Devotions - Prayer
Jesus was first and foremost a “servant”, and God has called each one of us to follow His example.
“Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” 1 Peter 4:9-10
The world is shouting to us, “You can show us a miracle!
* It isn’t the Red Sea opening up that impresses us.
* It’s not seeing the blind given sight or the lame healed.
** It’s that you can look at the darkest hour of your life, a situation that’s hopeless to all human reasoning, and yet smile with joy, singing praises to God.
**That’s the miracle we want to see.”
Mark 6:52, “For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.”
Most of the time, we think of a person with a hard heart as being someone who is in terrible rebellion to God.
*While it is true that a rebellious person does have a hardened heart, in this instance, the Word is referring to the disciples’ hearts being hardened.
The word “hardened” as used here, means “to make calloused, unyielding or cold in spirit, or insensitive to.”
The disciples were not God haters, but rather they had become so sensitive to the natural world and its limitations that they were overwhelmed to see Jesus supersede these laws.
*Therefore, they had a hardened heart.
If they had kept in mind the miracle they had just seen Jesus perform (the feeding of the five thousand), then they wouldn’t have been amazed to see Jesus walking on the water toward them.
Many of us are more sensitive to fear and doubt than we are to the truths of God’s Word.
This is because we have thought more on things that minister fear and doubt.
When our hearts are hardened we don’t realize the goodness of God and how powerful He is.
Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
Jesus, You are the only Way, Truth and Life. So I ask, “what “truth” is being suppressed”? Yes- Reality, as defined by God. Thank You Jesus. Amen
“So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, ‘Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!'” (Job 2:7-9).
One message I get from the book of Job is: Do not give up on God because of suffering or bad experiences.”
Our age of “INSTANT” everything has caused us to lose the ability to wait. We expect to learn patience instantly, and in our hurry, we miss out on the real blessing of it. What do we want now?- relief from pain is at the top of our list. We want an instant cure for everything from toothaches to heartbreaks.
When God finally spoke to Job, he didn’t offer Job an answer. Instead, he drove home the point that it is better to KNOW GOD than to know answers(see also John 17:3).
Sometimes suffering is an attack by Satan on our lives. Sometimes we do not know why the suffering but need to know, that the suffering may be shaping us for special service to others.
When hope is deferred, the psalmist says, the heart becomes sick. During these seasons, we can only do one thing. We must hang onto whatever faith we have to get through each day and entrust our lives to Him. (Hab 3:17-18).
When faith doesn’t see results it challenges what we believe. We must pray as Job prayed: “Teach me what I cannot see” (Job 34:32). God says there is a purpose in everything we go through(Ro. 8:28). God is always bigger than Satan’s afflictions. See 1 John 4:4-We fight FROM Victory if we have Jesus!
Our greatest tests come when we cannot see positive results from our faith and obedience. In such cases we must die to our expectations and entrust them to our Lord.
But Job is an example for us of how we must break through our natural view of life so that we begin to see things in a different light. This book is here to teach us that God sometimes has to translate theology into painful experience before we really begin to grasp what He is trying to say to us.
Father, thank You that You have sent Your Son, who has endured more suffering than I. Grant me the strength to endure whatever You allow into my life, that I may bring Glory to You. Amen
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Poor Wisdom Rots!
Proverbs 28: 2 When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily.
*This reminds me of where we are at as a nation now. We have people in our country that believe morals are negotiable and that’s simply not true.
***We need to stand by the Biblical principles we have been given by God. “His Truth”
Corrupt and selfish leaders within a government will eventually contaminate the whole group leading to “moral rot.”
But the same goes for wise and knowledgeable leaders, they can encourage and build up the whole group leading to “moral growth.“
We as Christians need to pray for our government, both nationally and locally.
One or two with a group can contaminate the whole team.
*If their concerns are selfish and all they care about is themselves and what they think their entitled to, this eventually spoils the whole batch causing moral rot.
It eventually affects all down to supervisors and them to employees.
And then attitudes become selfish with entitlement to perks instead of realizing they are public servants and their job is to serve.
*Moral is down, people can’t get along with each other and things don’t get done.
**But on the other hand, wise and knowledgeable leaders can bring moral growth to government. The saying “IN GOD WE TRUST ” can bring stability to a government.
