Get your worship on and PTL! Thank God I'm Forgiven is a day we focus on all we are thankful for in Christ and for our salvation! Rejoice! Count your many blessings--one by one!
Good Morning Thankfully Praising Redeemed of the Lord! Amen! What joy we know and gratitude drives our actions! Yes, PTL!
Eph. 2:10 comes up in our devotional time again . memorize, internalize and step into it because it is who you are and reveals the first steps God's plans for you: "You are God's masterpiece, made new in Christ to do the things He created you to do and planned for you from long ago." And when we come to Christ we are gifted, activated and empowered to go do those things according to our uniqueness in Christ. Thanks Lord! That is Jesus' easy yoke for us weary of striving and tired of falling short. We are Hi. He calls us by name. He knows us and still loves us and He has great plans for you and us as His gathered and sent Body. PTL!
Check out the devos below that thread this thinking all together for and worship, load up, partner up and go live and love like Jesus! It's gonna be a beautiful day to get out and enjoy this life in Christ. Share your joy and gratitude with some that Jesus is leading you to. Go! he is with you and you are made for such a time as this! Amen! Only you can do for Christ what you are created and gifted to do! rejoice and follow well! I'm praying for you and to know the peace of being you in Christ and doing what He has for you!
Sarah Young
Upper Room: Uniquely Made
God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27 (NRSVUE)
On a recent walk, I spotted an oak leaf lying among maple leaves. The fallen beige leaf stood out on the golden carpet of maple leaves. Its rounded lobes contrasted with the sharp points of the other leaves surrounding it. Still, together, the leaves were beautiful.
How often do we notice someone who is different? Skin color, style of clothing, hairstyle, age, and other features may set them apart from the crowd. Maybe we are the unique people where we work, live, or go to school. Sometimes people stand out, and that’s just fine.
God creates each person with unique gifts and abilities. Even though we are different from one another, we all bear the image of God. Together with one another and the Divine, we collaborate to establish justice, make peace, and promote love.
Some people may desire that everyone conform to the same appearance, style, or belief, but God creates variety. The diversity of the natural world and humanity bring wonder and joy in their myriad expressions of God’s creativity. Let us embrace God’s work of love and our calling to celebrate that labor.
's Prayer
God who delights in diversity, thank you for creating each of us. Help us to appreciate the variety you have made and to treat every person with kindness. In Christ’s name. Amen.
The Word for You
I to We
Connection blog
- The Prayer of Jesus’ Life
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you. . . . I glorified you on the earth, having accomplished the work which you have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was” (John 17:1, 4-5).
Here it is plain that the phrase “yours is the glory” was in fact the prayer of Jesus’ life. The thrust of the text is that through His joyful obedience to God throughout His earthly life, God’s reputation, renown, and power were revealed in and through Him.
Here, to glorify God is to accomplish the things that God wants done. Jesus did that—and so can we.
To glorify God is to know Him intimately. It is to receive “marching orders” from God, and it is to carry them out. It is to look back on our day, our week, our month, or our life and say, “I did what you asked me to do. It is accomplished.”
Then it is to take a further step. Jesus could do this like no other. He requested a return to the glory that He had as the preexistent Word of God. In His case, it was a magnificent return to a wondrous reality—to be not only in heaven with God, but to be the center of heaven and to be God. In our case, we ask for the heaven we have never known before.
Our reward will be different in character, though it will be magnificent beyond all human existence. Jesus Christ the Lord is the center and we never can be. But we can be joined to the center and shine with His borrowed radiance forever. We shall share His glory and find ourselves seated in Him and with Him forever.
Lord Jesus, You truly are the center of life, as well as the very center of heaven! You are my God, the King of Glory! Teach me the ways of heaven through Your kingdom on this earth so that I might continue to glorify You every moment until I walk with You in the heavenly kingdom! Transform my heart, and please give me that joyful obedience that reveals You to others!
--Adapted from Power Praying by David Chotka.
Prayer Points
Read Ps. 73:23-26 and give praise to the one who holds you every day by your right hand.
Thank God for guiding you by his wise counsel.
Confess any time you have desired some earthly trinket more than the riches of your heavenly Father.
Commit yourself to staying close to God .
Ask God to be “the strength of [your] heart and [your] portion forever.”
