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Saturday, August 10 2024
Good Morning Healing, Transforming, Delivered, Persistently Praying, Children of God! Thank God we are forgiven, delivered, healed, being transformed, taught to pray and encouraged to sit at Jesus' feet! Check out our devos below. What's God saying to you? What do you have to praise ad pray about? What might you be led to do as you rise from His feet prepared to go live and love like Jesus. he loves you, wants to hang with you and is leading you to join Him today for some purpose or another. rejoice! Worship! reload! Follow well! I'm praying for you! Don't forget to read Ephesians 4 for Sunday. Might be a great place to begin your quiet time today! Shalom!
There is a definite flow and thread through today's devos. God is informing our prayers and actions, teaching us and wanting to lead us to His best. We are His very loved and blessed children! Amen!
Harvest
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August 2 - God Is Training Us
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We do not manipulate God by our praying, but there are some things that God plans to accomplish through prayer that He will not do any other way. Why else would God invite us to pray and make such promises about its effectiveness? Why would He tell us that we “do not have because we do not ask?” God is training us to rule and reign with Him eternally and our training begins now. He has planned to involve us deeply in His redemptive work.
If have often heard people say, “I don’t think it matters how much or how long you pray.” These are often people who pray little and reap little. A wonderful goal would be to see our prayer life increase in its time and intensity every year.
Some prayer, some power. More prayer, more power. Much prayer, much power.
Father, forgive my inadequate life of prayer. I have neglected the most powerful tool You have given to me and then wondered why I never seem to have powerful answers to my prayers. Help me to answer Your invitation to believe that I will see You move when I ask. In faith today I affirm that You are able to hear me and to answer when I call to You. Show me how to align my asking with Your purposes here on earth as in heaven. Most of all, beautiful Lord, may I grow in my desire to simply sit before You as Mary of Bethany did…not “doing” anything other than listening and enjoying Your presence.
---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.
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- Praise Jesus as the suffering servant.
- Thank him for the love that brought him to the point where he “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried” and even “descended to hell” for you.
- Confess any lack of appreciation for such love.
- Commit yourself to never misusing the name of such a loving Savior.
- Ask him to guide you in giving your life in thankful response.
- Pray for the Christians whom God has called to be teachers throughout the week. Ask God to motivate them with the giving love of Jesus.
Prayer Pointer
“Because God is the living God, he can hear; because he is a loving God, he will hear; because he is our covenant God, he has bound himself to hear.” —Charles H. Spurgeon
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Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here. |
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TWFYT:
CS:
UR: God's amazing mercy
Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. - Psalm 143:1 (NIV)
At age four, one of my daughters was diagnosed with kidney cancer. The news was devastating. Even though we lacked sufficient resources, we decided to travel to Houston, Texas, for a second opinion. The diagnosis was confirmed, and the kidney was removed. She started chemotherapy soon after, and it became necessary to leave her in Houston during months of treatment. Before returning to my country, I requested an update on all billing charges. The amount owed was impossible for us to pay, so we worked out a payment plan. Still feeling deeply anxious, I asked the physician, “Will my daughter survive?” To which he replied, “You will get to see the grandchildren she will bear.”
As I boarded the plane to return to my country, I remember shedding many tears. Overwhelmed, I cried out, “Lord God, please help me!” And God did. After I arrived home, I learned that a group of friends had contributed funds to help defray some of our debt. Surprisingly, my law office began to draw new clients. Within two years we were able to completely pay off the debt. Today, 20 years later, I hold in my arms a beautiful granddaughter. I can attest to God’s truly amazing grace and mercy for my loved ones — and for me. Thanks be to God!
Today's Prayer
O God, our help in time of need, continue to remind us that your love never fails and that our hope rests in you. Amen.
ODB:
When my granddaughter Eliana was just seven, she saw a video at her school about an orphanage in Guatemala. She told her mom, “We have to go there to help them.” Her mom replied that they would think about it when she was older.
Eliana never forgot, and, sure enough, when she was ten, her family went to help in the orphanage. Two years later, they went back, this time taking along a couple of other families from Eliana’s school. When Eliana was fifteen, she and her dad went again to Guatemala to serve.
We sometimes think the wishes and dreams of little children don’t carry the weight of adult hopes. But Scripture seems to make no such distinction. God calls children, as in the case of Samuel (1 Samuel 3:4). Jesus honors the faith of little ones (Luke 18:16-17). And Paul said younger believers shouldn’t let people discount them just because they “are young” (1 Timothy 4:12). So, we’re called to guide our children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Proverbs 22:6), recognizing that their faith is a model for us all (Matthew 18:3) and understanding that hindering them is something Christ warned against (Luke 18:15).
When we see a spark of hope in children, our job as adults is to help ignite it. And as God leads us, encourage them toward a life dedicated to trust in Jesus and service for Him.
By Dave Branon
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How can you encourage children to believe in Jesus? How can you help them grow in faith?
Dear heavenly Father, the children in our world need Christ. Please help me to encourage them to believe in You.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Although not specifically stated, Luke is believed to be the author of both the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Both books are dedicated to Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1) and are considered companion volumes. Luke’s gospel tells the story of Jesus, and Acts presents the story of the early church. Luke was most likely a gentile by birth, well-educated in Greek culture, and trained as a physician. Paul refers to him as his “dear friend Luke, the doctor” (Colossians 4:14). Luke wasn’t an eyewitness to Christ but “carefully investigated everything from the beginning” (Luke 1:3).
Today’s reading (Luke 18:15-17) follows immediately after the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, which underscores the necessity of humility (18:9-14; see Matthew 19:13-14). Little children picture the humility, dependence, trust, openness, and sincerity necessary to see our need for Christ (Luke 18:16-17).
Alyson Kieda |
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