*When you have wise and knowledgeable leaders, their concerns are not selfish.
*They care about the people they serve and they take pride in their job.
*They build up their government team increasing moral within work groups and developing positive attitudes.
Just like before, this affects all down to supervisors and then to workers causing an increase in work and taking pride in their job.
So pray for you government and ask God to place good Christian people with our system.
We need to get back on track to the saying “IN GOD WE TRUST “ and allow God to work.
Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
“Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
Thank you for hearing our prayers. Thank You for Moral Growth and for the way it’s changed my life. It’s in Jesus name I pray, Amen.
The phrase “forgive and forget” is not found in the Bible. However, there are numerous verses commanding us to “forgive one another” (e.g., Matthew 6:14 and Ephesians 4:32). A Christian who is not willing to forgive others will find his fellowship with God hindered (Matthew 6:15) and can reap bitterness and the loss of reward (Hebrews 12:14–15; 2 John 1:8).
Forgiveness is a decision of the will. Since God commands us to forgive, we must make a conscious choice to obey God and forgive. The offender may not desire forgiveness and may not ever change, but that doesn’t negate God’s desire that we possess a forgiving spirit (Matthew 5:44). Ideally, the offender will seek reconciliation, but, if not, the one wronged can still make a decision to forgive.
You’ve heard this phrase over and over: “Forgive and forget.” There’s only one problem with it: You can’t do it. It’s impossible! You really can’t forget a hurt in your life. In fact, you can’t even try to forget it. Because when you’re trying to forget, you are actually focusing on the very thing you want to forget.
Forgetting is not what God wants you to do. Instead, he wants you to trust him and see how he can bring good out of it. That’s more important than forgetting, because then you can thank God for the good that he brought out of it. You can’t thank God for things you forget.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” .
It doesn’t say that all things are good, because all things are not good. Cancer is not good. Disease is not good. Death is not good. Divorce is not good. War is not good. Rape and abuse are not good. There are a lot of things in life that are evil. Not everything that happens in this world is God’s will.
But God says he will work good out of the bad things in life if you will trust him.
When you come to him and say, “God, I give you all the pieces of my life,” he will return peace for your pieces. He gives you peace in your heart that comes from knowing that even if you don’t understand the hurt in your life, you can still forgive, knowing that God will use that pain for good.
The ideal is to forgive and forget. Love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5) and covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). However, changing hearts is God’s business, and, until an offender has a true, supernatural heart change, it is only wise to limit the level of trust one places in that person.
Being cautious doesn’t mean we haven’t forgiven. It simply means we are not God and we cannot see that person’s heart.
Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you. Amen
Read MorePsalm 143:1–3 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Thy faithfulness, in Thy righteousness! And do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight no man living is righteous. For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground.
The psalmist there was struggling with a dark force that attacks almost every one of us at some time or another, the force of condemnation.
Each of us has an enemy, an accuser, one who seeks to make us feel guilty, unworthy, one who reminds us of our failures and our shortcomings and our unworthiness, and if we let him go on speaking to us he’ll crush our life down to the ground.
The answer is the answer that the psalmist found. He turned to God and he prayed. And he said, “Give ear to my supplications. Answer me in Thy faithfulness and in Thy righteousness.”
When we are facing condemnation and a sense of unworthiness, it is most important that we don’t listen to the enemy any longer; that we turn to God and that we appeal to God for help. Not on the basis of our righteousness or our faithfulness, but on the basis of God’s righteousness and God’s faithfulness. That is the way out from condemnation. That’s the way back into victory.
We don’t ask God to enter into judgment with us, we ask Him to answer us on the basis of His righteousness and His faithfulness and when we do that, we are released from that dark power of condemnation. Amen
Read: Romans 8:1-3,34-35, John 3:18-21, Psalms 32
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How serious are you about breaking free from the temptation in your life?
Because if you are, let me be very blunt with you:
- You will never do it without support.
- You will never do it on your own.
- You won’t succeed in changing by yourself.
But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope for change.
In fact, once you understand you change on your own, you’ll be free to see how God is working to transform your life and how he uses other people to help you change.