Pray for any unsaved friends or relatives by name.
Ask that they will embrace the peace that comes with having God hold them by the hand.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
What an awesome night of feasting and fellowship last evening! Thanks for all who came and hung out! Maybe a third of those there are not members. Cool! Our . gathering is Rita's Night . at 6. Mark your calendars and bring some friends! Evenings then resume Sept 17th. It's cool to just chill with friends and God!
Good Morning Good Morning Trusting in the Lord Team! Pronounce that because things said out loud do have power as a prayer. I always try to use a salutation that flows from our devotionals and into our prayers and pronouncements. We trust in the Lord as we repent of leaning on our own understanding. We are gathered, teamed up and gifted and empowered to go live and love like Jesus and as we join with Him and each other we find this joy and peace as He uses us as we go. It's always about trusting and growing and going in Christ and we are made to do so as a team. Who are your partners? What has God revealed for you as you pray ? What thinking do you need to let go to put on the mind of Christ? Talk to God and your team about that and pronounce and pray for revival as we abide, receive and team up to go live and love like Him! He has great plans for you and us and maybe even a new believer ! Rejoice! Trust! Team up! Go live and love like Jesus! Amen! Pronounce it! Believe it! Receive it! Unite and go! Amen! God really loves you, is with you, is calling you by name to come to Him and walk in His peace . Accept the invitation and let me know what happens! Shalom!
I to WE
UR:A Change of Perspective
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. - Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)
I was working on a puzzle with my three-year-old granddaughter. It was from a set of puzzles of different shapes and sizes. This one had only eight pieces. Four of the pieces went together easily, but we couldn’t make the others fit. I finally said, “Summer, we must be missing a piece, or these pieces are from a different puzzle.” And I gave up. But after a minute, Summer said, “Grandma, I got these two pieces to fit.” And she had! It turns out that we had been looking at the puzzle from the wrong perspective; changing our perspective enabled us to finish the puzzle easily.
In ’s scripture reading from Isaiah, the Lord says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (v. 9). And Proverbs encourages us to “trust in the Lord with all [our] heart and lean not on [our] own understanding.” My three-year-old granddaughter reminded me of this spiritual lesson. Sometimes I need to change the way I’m looking at a situation. I need to ask for God’s perspective. God is the only one who sees and knows how all the pieces fit together.
's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for your wisdom. Help us to see as you see and to trust your vision. Amen.
Tim’s hotel room seemed extra dark at night. What if he got up at night and slipped and fell because he couldn’t see? But when Tim did get up, he was surprised to see a bright light shining from underneath the bed—lighting his path. A motion sensor had activated it. The light only worked, however, if he got up and started to walk.
The Bible says we’re to walk with intent in God’s light. As Paul told the new believers in Jesus at Ephesus, “Follow God’s example . . . and walk in the way of love” (Ephesians 5:1-2). But what does it look like to walk that way?
As we step into Christ’s loving light, we turn from our sins—that might include immorality, impurity, idolatry, and coveting. “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,” Paul said, “but rather expose them” (v. 11). Pagan worship thrived in Ephesus, but the apostle’s words steered the new believers aright. “At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (v. 8 esv). He added, “The fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.” So, “find out what pleases the Lord” (vv. 9-10).
The benefit? The light of Jesus “will shine on you” (v. 14), lighting your path. “Look carefully then how you walk,” Paul concluded (v. 15 esv). Walking confidently in Christ’s light, we’ll bless others as we point them to Him—the source of true light.
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY
How do you actively walk in Christ’s light? How has He shined His light on your ways?
Dear Jesus, this world is dark. Please shine Your light in me.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians follows a pattern similar to some of his other letters, such as Romans and Colossians. Ephesians opens with a section of teaching or doctrine (chs. 1-3) followed by practical application of that teaching (chs. 4-6). This means, in a sense, that what we believe should directly impact how we behave. Ephesians 5:8-15 lands in the middle of that application section, concluding with verse 15: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.” The apostle then goes on to deal with marriage relationships, parent-child relationships, and the relationships between masters and slaves. Believers in Jesus in Ephesus lived in a pagan culture, so this wise counsel would have equipped them to live distinctive lives that would’ve looked very different from the surrounding culture and thus point others to Christ. As He provides what we need, we can also confidently walk in His light .
