Good Morning Faithful Ones of God--True Worshipers! Let us enter His courts with thanksgiving and praise! Prepare your hearts to worship in Spirit and Truth. May we stay faithful to God always and show our worship as we trust and obey. May we be prepared vessels of the Potter as we follow Jesus to our custom made purposes for such a time as this. You know that thought comes from the story of Esther who braved the uncertainty of being faithful to God and His people. Like her, we are being prepared for such a time as this. I thought God had me all ready to share thoughts from our devotionals today. And I may at least still just share copies of those below. BUT GOD! He opened my eyes to an urgent prayer item. Join me and Harvest Prayer in interceding for our nation and leaders.
As I was preparing to write this, I saw a post from a Kamala rally. People shouted, "Jesus is Lord!" Her response was laughter and saying that they must be at the wrong rally and come on get real. And the crowd of God haters erupted in cheers. Help us Lord!
Jesus is Lord! And He will raise up His leaders. If we want to see revival in this nation, we need to carefully examine the candidates and seek God's guidance for our votes. And we need to do our part for such a time as this! What candidates honor God and will allow us to continue to worship and share the Good News freely? Vote for those. The Bible says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Is Jesus the Lord of your life? We can see that for many, He is not and they laugh at and belittle His followers. Engage with and pray through the Connection devo of Harvest below. Pray earnestly for this nation, for God to bring revival and for Him to raise up His leaders for such a time as this! You are being prepared to be His vessels for such a time as this too! May we be God's revivalists as we go and share the Good News of Jesus and our salvation. May we see and expose the darkness hidden as light. Jesus is the Light of the World. May that Light shine bright through us, His people, custom made servants, prepared for such a time as this! May we be His faithful ones living this life as an act of worship! Amen! It's time to rise up as prayer warriors and faithful servants! Move us Lord!
Harvest:
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October 20 - DAY 24 OF 40 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR OUR NATION
Praying For Exposure Of Malicious Intent In Government
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“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit, you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them.” (Ephesians 4:2-3 NIV).
“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).
One of the best biblical accounts of the exposure of malicious intent is the story of Esther, who was raised up “for such a time as this” in order to expose the evil plan behind a plot to kill the Jewish people.
The Persian king’s evil official Haman was bent on the total eradication of the Jews (very much like the enemies of the Jews today), simply because of his hatred for one Jewish man, Mordecai, who had refused to bow before him. The plot was discovered and Queen Esther was tasked with saving her people. She heroically risked the king’s anger by appearing before him without being officially summoned. Esther very cleverly revealed the plot to the king, the edict to kill the Jews was reversed, the evil official Haman was exposed and hanged, and Mordecai was elevated to the most important position as second to the king. Even though His name is not mentioned, God’s hand was very clearly at work throughout the story of Esther.
Merciful Father, You have the good of those who love You in Your heart, and You love those who do not yet walk in Your ways or who have turned their backs on You. Please work in my heart and the hearts of all of Your people to expose anything that displeases You. Help us to quickly repent before You. Then, Lord, would You work in our nation as You did through Your servant, Esther? Would you root out and expose the dark deeds, intents, and plots that are so evidently at work in the government of America? Send revival, Father! Use us to bring light to the darkness like never before!
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- Pray in the powerful name of Jesus that God will push back the forces of darkness and bring evil into the light.
- Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your life and the lives of everyone in our nation to recognize and resist the influence of evil.
- Pray that you and the church in our nation can boldly declare faith in God’s protection and unfailing love.
- Pray that the rotten fruit of evil intent and evil deeds in our government can be clearly seen and turned away from.
- Pray that God will raise up godly men and women to take the places of those who seek to do evil.
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Connection Prayer Devotions Sign Up
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Here are the rest of the devotionals God led me to this morning. Keep your eyes fixed on things above, looking for God to be at work, and willing to join Him as He leads you. You are His and He is with you--always. Trust and obey and glorify Him in all you think, say and do. Allow Him to shape and prepare you and send you to your custom made mission for such a time as this! Amen My hope is in the Lord! Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness! Know His peace, love and joy beyond understanding! Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! May He rule and reign in your heart and direct your steps for such a time as this! Amen!
Upper Room: Looking for God
Those who look to [the Lord] are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. - Psalm 34:5 (NIV)
My job vanished suddenly. Though my supervisor had told me, “You have planted good seed; we appreciate you, so don’t lose hope,” a shadow covered my heart. I had been struggling with a season of losses: the death of a beloved friend, a missed opportunity to move abroad, an empty nest after our three children had all moved away.
But the Psalms gave me strength; I found myself crying along with them: “I have come into the deep waters. . . . I am worn out calling for help. . . . My eyes fail, looking for my God” (Ps. 69:2-3). Eventually, though, I read the words above from Psalm 34: “Those who look to [the Lord] are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” I had found God’s promise!
So do not lose sight of God’s love. When dark thoughts come, ponder the psalmist’s words and look for God’s presence: in scripture, in prayer, within your spirit, in beautiful friendships, in acts of love and forgiveness. When we see no light ahead, we can trust the psalmist’s words; God is right beside us.
Today's Prayer
Dear God, sometimes it is not easy to rest in your love and care. But we choose to fight against anxiety and sorrow with your help and that of the people who care for us. Keep us safe in difficult times. Amen.Chuck Swindoll
Sarah Evans:
Joyce Meyer
Our Daily Bread
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In 1921, artist Sam Rodia began construction on his Watts Towers. Thirty-three years later, seventeen sculptures rose as high as thirty meters over Los Angeles. Musician Jerry Garcia was dismissive of Rodia’s lifework. “That’s the payoff,” said Garcia. “That thing that exists after you’re dead.” Then he said, “Wow, that’s not it for me.”
So what was the payoff for him? His bandmate Bob Weir summed up their philosophy: “In eternity, nothing will be remembered of you. So why not just have fun?”
A wealthy, wise man once tried to find the “payoff” by doing everything he possibly could. He wrote, “I said to myself, ‘Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good’ ” (Ecclesiastes 2:1). But he noted, “The wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered” (v. 16). He concluded, “The work that is done under the sun was grievous to me” (v. 17).
The life and message of Jesus radically counter such shortsighted living. Jesus came to give us “life to the full” (John 10:10) and taught us to live this life with the next one in view. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,” He said. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20). Then He summed it up: “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (v. 33).
That’s the payoff—both under the sun and beyond.
By Tim Gustafson
REFLECT & PRAY
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How do you want to be remembered? What does it mean to “store up treasures in heaven”?
Father God, please help me serve You joyfully with eternity in view.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Should we view this life’s frustrations as a gift? For that matter, is even death itself a gift? Those are questions we must consider given the Teacher’s (see Ecclesiastes 1:1) conclusion here: “The wise, like the fool . . . must die” (2:16). The prospect of his own death compelled him to ponder where he might find true meaning. If he’d found satisfaction in the temporary pleasures and even the good things he pursued, the Teacher might not have acknowledged the only true source of fulfillment—God Himself (see 12:13). Awareness of our own mortality can prompt us to seek God.
Tim Gustafson |
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The Word for You Today
Charles Stanley
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