The truth is, God has wired us to need each other to grow. We need each other to break free of habits and hang-ups and hurts. You need accountability in your life.(called Relationships) The very thing that you want least is the very thing if someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently help make him right again. But be careful, because you might be tempted to sin, too. By helping each other with your troubles, you truly obey the law of Christ” Galatians 6:1-2 .
What’s the law of Christ? Love your neighbor as yourself. How do we love our neighbor as ourselves?
- By helping each other through temptation.
- By helping others be consistent in the things they want to be consistent in.
- By helping them break bad habits and start good habits.
That’s the best way you can love your neighbor and obey the law of Christ. You need a friend who checks up on you, and you need a group that supports you.
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls [into temptation], it’s just too bad, because there is no one to help him”(GNT).
You need somebody in your life to help you with the habits you want to change. You’re not going to change them on your own.
Everybody is tempted. It is a myth that says you’re going to get to a point in your spiritual life where you’re not tempted. In fact, the more mature you become, the more Satan is going to put you on his “most wanted” list.
If we were more consistent in confessing our temptations, we wouldn’t have to confess our sins.
Lord, Help me no matter what my circumstances to: find a small group, do Bible studies, find a good mentor and have a job that pleases you. Amen
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We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5b.
Here’s the secret to temptation: Don’t fight it. Just refocus. Whatever you resist persists.
Did you know that in the Bible, not once are you told to resist temptation? We are told to resist the Devil, and that’s a whole different issue.
But the key to overcoming temptation is not to push back. It’s to change your focus.
Whatever gets your attention gets you.
- The battle for sin always starts in the mind. That’s why the Bible says in Psalm 119:6, “Thinking about your commands will keep me from doing some foolish thing”(CEV). Why? Because if you’re thinking about God’s truth, you’re not thinking about the less important stuff.
It’s true in every single area of life — good or bad.
- If you focus on godly things, it’s going to pull you that direction. If you focus on the stuff that’s at the movies and in magazines, it’s going to pull you that direction.
- Whatever you focus on gets your attention.
- Whatever gets your attention is going to get you.
- The key is to just change your mind.
Temptation always follows a predictable pattern: attention, arousal, and action. Your mind gets hooked, your mind kicks in, and then you act on it.
So you don’t fight a temptation; you just turn your mind to something else. “We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NCV).
The thing is, we’re not very good at capturing every thought and turning it to Christ, because it takes lots of practice. You can’t always control your circumstances, and you can’t even always control the way you feel. But you can control what you think about. That’s always your choice. And if you change the way you think, it changes the way you feel, and that will change the way you act.
Psalms 119:11 Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Psalms 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept your word.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Hebrews 2:18 For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him.
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man:
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
AMEN
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“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9
Anger can result from many circumstances. Anger is like warning lights on the front of your car dashboard. They signal that there is something going on under the hood, and we should take a look to examine the source of the problem.
Anger can be traced to a few sources.
First, when we lose control of a circumstance that we have placed certain expectations on and those expectations do not result in our desired outcome, we are tempted to get angry.
The source of this type of anger is both fear and protection of personal rights.
You see, when we believe we have a right to something, we have not given the Lord permission to allow an outcome different from what we want.
If an outcome is different from our expectations, this may stimulate fear.
The next time you get angry ask the Lord what is the source of that anger? Did the Lord allow that failure to let you see what is “under your hood”? God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind (see 2 Tim. 1:7).
In Genesis 4 the account says that Cain was angry at God’s rejection of his offering, and his face was downcast.
Cain was angry and resentful.
Cain was jealous because his brother was accepted and he was rejected. As the New Testament tells us, he was angry because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous (1 John 3:12), and so he was filled with jealousy.
But notice God’s grace. He simply asks him a question, Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?
That is the best question to ask a jealous, resentful individual. Why? Think it through, now, why are you so angry? Why are you filled with resentment against this person?
Why should you assume that you have special immunity to the normal problems, injustices, and trials of life?
How often I flare up with jealous anger Lord, when I feel I am being robbed of what I deserve. Forgive me, and continue to remind me that Your ways are, indeed, not my ways. Amen
For One Cause—CHRIST!