Pizza and Ice Cream Party at 6 in Fellowship Hall. All welcome! Bring a friend!
Good Morning Loving because Loved, Reaching because Reached Disciple Makers! Now pronounce that over you and us and step into it and your part in His Good News Delivery Company! Pray into this and release God's power over you, us, your team to go love, reach and invite to learn about Jesus and His ways. Pray for revival. It is at hand!
I did a funeral after church for a guy I am pretty sure did not make it to heaven. Only God knows for sure. But it was weighing on me early that I didn't do more to introduce him to Jesus. I shared the gospel with those partying in his memory but also may have given false hope that he is in heaven. Forgive me Lord. Thanks! But this story is one that happens all too often for most of us. We just don't feel comfortable interceding and stepping into a friends life to speak truth in love and share our hope and Good News. Who of your friends or family are you thinking of right now that you are pretty sure is going to Hell? Many come to my mind. And many of them will never come to Christ, but some might? Who are you praying for and watching for God to be at work with and joining Him. Who is He preparing you for or for you? What will you do about that. I don't want to get to heaven and hear, "You missed your chance with so and so." We are called by name to come to Jesus, join Him and walk with Him which includes leading some to Him or teaching them His ways as we make disciples. We, as God's gathered people, His Church, are being sent as well. Who are your teammates? at Bread Ministry we experience a team of servants doing what they can with what they've been given to represent Jesus and love on those we get to serve. Some are being drawn and we are focusing on those. Some are observing and wondering and we are patiently loving them. And some will never come but we still lovingly serve them and represent Jesus as best we can.
God has given us an open door in this country right now where we have freedom to share Jesus, His ways and the Truth of God's Word. Let us pray into that, prepare and seize the moment--doing what we can with what we've been given for such a time as this! How does God want you and us to go live, love, represent Jesus and make disciples like Him? Ask Him and partner up to fulfill your purposes! I'm praying for you and seeking God for what He has for you and us. I am also praying that we would have His eyes to see, heart to love and feet willing to follow and go. Join me! Jesus said, Come. Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." It's time to go fishing!
Check out these devotionals reminding us of loving our neighbors and that we only have so long to grow like Christ and fulfill our purposes before we are called home. Our Daily Bread asks us to read James 1:19-27 that we studied and then uses James 2:8 that we will study this week. It speaks of the Royal Law: Love your neighbor as yourself." That reminds me of the Golden Rule where we are called to treat others as we want to be treated. I'm thankful for those neighbors who loved me to Christ! And that leads me to want to do the same for others. Who is on your mind right now? Do something about it! Talk to me if you have any questions. You are being covered, prepared, protected, provided for and called by name for such a time as this! Go! Love well! Be a doer of the Word!
ODB
Loving Our Neighbors
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. James 2:8
After a late summer thunderstorm ripped through our city, we had to deal with tree damage to our house, plus a major cleanup of our leaf-and-branch-strewn yard. As I spent the following day dealing with the damage and the tree debris, I tried to humor myself by repeating, “We don’t have any trees!” It’s true. Other than three tiny, three-foot-tall pines, we don’t have them. Yet I spend considerable time cleaning up after storms or falling leaves due to neighbors’ trees.
Neighbors. How do we interact with them—even when something they’ve done or grown or said bothers us? Scripture is clear on this: it states “love your neighbor as yourself” nine times—including Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, Mark 12:31, Galatians 5:14, and James 2:8. In fact, this is the second greatest commandment God has given us. The first is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart . . . soul . . . strength and . . . mind” (Luke 10:27). One of the keys to showing love to neighbors is how we interact with them. James explained this by saying, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (1:19).
This isn’t always easy. It goes against our nature. Yet loving our neighbor is to be our first response. As God helps us, let’s shine Jesus’ light of love on those who share life with us—our neighbors.
By Dave Branon
REFLECT & PRAY
What’s bothering you about a neighbor? How can you handle this issue in love?
