What makes a person a prayer warrior that people think of first in times of trouble? The simple explanation is exercise. They exercise their faith and trust of God’s promises…and like exercising any other muscle group when you go to the gym everyday, their faith strengthens with use also. Each time we pray and exercise our faith with confidence, we are built up…each time uncertainty is less because each time we’re standing stronger to start.
Month: September 2016
Jeremiah 9:8 ” Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit. With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him.”
A person who speaks out of both sides of their mouth can’t be trusted. You may think the two of you have a good relationship, when suddenly you hear false accusations coming from your so called friend. The deceitful tongue can shoot out lies just as well as compliments.
Thank you for your support and encouragement!
Four years ago today with much fear and trepidation on my part, this Daily Devotional was launched. Over a thousand Devotions later, I look back in wonder and gratitude to the Lord for His love and faithfulness. It takes discipline to write on a daily basis, but I truly look forward to the task…for in the process the Lord has shown me much. Thanks to all of you who have been faithful Readers and to all the new people who God directs here daily. As we all go forward, I pray God’s peace, His power, His presence, and His provision into your lives and homes in the name of Jesus! Pam
Luke 21:34 ” Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.”
Dissipation…such an interesting word to be used here. It’s disgust and self-loathing, not to mention the hang-over from too much alcohol consumption. When our lives revolve around partying …it starts to take a toll on us physically and emotionally. We think we’re having fun…but are we? None us know the day we will die, and thinking that we’ll get right with God when we’re older and have sown our wild oats may never happen.
I Corinthians 1:10 ” I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
There is nothing sadder than a Church that is divided and then splits…it’s a no win situation for everyone. Family and friends are forced to take sides they don’t want to…words are taken out of context…feelings get hurt. The very first thing we must do when Church gossip and problems are getting out of hand is to recognize it as a ploy of the enemy. A divided Church is a weakened Church, is a dying Church. We need to agree in a Spirit of unity to work through conflicts and attitudes in an open, respectful fashion. The Church Body can become healthy again when it is united in mind and sentiment.
Daniel 6: 19-20 ” At the first light of dawn, the King got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God , whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?’ “
King Darius had spent a sleepless night after being tricked by his administrators and satraps into throwing Daniel into the lions’ den. The King had tried to rescue Daniel, but his decree stood and couldn’t be repealed. So here he was at first light, yelling for a response from Daniel. Did the King really imagine that Daniel had survived the night…was he hoping beyond hope…or had Daniel’s trust in God been so very evident that King Darius actually believed it was possible?
Revelation 19:6 ” Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.’ “
If you’ve ever been to a huge stadium cheering your team on you can recall the deafening roar of the crowd. Now imagine multiplying that noise by thousands upon thousands. That’s what it sounds like in Heaven. A tremendous throng of saints, all singing Hallelujah and praising God together…and all on the winning team!
Psalm 112: 4 ” Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.”
When a fellow Believer is going through suffering and misery, we sometimes look heavenward and ask God, “Why?” We see examples in the Bible of powerful, Godly people who went through very dark times…and again we ask, “Why?” But if you talk to a Believer who’s gone through a traumatic event, in hindsight they will speak of God’s grace and mercy…of how He carried them when they were exhausted and weak…and of how His peace undergirded them to be able to move ahead day by day. Yes, just like Daniel, we will all spend a night in the lions’ den…but take hope, for God is right there beside you in the darkness until the sunrise.