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Saturday, March 15 2025
THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT! AMEN! Yes praise the Lord as you begin your quiet time! I heard some great comments on the last praise song from yesterday: Never Walk Alone. Here's a link to help start and focus you to abide in God's loving presence this morning Never Walk Alone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlBKx8hlFp4
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Good Morning Walking with God Christ's Ones--Followers of the Way! He is with us always! PTL! Because of our fear (reverence/awe) for God We constantly seek Him, abide in Him, worship Him and obey Him. Yesterday day we wrapped up the first half of our study of the book of Acts. We then applied what we learned from the early church and apostles and disciples of Jesus--followers of the Way--to our journey to grow as a dynamic movement of God and as His Body. It was sort of a state of the union message from God of what was, what is and what will be as we walk in awe, worship, grow in trust and obedience and learn to earnestly pursue Him and then allow Him to live and love through us. He does have great plans for you and us and we are continuing our journey to discover and step into those plans as we seek to honor and glorify our God. We are custom made and gifted for such a time as this! PTL! May we allow Him to fill us and lead us to his best and perfect plans--earnestly! Amen! Remember: In this life Christ is all that matters and he lives in us and wants to live and love through us and grow us into His image! Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life! Will you cooperate with His Spirit?
This morning as I was wrapping up my quiet time, as I usually do, I spend some time praying and listening as I engage with God through the Connections/Harvest Prayer blogs. Man, God sure was speaking and tying up His message to us from yesterday! Please start there this morning and abide in awe of our Most High God, our Creator, Savior, Lord and Shepherd. What's He saying to you this morning and what will you do about it? May we earnestly seek, abide, refresh and reload before we step out in faith as we follow Him to his perfect plans for the day and week ahead. He loves you and custom made you for such a time as this! PTL! He has some teammates for you to seek, discover and journey with. He has a custom fitted yoke just for you. Put it on and walk with Him today and always! Amen! I'm praying for you and for Him to lead us to His best and perfect plans as we rebuild the walls, stand firm in Christ and change the world around us. COME Lord! Lead us! Amen!
I attached my other devos below for you to continue your time abiding in God's loving presence. he wants to refresh and lead you today. he does have great plans for you created in love! You matter to Him and His Church! Don't lean on your own understanding. How can we even begin to fathom the unfathomable God? Seek Him earnestly and acknowledge Him in all your ways and He WILL direct your and our steps! Amen! It's time to soar!
Connections Blogs:
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Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you” (2 Chronicles 14:11).
The one fear that delivers humans from all other fears is the fear of God. When this fear is rightly understood and lived by, we need not fear anything else. Every day we must choose between the fear of humans and the fear of God. The fear of God comes to us at the moment of salvation. Just as we receive the Spirit of God, God places in us His fear (Jeremiah 32:39). When we fear God, it shows in how we live. To fear God means to cherish an awesome sense of His greatness, His grandeur, and His excellence. We act on what we have in our hearts.
One of the greatest gifts we can leave our children, and the next generation, is a godly testimony of faith in Christ, as evidenced by how we fear God. If we have had a foundation of faith laid for us, praise God. If we have not had this, we still must press on in Christ Jesus. We are accountable to seek God and honor Him with all our being.
Asa was a king who had a mixed heritage. His great-granddad was King David, the man after God’s own heart. His granddad was King Solomon, a man compromised with lust. His father was King Abijah, who was idolatrous. Even though they all served God with their mouths, it was their actions that proved their faith or their faithlessness and whether they truly feared the Lord.
In the midst a crisis, against innumerable odds, Asa and all of Judah sought after and cried out to God, and they were victorious. The “fear of the Lord came upon them; and they plundered all” (2 Chronicles 14:14). The fear of the Lord is one of the enablements of God for us to face the enemy and overcome. In a lost person, the fear of the Lord is consuming dread of God. When Asa and his armies attacked the cities around Gerar, the fear of the Lord, a dread, came on all those pagan villages.
They were literally afraid of Jehovah God, and with good reason. But for Asa and Judah, the people of God, the fear of the Lord was not a dread, but a reverential awe of God. They cherished that sense of the greatness and grandeur of God. When we have the fear of God in our lives, we reverence, respect, and honor God. We will seek God.
Such fear of God means we know the character of God. He is God, sovereign, holy, great, and awesome. We understand our obligation to God: to love Him, obey Him, and trust Him. Finally, as we fear God, we gain a pervasive sense of the presence of God. This sense of God’s presence has a controlling effect on a person because we know He is with us.
Asa served God when God’s people were under attack by the world (2 Chronicles 14:9). It is no different today. What are we to do? We are to do the same thing that Asa did. We cry out to God, asking Him for help. He is Jehovah Ezer (Psalm 33:20), the Lord our Helper. Then we are to recount the greatness, faithfulness, and power of God in our past.