Dear Father, thank You for my neighbors—whether next door or the people I interact with daily. Please help me to love them with Christlike love.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
James says to “love your neighbor as yourself” (2:8), and we do that in part by our actions (1:19-20). Luke 10 also contains a reference to this commandment, but it goes one step further by answering the question “Who is my neighbor?” (v. 29) and illustrating what that entails. In an interaction with “an expert in the law” (v. 25), Jesus answers the man’s query by telling the parable of the good Samaritan (vv. 30-37). This parable reveals that God wants us to love our neighbor regardless of nationality, political party, or other distinction. Our neighbor also includes anyone who’s in distress. Just as Jesus had compassion on us, we’re to have compassion on others. When we love our neighbor, we “are doing right” (James 2:8). As Paul stated, “[Love] does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered . . . . Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:5-6).
Two updates...Karen is doing great! God heard your prayers! Could He have healed her? I believe so. Miracles happen when we pray!
LaRue Schmidt as stepped into Jesus' arms ! I am meet the family . because of that we need to cancel Zoom Huddle at 10.
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Good Morning Loved, Gifted, Activated, Gathered then Sent, Good News Delivery Company! That is yo and us! PTL! What's your part? Who are your partners? Who are you praying for? Who has God prepared for you and you for them? What will you do about all of this? Talk to God about it and process with some friends. Then share those stories and praises for all God is and will do!
God has answered your prayer and have have been sleeping well--too well. I overslept and need to get to a doc appoint. But He knows and is the Lord of me and my schedule. make Him Your Lord and Shepherd as well! Ask Him to lead you to His perfect plans for you and for the wisdom, courage and partners to go live and love and make disciples like Jesus. Ask Him to inform your prayers. Ask Him to continue to grow you into your fuller potential and to be more like Him. He loves you is calling you by name to come join Him and walk with Him into this day. Come! Amen!
Engage with all if these devos and the thread through them as you prepare for the day ahead and worship!
Sarah Young
UR: Follow Me
Paul wrote, “Follow my example, just like I follow Christ’s.” - 1 Corinthians 11:1 (CEB)
While visiting a friend at his home in rural Vermont, I asked him for the best route back to the interstate highway. He started to give me directions but then paused. “I have a better idea,” he exclaimed. “The directions are complicated. Follow me; I’ll drive my car and show you the way.” Because the road was winding, I followed close behind. It was helpful that he drove at a moderate rate of speed and was careful to signal well in advance of turns. Before long, we reached the interstate and waved goodbye as I headed home.
As I drove onto the highway, it occurred to me that following and leading are at the heart of discipleship. As the apostle Paul sought to genuinely follow Christ, he in turn offered himself as a person others could follow. Whether at home, school, or the office, our words and actions are being observed by others. God calls all believers to be examples that encourage others to follow the path of discipleship. Let’s all ask ourselves, Am I living a life that emulates the life of Christ?
's Prayer
Dear God, remind us of the importance of our actions. Help us to model the way of Christ for others. Amen.
ODB
Never Alone
The Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Over the years, I’ve encouraged and prayed for many people battling loneliness for various reasons: nursing home residents whose family members don’t visit, the widow who spends her days outside so as not to be alone in her empty house, ministry leaders who don’t have anyone to confide in, and homeless people who feel ignored and alone.
Loneliness can strike anyone at any time. The US Surgeon General released an advisory in alerting the public about the epidemic of loneliness. About half of US adults say they’ve experienced loneliness, which can be as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily, according to the advisory.
When Moses was getting ready to pass the torch to his successor, Joshua, he wanted to make sure the Israelites knew they wouldn’t be facing any battles alone as they entered the promised land: “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). He also reminded their new leader, Joshua, that “the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (v. 8).
And he concluded with words that can encourage us : “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (v. 8).
When we’re facing loneliness, let’s take comfort in knowing that God will never leave nor forsake us.
By Nancy Gavilanes
REFLECT & PRAY
Why is it important to know you’re never alone? How comforting is it to know God is with you?
In Deuteronomy, Moses recounts in three speeches (chs. 1-4; 5-26; 27-34) the history of the Israelites about to enter the promised land. The forty years of discipline had ended, and all Israelites twenty years and older when the exodus began had died, except for Moses, Joshua, and Caleb (Numbers 14:29-35). Moses urged the Israelites to learn from their past unfaithfulness and to trust God (Deuteronomy 31:4-6). Moses himself wouldn’t enter Canaan because he’d dishonored God at Kadesh by striking the rock for water instead of only speaking to it (Numbers 20:1-13; Psalm 106:32-33). He was permitted, however, to see Canaan from Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:1-5). As God was with the Israelites, He’s with all believers in Jesus even when we experience loneliness.
