done. We forget to believe and lack faith, just like the people of Israel.
Lord, help me to remember your works, to continue to praise you, to act justly and do what is right.
WTS:
1. God saves to make his mighty name known.
2. Do not "grumble in your tents." Grumbling does not please God. It is complaining about him or his creation.
3. Do not "despise the pleasant land." Believe his promise.
4. Idols are a snare.
Psalm 106
1 Praise the LORD.[a]
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right.
4 Remember me, LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
6 We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.[b]
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
to make his mighty power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wilderness they put God to the test.
15 So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it buried the company of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed among their followers;
a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who saved them,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise.
25 They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the LORD. 26
So he swore to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter them throughout the lands.
28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they aroused the LORD’s anger by their wicked deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.
32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
and rash words came from Moses’ lips.[c]
34 They did not destroy the peoples
as the LORD had commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs.
36 They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to false gods.
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.
39 They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
40 Therefore the LORD was angry with his people
and abhorred his inheritance.
41 He gave them into the hands of the nations,
and their foes ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them
and subjected them to their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were bent on rebellion
and they wasted away in their sin.
44 Yet he took note of their distress
when he heard their cry;
45 for their sake he remembered his covenant
and out of his great love he relented.
46 He caused all who held them captive
to show them mercy.
47 Save us, LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the LORD.
Lord, help me to remember your works, to continue to praise you, to act justly and do what is right.
WTS:
1. God saves to make his mighty name known.
2. Do not "grumble in your tents." Grumbling does not please God. It is complaining about him or his creation.
3. Do not "despise the pleasant land." Believe his promise.
4. Idols are a snare.
Psalm 106
1 Praise the LORD.[a]
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right.
4 Remember me, LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
6 We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.[b]
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
to make his mighty power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wilderness they put God to the test.
15 So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it buried the company of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed among their followers;
a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who saved them,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise.
25 They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the LORD. 26
So he swore to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter them throughout the lands.
28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they aroused the LORD’s anger by their wicked deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.
32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
and rash words came from Moses’ lips.[c]
34 They did not destroy the peoples
as the LORD had commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs.
36 They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to false gods.
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.
39 They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
40 Therefore the LORD was angry with his people
and abhorred his inheritance.
41 He gave them into the hands of the nations,
and their foes ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them
and subjected them to their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were bent on rebellion
and they wasted away in their sin.
44 Yet he took note of their distress
when he heard their cry;
45 for their sake he remembered his covenant
and out of his great love he relented.
46 He caused all who held them captive
to show them mercy.
47 Save us, LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the LORD.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Feb. 28th
Hebrews 12:1-2, 2nd Timothy 4:2-5
Preach the word in season and out. Convince, rebuke, exhort with patience for the time will come when they will not endure sound teaching; but follow their own desires turning away from truth and turning to fables. Be watchful, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Run with endurance the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, now seated right hand of the throne of God.
WTs:
1. Run the race set before me. Don't look back. Don't stop moving.
2. Do the work of an evangelist.
3. Be watchful. Endure afflictions. Fulfill my ministry.
Lord, be with me today. Strengthen me for what is ahead. Help me to do it in your Spirit and not the flesh. Forgive my sin. Cleanse me by the blood of Jesus, and help me today to walk with strength and dignity as you have designed. In Jesus' name I pray.Be with those who desperately need you. Help me to hear your voice speak to me. Quiet my soul. Help me to think of others and not self. Amen.
Preach the word in season and out. Convince, rebuke, exhort with patience for the time will come when they will not endure sound teaching; but follow their own desires turning away from truth and turning to fables. Be watchful, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Run with endurance the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, now seated right hand of the throne of God.
WTs:
1. Run the race set before me. Don't look back. Don't stop moving.
2. Do the work of an evangelist.
3. Be watchful. Endure afflictions. Fulfill my ministry.
Lord, be with me today. Strengthen me for what is ahead. Help me to do it in your Spirit and not the flesh. Forgive my sin. Cleanse me by the blood of Jesus, and help me today to walk with strength and dignity as you have designed. In Jesus' name I pray.Be with those who desperately need you. Help me to hear your voice speak to me. Quiet my soul. Help me to think of others and not self. Amen.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Trust and Be Thankful
From Jesus Calling
Trust and thankfulness will get you safely through this day. Trust protects you from worrying and obsessing. Thankfulness keeps you from criticizing and complaining; those sister sins that so easily entangle you.