“ I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.” (Colossians 2:2)
HOW TO RESTORE A BROKEN RELATIONSHIP
1 Talk to GOD before talking to the person.
In doing so, you may find a change of heart or the other person may have changed without your help.
This may provide you the clarity you need.
2. Always take the initiative.
Make the first move; don’t wait for the other party. By delaying it deepens resentment and makes matters worse.
Acting quickly reduces the damage.
3. Sympathize with their feelings.
Listen first. Hear what they are feeling. Focus on their feelings and not the facts.
Begin with sympathy; not the solutions.
4. Confess your part of the conflict.
Admit your own mistakes. Determine how much of the problem is actually your fault or issue.
5. Attack the problem, not the person.
You cannot fix the problem if you are fixing blame. Choose between the two.
How you say things is as important as what you say.
6. Cooperate as much as possible.
Sometimes it costs us our pride; often our self-centeredness.
Do your best to compromise, adjust to others and show preference to their needs.
Lord, help me guard my heart above all else, for it determines the course of my life. Help me restore relationships that I may serve the Body of Christ as You have intended me too. Lord, continue to teach me about Your perfect Character through the Beatitudes in Mat. 5:3-12. Help me to become more and more like You each day. Amen
Read More“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1 Corinthians 10:13a).
At times the road before me seems long, steep and challenging. I can feel lost. Uncertain. Afraid. Sometimes I’m not sure I have the strength for the journey.
It’s in those times that God wants me to remember I’m not traveling alone. He is my ever-present guide. He knows where the road leads. He can see what lies ahead. And that’s not all.
God also knows my concerns. He knows what I feel. The pain I cannot explain to someone else … God knows. The fear of the unknown—He knows. And He offers me Himself.
Perhaps you feel overwhelmed today. You may be experiencing some sadness, loss or worry. You may find that God has called you to a difficult path. “Surely,” you think, “God has an easier road for me to travel.”
The truth is, we aren’t wise enough to assume another path would be best for us.
*Maybe the easier road won’t make us into the person God intends us to be.
*Perhaps the difficult road is a path of grace—protecting us from the worst.
*Maybe this road is about learning something new about God or ourselves.
*Could it be the difficult journey is the path that prepares us for a greater purpose or a greater faith in God?
Out of all the possible paths, God knows the best path.
Our key verse reminds us, “His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.”
**Because of this, we can take the path God has laid out for us today. We can trust, and not fear, in His infinite wisdom and love. And we can be certain that God will never lead us down the wrong road.
Do not be troubled by these times of perplexity. They are normal experiences coming to all in the life of faith.
Lord, because You will never lead me down the wrong road, I can trust You when I need to make decisions about my family, my career, and my health. Thank You for Your wisdom and guidance. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
John 14:26 The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you.
In Paul’s time, some believers didn’t even know there was a Holy Spirit.
“He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Spirit since you believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost” (Acts 19:2).
*These people were saved, but it is clear they were not filled with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus did not send His disciples into the world until they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit.
*The disciples had pure hearts and faith to heal the sick and they were witnesses to His resurrection.
*They were even willing to die for Jesus, so what more could there be?
Clearly there was more! “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”(Acts 1:8).
Do you really want the Holy Spirit to be alive in you? You have to be convinced this is for you.
*You must come to the place where you know you are nothing, have nothing, and can do nothing without the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is yours for the asking: “How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:13).
1 Corinthians 2:10 But it was to us that God made known his secret by means of his Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, even the hidden depths of God’s purposes. 11 It is only our own spirit within us that knows all about us; in the same way, only God’s Spirit knows all about God.
How do we receive the Holy Spirit?
*Prayer is the master key to having the Holy Spirit.
1. Repent/give up self
2. We must be born again(Turn to God)
3. We must have a thirst for Him.
4. Baptized in the Name of Jesus
5. Open up your heart to the word of God.
6. Ask in faith. (Hebrews 11:6)
Acts 2:38 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
John 6:63 What gives life is God’s Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God’s life-giving Spirit.
Even though spiritual and natural storms rage, find the place of peace where your faith and trust are unshaken. Jesus is with you and for you even in the most difficult circumstances. Amen
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“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God”.(Matthew 5:23-24).