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
Intercessory prayer is hard work. It involves communion with the King and compassion for the multitudes. It is understanding the passion of Christ for souls. It is waiting on God to endue us with power from on high in order that we might lead those souls into the kingdom.
Those that have been most useful in reaping a harvest have always been men and women of intercessory prayer. They cry to the Lord for the multitudes. They have no confidence in themselves to build the kingdom of God; they live in absolute dependence upon God.
If we are to reach this generation for Christ, there must be men and women in every nation whose hearts hurt for their countrymen. Jesus had compassion for the multitudes two thousand years ago. Although the multitudes are greater , He loves, cares for, and wants to save every individual. We need to look at the masses of humanity through the eyes of Jesus. We will see people—real people, hurting people. Too many of us see people only as objects. We need a fresh touch from God. We need to feel the heart of the compassionate King.
Perhaps some Christians will say, “I know that I should have a burden to pray for the world. But it is just not there. I am so busy with my own life and problems that I don’t have time to pray for some people in a distant country that I will never meet.” We must first recognize that we must be delivered from such self-centeredness. The goal of every Christian should be conformity unto the image of Jesus. And the heart of Jesus is for the world. We must confess our apathy as sin and repent of it.
Oh God, I do need a fresh touch from You so that I am able to feel Your heart beat for those who are perishing. Deliver me from my self-absorbed self, and heal my arrogant spirit. I repent of my disobedience and desire to be used for Your purposes in the world. Heal me from my own self-righteousness and allow me to embrace the hurting, the homeless, the weak, the widow and the orphan. Ruin me for anything that is not of You!
--Adapted from The Prayer Factor by Sammy Tippit.
Prayer Points
Praise God as the Creator, Father, Savior, Lord, and indwelling Spirit of his church.
Give thanks for “the holy catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”
Reflecting with God on how you aid or damage his church, confess any sin he reveals.
Commit to being a helpful member of God’s community.
Ask him to work through you to serve and enrich others.
Pray for each member of Christ’s body to excellently manage the treasures and gifts placed in his or her care. Ask God to prompt you to loving and generous service.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Good Morning Loved, Trusting, Followers of Our Faithful God--Doers of His Word! we discussed choosing joy, even in trials and troubles and how standing firm in faith in doing so leads to endurance of our faith. We also heard James calling us to be more than just hearers of God's Word but also doers of it. We thought about our church and how many, if nit all, of us are able to trust God and choose joy and how we serve and choose to live out God's Word and stand firm on it in this cruel and evil world. Thanks for being part of this great fellowship of believers! Thanks for doing what you can with what you've been given! We bless God, each other and others! We allow His love to fill us to overflowing and to direct our steps! We are developing endurance and persevering faith! We are family too and need each other to continue to grow in these things and to go live and love more and more like Jesus. We are becoming God's dynamic movement and Good News Delivery Co. Amen!
Check out these devotions as you spend some time being still and knowing that He is God, He is for us, and he is with us always. He hears and answers our prayers and wants to hang out with us all day. How cool! Dwell in His love and keep choosing to trust, obey, follow and be doers of all God has for you and us! Yes rejoice and worship knowing these things and receive His peace beyond understanding always. Hold His hand as you walk joyously with Him ! He loves you!
The deadliest forest fire disaster in US history was the Peshtigo Fire in Northeast Wisconsin. It occurred on the same night as the better-known Chicago Fire (, 1871) but claimed several hundred more lives. Peshtigo, a fast-growing city of wooden buildings and part of the lumber industry, was consumed within an hour by the inferno fanned by gusting winds.
Besides scorched china and a brick kiln, among the few items the fire left behind was a small, open Bible. Flames had singed its cover and extreme heat had petrified its pages, yet it remained intact. It can be viewed in a museum in the city .
The little Bible’s preservation calls to mind an assurance God gave His people in another trying time: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Though “firestorms” of invasion and exile threatened, God affirmed that He would be faithful to His promises and would never forsake those who turned to Him—come what may.