Keeping your eyes on Me is the same thing as trusting me. It is a free choice that you must make thousands of times daily. The more you choose to trust Me, the easier it becomes. Thought patterns of trust become etched in your brain. Relegate troubles to the periphery of your mind, so that I can be central in your thoughts. Thus you focus on Me, entrusting your concerns into my care.
Trust and thankfulness will get you safely through this day. Trust protects you from worrying and obsessing. Thankfulness keeps you from criticizing and complaining; those sister sins that so easily entangle you.
Keeping your eyes on Me is the same thing as trusting me. It is a free choice that you must make thousands of times daily. The more you choose to trust Me, the easier it becomes. Thought patterns of trust become etched in your brain. Relegate troubles to the periphery of your mind, so that I can be central in your thoughts. Thus you focus on Me, entrusting your concerns into my care.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Throwing it Aside
Bible Verse James 1:21-24
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
We deceive ourselves when we hear, receive, but do not do. We cannot be who God created us to be without being true to His Word, which brings life... The Word of the God who made us.
The pastor at church yesterday said that people want to see God. They really do. It is a sad thing when the Christian community does not reflect who God really is. Reflect who He made us to be. We forget who we are when we walk away and become what our flesh desires. Become just what we would naturally in our hearts follow.
Lord, help your church to lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness. Help us to reflect who you made us to be. Help us to show Jesus to others. I pray you would use me today to reflect Jesus to the church that I serve as I teach. We are but flesh. You, on the other hand, are perfect. Walk with us, your church, and help us to throw aside all temptations to be worldly. Help us to teach and model for our children what you value. Help us to take Your Light to this dark world where the harvest is ripe. I pray for these kids today that I teach. I pray that they would know what it means to be a light and to take it to the world and their neighborhood around them. Help me to model this to my own children. Help us not to stay in our "safety net" but to look in the mirror, see you, and then, walk away and be you to any one who needs you. Give us a heart for the world.
Amen.
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
We deceive ourselves when we hear, receive, but do not do. We cannot be who God created us to be without being true to His Word, which brings life... The Word of the God who made us.
The pastor at church yesterday said that people want to see God. They really do. It is a sad thing when the Christian community does not reflect who God really is. Reflect who He made us to be. We forget who we are when we walk away and become what our flesh desires. Become just what we would naturally in our hearts follow.
Lord, help your church to lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness. Help us to reflect who you made us to be. Help us to show Jesus to others. I pray you would use me today to reflect Jesus to the church that I serve as I teach. We are but flesh. You, on the other hand, are perfect. Walk with us, your church, and help us to throw aside all temptations to be worldly. Help us to teach and model for our children what you value. Help us to take Your Light to this dark world where the harvest is ripe. I pray for these kids today that I teach. I pray that they would know what it means to be a light and to take it to the world and their neighborhood around them. Help me to model this to my own children. Help us not to stay in our "safety net" but to look in the mirror, see you, and then, walk away and be you to any one who needs you. Give us a heart for the world.
Amen.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Strongholds and Setbacks
Ephesians 6:12, "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 has been brought to my attention once again that I wrestle not only with my flesh, but also with the unseen spiritual dimension in my life.
Yesterday was a tough day wrestling with old strongholds. Satan knows my thoughts from my behavior and studying me, although he cannot read my mind. I need to remember to guard my mind from the enemy, including taking all thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ.
God, forgive me for falling into my old habits of thinking. Free me from those things that trap my mind and take away my freedom in you. I pray for this new day and ask that it be relinquished to you. I pray that you would guard me from all that is wicked today, including strongholds from the enemy and my past. Let my words and thoughts dwell on the eternal and not the temporary. Let me not worry, but hold supreme confidence in you. Lead my path today. Lead me to be who you created me to be for your glory. Amen.
It has been brought to my attention once again that I wrestle not only with my flesh, but also with the unseen spiritual dimension in my life.
Yesterday was a tough day wrestling with old strongholds. Satan knows my thoughts from my behavior and studying me, although he cannot read my mind. I need to remember to guard my mind from the enemy, including taking all thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ.
God, forgive me for falling into my old habits of thinking. Free me from those things that trap my mind and take away my freedom in you. I pray for this new day and ask that it be relinquished to you. I pray that you would guard me from all that is wicked today, including strongholds from the enemy and my past. Let my words and thoughts dwell on the eternal and not the temporary. Let me not worry, but hold supreme confidence in you. Lead my path today. Lead me to be who you created me to be for your glory. Amen.
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