*”Christians are to be reconciled, whatever it takes…
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
*Wise speech needs to be careful, humble, gentle, timely and truthful (get rid of half truths)
* A pure heart overflows into pure truthful speech.
Avoiding Conflict!!!
We are called to speak the truth in love.
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Eph 4:15-16).
*Failure to confront in love allows the enemy to sow greater seeds of conflict.
*That lack of forgiveness plants the seeds that later led to disaster.
*It’s a lesson for all of us as we can easily fall into temptation to the same pride that ignores our own sinfulness and pushes us to pass judgment on those who sin against us. As James so eloquently reminds us, we have no business passing judgment on others when we ourselves can barely get through a day without sinning.
Is there someone in your life that you need to confront in love?
*Most people: Remember the things that ought to be forgotten and forget the things that ought to be remembered.
*Jesus died to set you free. Accept it.
*Let us pray for a pure heart, let us be Spirit directed toward Holiness as He is Holy.
Jesus You are the Way, The Truth and the Life, help me to Love as You Love have loved me for Your Glory. Amen
Biblical Ways to Love in Truth:
*Listen without interrupting. Proverbs 18
*Speak without accusing. James 1:19
*Give without sparing. Proverbs 21:26
*Pray without ceasing. Colossians 1:9
*Answer without arguing. Proverbs 17:1
*Share without pretending. Eph. 4:15
*Enjoy without complaint. Philip. 2:14
*Trust without wavering. Corin. 13:7
*Forgive without punishing. Col. 3:13
*Promise without forgetting. Prov. 13:13
“Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.” – Judges 11:29a
We’ve all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years.
*Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease – these are all difficult circumstances to overcome.
Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming great in God’s sight.
*He was born to Gilead, a result of his father’s adulterous encounter with a prostitute.
*Jephthah’s half-brothers decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman.”
*Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.
This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang?
As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander.
Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.
“Didn’t you hate me and drive me from my father’s house?” he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.
It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive.
**It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly.
**Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.
The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways.
*Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God.
*However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will choose to follow Him with an upright heart.
*Jesus does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.
Lord, I’m so glad I don’t have to say that right thing to get Your attention. Thank You for Your Spirit that lives in me and leads me—in my daily activities and even in my prayers. Please show me verses You want me to pray so I can see Your Word come alive in my circumstances and become active in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Read MoreWe are not responsible to change our negative feelings. Our responsibility is to put “in charge” the only Person who can change them, and that Person is God.
“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.”Psalm 37:5
Psalm 19:12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden(some trans say secret) faults. 13 Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
*Do you suffer with the sin of secret faults?
*Is there something in your life that is hidden from the eyes of man that is sin?
Romans 1:18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
*Are you living a life of falsehood?
*Do others think that you are something that you are not behind closed doors?
If so—it’s time for a “session of confession” and repentance, it’s time to seek the Lord and ask Him to cleanse you from your secret faults.
Ephesians 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
You see your “secret faults” are not so secret. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of the Father.
Nothing is secret to the Father.
Confess any secret faults/sins you have to the Lord and turn away from them, ask Him to take the desire for them away from you and tell Him you don’t want to do anything that does not please Him (and mean it).
Ask Him to cleanse you from those secret faults and He most assuredly will.
Psalms 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
Father today I bring all of my faults before you, I confess each and every one of them. I bring my secrets faults before you Lord and I ask that you would cleanse me from these secret faults Lord. Amen
Sometimes in life when we pray we wonder if God is even there. But the more we learn about Gods character and heart we will realize that he is always there no matter how we may feel.
“Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?” – Psalm 10:1
One of the great mysteries of God is His ways.
Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if He were indifferent to our circumstances.
It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows.
These events in our lives have a particular objective to perform for us.
That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might discover the treasure of darkness.
“Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness” (Job 30:26).
*When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed.
*Our sensitivities become heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated.
Unless we are taken into these times, our souls never develop any depth of character.
We do not gain Wisdom, only knowledge.
*Knowledge is gained through understanding.
*Wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.
After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time.
It does not feel or appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods.
However, He is there walking with us. He has told us countless times that He will never leave us.
However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there because He does not rescue us from the circumstances.
***He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more like Jesus.
Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will learn obedience?
Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times.
Thank You Lord for Your word— “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8) Amen
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