The Bible in Peshtigo, still partially legible, was opened to Psalms 106 and 107. Both psalms contain these words in their first verses: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Even in the greatest trials of our lives, His words and love never falter. And we will thank Him forever because of it.
By James Banks
REFLECT & PRAY
What's your favorite promise from God? What can you do to keep His promises in mind ?
Loving God, I praise You for Your faithfulness! Please help me to trust in You even in difficult seasons.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The exile—God’s people being taken from their country first by Assyria and then Babylon—came as a result of His judgment for His people’s failures. However, the tremendous suffering it caused raised serious questions about God’s faithfulness. Had He forsaken His people? Or was God not able to do anything about what had happened to them? In Isaiah 40, God offers a resounding no to both of those questions. He hadn’t abandoned His people. His promise to be faithful to them could be trusted, for “the word of our God endures forever” (v. 8). They’d return from exile, and God’s presence and glory would be with them (vv. 3-5), and He would care for them (vv. 10-11). His voice and power would bring restoration, and no other power would be able to resist Him (vv. 10, 15-17). The reality that God’s promises and love never change provides encouragement for us as we face trials in this world.
Monica La Rose
UR: Trust the Driver
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. - Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)
I’ve always loved the English language, but I never considered that passion to be a viable career. I told myself that I needed to finish a degree and find a corporate job after graduation to feel like a responsible adult. I studied business administration out of desperation. Now I can see how God had been preparing me all along. In my university days, I served as a translator for a Chinese friend, and now I work as an English teacher. It has been 10 years since I started working as an English teacher, and I’m able to provide for myself and help my family. The work of God continuously astounds me.
Sometimes our lack of imagination and our desire for control limit what we think we can do and achieve. When we try to become the driver of our lives, we forget that it is God who leads the way.
God can guide us down roads we have never seen or imagined. While we see only what’s right in front of us, God sees the entire journey. Let us surrender our lives to God’s guidance.
's Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your patience and love for us. May we share your love with the people around us. Amen.
TWFYT
Sarah Young
Connection Blogs:
- Draw Me Close
It is impossible to do what the Lord desires unless we take time to listen to Him. We can only do this by being still and ceasing our busy activity-filled lives. Sometimes all God wants to speak to us are words of love and affirmation. Many times He may require nothing of you but to sit and enjoy His company. However, it is a very clear command from God that we are to listen to His Son: "Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!’" (Mark 9:7). It is implied that listening involves obeying. Truly hearing God is to be obedient to what He says: "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).
Jesus expressed confidence that those who will be still before Him will live lives that are filled with divine "doing" that is birthed out of divine "being": "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28). Your children and/or grandchildren are watching how you live your life. Are they learning the lifestyle of Martha…or Mary? "…Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42).
Lord Jesus, I have so much in common with Martha, which is not such a bad thing! Yet, I do long to learn a lesson from her sister, who spent her time sitting at Your feet, simply learning and adoring! Out of the overflow of her devotion, she lived her life. Help me to be still, and to keep my eyes fixed upon Your blessed face so that I will not miss You in the midst of my busy life! Draw me close, Jesus, so that those who follow after me will learn to know that You are God!
As one who professes to “believe in the Holy Spirit,” praise God for his indwelling of all believers.
Give thanks for his intimacy and power.
Confess any tendency to rely on your own strength rather than God’s.
Commit to becoming more sensitive to God’s ongoing presence.
Ask God to increase your consciousness of continual companionship with him.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will fill each of your family and friends, bringing a deep sense of his presence. Ask him to fill your household with his power.
Prayer Pointer
“Prayers not felt by us are seldom heard by God.” —Philip Henry
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Rejoice! Again, I say rejoice! For this is the day the Lord has made and it's beautiful and we get to worship in it!!! Yes praise the Lord and prepare your hearts to worship!
Good Morning Worshippers! we gather to worship, praise, pray, study, fellowship and glorify God! Amen. I also have a funeral after worship. Pray God uses me well . Thanks! May God come inhabit our praise as we enter His courts with praise and . May His Spirit bring His Word alive to us and lead us out the door prepared for a great Sabbath and a week of loving service that flows from grateful hearts. Amen!
we will study James 1 and think about our confident hope in Christ. Check out the thread through the devos below. God has great plans for you and us as His team. he will never leave us and nothing can ever separate us from His love and less we choose to renounce our faith and walk away. DON'T!!! Receive His embrace and release all your troubles, hurts and concerns to Him. He wants that and will bring His peace and restoration as you do! Again, more to worship about! See you soon fellow worshipers! Shalom!