He saved you and sustains you. He has provided for you and He has protected you, even when you were unaware of it. God often tests His children for the purpose of building their faith in Him. The test is never meant to make us rely on our flesh, friends, or family. We are tested so that our faith in God increases. We are tested to show if we will seek the Lord or forsake Him. We are tested so the fear of God can be displayed in our lives. When the other nations heard of the power of God and the victory He gave Asa, they feared God also (14:14). This fear was a terror because our God is an awesome God.
Lord Most High, for revival to come, I need to seek You. I praise You for the seasons of rest You give. Let me not waste them or use them for selfish reasons, but allow me the sense to use them for times of kingdom building and preparation for further service, just as Asa did (2 Chronicles 14:1). Father, will You manifest Your fear in my life? It has been there since salvation, but allow it to be seen and recognized by those around me. Grow Your fear in me to completion (v. 14).
--Adapted from Praying with Fire: Seeking His Presence through the Revival Passages of Scripture by Mark Partin. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
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- Praise God for being a welcoming Father.
- Thank him for preparing an eternal home for all who believe (Jn. 14:2).
- Confess any unwillingness to show Christian hospitality to others (1 Pet. 4:9).
- Commit yourself to the practice of hospitality (Rom. 12:13).
- Ask God to help you separate Christian hospitality from self-absorbed “entertaining.”
- Pray that the members of your congregation will excel in showing mutual care and intentional acts of love toward each other and to outsiders. Ask God to move your church out of its “comfort zone” when it comes to showing hospitality.
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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) © 2025 is a free devotional published daily by OneCry Prayer. Find more resources at www.onecry.com |
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Sarah Young:
TWFYT:
UR: Like An Eagle
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
A cacophony of crows drew my eyes heavenward. A dozen or more were flying above a bald eagle, taking turns diving at the eagle’s head. It made me think about the pressures of ministry that were barraging me. When I had to dismiss a volunteer, my decision caused a ripple of dissent within the ministry. Friends were calling me to offer their advice. But I felt harassed and weary.
Above my head, the eagle appeared not to notice the annoying crows. Its speed and altitude never changed when the crows swooped within inches of its head. The eagle continued to fly a straight course. I wanted to be like that eagle, to remain swift and unfazed. I was reminded of today’s quoted scripture: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.” I closed my eyes to sit in God’s presence, and God assured me that I had done the right thing. When I opened my eyes a few minutes later, I felt confident and able to face any challenge.
Spending time in God’s presence renews our strength when we feel harassed or weary. With God’s help, we can move forward with speed and endurance like an eagle.
Today's Prayer
Thank you, Father, for the peace of your presence. You give us the strength and hope to rise above any struggle. Amen.
ODB:
Working Together for Jesus
We rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. Nehemiah 4:6
READ Nehemiah 4:1-9
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During a trip to Brazil with a short-term missions team, we helped construct a church building in the Amazon jungle. On the foundation, already laid, we assembled the various parts of the church like a giant LEGO set: supporting columns, concrete walls, windows, steel beams for the roof, and tiles on the roof. Then we painted the walls.
Some people were concerned because they wondered if we could build the church in time during monsoon season. But by God’s grace, the intense rain held off. With help from a few locals and despite various obstacles, we got the job done in record time.
When Nehemiah and the Israelites returned from exile to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, they faced many obstacles. When their enemies found out what they were doing, they were furious and insulted them (Nehemiah 4:1-3). But Nehemiah prayed and the people persevered together: “We rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart” (v. 6). When their foes threatened to attack, the Israelites prayed and kept guard as they worked (vv. 7-23). They rebuilt the wall in fifty-two days.
Sometimes we’re faced with a daunting task. Obstacles appear in our way, and we and our brothers and sisters in Christ can lose hope. But times like this can be a triumphant moment with God’s help. Trust Him to hold off the rainstorms and look to Him to overcome.
By Nancy Gavilanes
REFLECT & PRAY
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Why is it hard to live in unity? How can you work together with others?
Dear God, please help me to seek unity with other believers in Jesus.
For further study, read Missing the Mission: Disciples in an Age of Abundance.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Nehemiah is a gripping account of inspiring leadership during intense opposition. The Bible introduces us to other heroic figures during this time of exile and restoration. Daniel was betrayed by rival advisors but survived a den of lions (Daniel 6). His three Jewish friends were also betrayed yet endured a burning furnace (3:8-25). Esther stood up to a genocide planned by Haman, “the most powerful official in the empire” (Esther 3:1 NLT; see chs. 4-8). In a period when Israel wondered if they’d ever have security in their dispersion or in their homeland, God provided hope. He inspired courageous leaders and supernaturally protected His people by turning the tables on their enemies.
Tim Laniak |
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