I to We
Sarah Young
UR: God's Embrace
You yourself [O God] have kept track of my misery. Put my tears into your bottle — aren’t they on your scroll already? - Psalm 56:8 (CEB)
I volunteer at a women’s prison. One of the highlights of my year is the annual gathering. Inmates and volunteers all pack into a huge gym, sitting side by side as guest speakers and worship leaders share messages of hope and encouragement. We enjoy two hours of worship and prayer, clapping and singing. The gathering concludes with volunteers distributing care packages to each inmate.
This year something different and life-changing happened. The chaplain asked the volunteers to come to the front of the room. She said to the inmates, “These women are here to pray with you; if you want prayer, come forward.” Every woman in the gym stood up! We watched silently as, one by one, women stepped forward to receive prayer, bravely sharing their pain and heartache. A few times, I felt a woman rest her head on my shoulder, like a child with her mother. More than once, I noticed teardrops landing on my shoes during the prayer.
These images reminded me of how God pays attention to our every tear and embraces us in our sorrow. As I thought about that gathering, I truly experienced what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ.
's Prayer
Dear God, thank you for comforting us like a mother comforts her child. Help us to turn to you in difficult times and to be a place of safety and refuge for others. Amen.
ODB
Peace in the Release
The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Kayla’s brow furrowed as she shoved yet another slip of paper into an overstuffed box labeled “Give It to God” on all four sides. Sighing deeply, she sifted through the written prayers she had previously placed in the box. “I read them out loud almost every day,” she said to her friend. “How can I be sure God hears me?” Chantel handed Kayla her Bible. “By trusting that God keeps His word,” she said, “and letting go every time you write or read a prayer you’ve released into His hands.”
The apostle Paul urged believers in Jesus to “rejoice in the Lord” and gave good reason to do so by affirming, “The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:4-5). He encouraged God’s people to trade anxious thoughts for faith-filled prayers, to believe He receives every request, and to praise Him while resting in the unfathomable peace of His never-ending presence (vv. 6-7).
The Prince of Peace—Jesus—guards our emotional and mental well-being when we turn our thoughts toward qualities that point to Him, things that are “true,” “right,” “pure,” and “praiseworthy” (v. 8).
The peace of God protects us when we trust that the God of peace is with us. Liberated from the burden of clinging to concerns, we can experience peace in the release of every prayer into God’s trustworthy hands.
By Xochitl Dixon
REFLECT & PRAY
How has God used Scripture to help you trust that He hears your prayers? What concerns have you been clinging to instead of giving them to God in prayer?
Dear God, thank You for being my peace whenever I release my worries into Your hands.
Philippians is one of the Prison Epistles (along with Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon) that Paul wrote while in prison. The letter to the Philippians is often referred to as the “joy letter” because of the apostle’s repeated emphasis on our joy in Christ. That’s striking by itself but made even more significant when we remember that he wrote this letter while in custody (1:12-14). He not only reflected on the joy we have in Jesus but also on what it means to have peace in Christ—even while in prison. This powerful truth can speak into whatever circumstances we might be facing. For some, that literally means being imprisoned. But regardless of our situation, Jesus is profoundly at work in our lives and the fruit the Spirit produces is joy and peace.
This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Worship! What a beautiful ! never thought we'd see one again! PTL!
Good Morning Team! Fix your eyes on Jesus and get out and love some neighbors ! That is a great act of worship and obedience too. Remember, with obedience comes blessings! What a great day to do something fun while shinning the Light and sharing the Love! I'm ready to get out the door after a great night of sleep. Time to go live and love like Jesus as I am and enjoy life too! Praying you can do the same! Try it! One step at a time with Jesus! Amen
Just two devos . Keep on going and love others to Christ and do it with some friends! What's Gid saying to you and what will you do? Who might you partner with ? God has some custom made plans--good things--just for you! Enjoy! And invite someone along!
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