Devotions - Prayer

The best way to know if you’re grown in faith is to ask yourself if you look more like Jesus.

Only after we have “put off” the old man and “put on” the new are we truly set free to praise the Lord with a whole heart.
* “Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright.”Psalm 33:1
*You can rejoice this morning because the Word of God that you meditate and ponder on is “right and true.” You do not have to doubt or question the truths and the wisdom that come from His Word. In the midst of living lives in this chaotic and confusing world, God’s Word comes through like a beacon in a storm. Rejoice and praise God today because of His Word.
*Because we have been made pure through Jesus, our response should be to praise Him.
THE BRIDE
What would a man think if his bride-to-be invited him to her house, sat him in
the living room and then went her way? While he waits, she works in the
kitchen, dusts the furniture, mops the floors—and never says a word to him!

Jesus endures the same pain any man would feel if his beloved continually
praised him, saying “I love you” over and over, yet showed him little or no
attention! WE Need a personal Relationship with Jesus!

The sweetheart may claim, “Well, he’s always on my mind.” I have heard
people say that about Jesus: “He’s on my mind all day, in everything I
do.”
BUT you can have Him on your mind all day and still neglect Him!
**When a bride-to-be does this, her so-called love is a lie! She may tell her fiancé she truly loves him, but her Actions tell him she does not.

The Lord asks, “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet
My people have forgotten Me days without number” (Jeremiah 2:32).
* David also said Israel kept forgetting the Lord: “They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt”. (Psalm 106:21).

The Lord mentioned His pain in Scripture for the whole world to see! He said openly, “My people neglect Me for days on end!”
Why would the Lord tell the world about such neglect? Shouldn’t lovers’ differences be kept quiet?
No—He wants us to know how hurt He is! He tells the whole world because He is so heartbroken by our behavior!

Imagine that you are an engaged young woman going to church with your
husband-to-be. You grasp his hand and tell everyone, “We’re going to be
married. I love him—he is absolutely wonderful!” But as soon as you are out
the door, you just clam up and do not say a word to him! What is he supposed to think?

I would not want a bride who extols my virtues– says loving things about me in
public, tells me how precious I am, and then later gets cold and avoids
spending time with me. That is not true affection!
If you do not have quality time with Jesus every day—if you do not
spend time in prayer with Him, or seeking His Word—you do not love Him and you are breaking His heart!

Be free of all bondage and keep your heart pure before the Lord.  Then, you will be able to discern spiritually.  However, anything that creates darkness in your soul will cause you to dump down in the flesh and will cloud your spiritual perceptions.  Be on guard, for this is a time when seductions to choose flesh over Spirit are rampant.  Obtain and maintain purity.
*Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

FAITH NEEDS ACTION!
*We haven’t learned the Word of God until we lived the Word of God.
*One of the primary purpose’s of the Holy Spirit is for us to be witnesses of the Good News of Jesus.

Teaching and learning in the scriptures, are much more than academic.
* It involves being guided by God’s principles in relationship to others, as well as knowing and responding to God. *It calls for the learner to put the Word of God into practice, not just hear it (Jas. 1:22).
* It involves hearing a word from the outside and putting it on the inside, so that it may be expressed in our every action.  If we obey the scripture and prove ourselves to be doers of the word rather than only listeners, we will truly show forth the love of Christ. People that merely listen hear about God’s judgement and wish…
* Proverbs 2 tells us to incline our ear unto wisdom, apply our heart to understanding, cry after knowledge, lift up our voice for understanding, seek her as silver, search for her like hidden treasures, and then we will understand and find the knowledge of God (Prov. 2:1-7).
God says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), and He admonishes us to meditate on His Word day and night that we may observe to do all that is written therein.
*Extreme love: acknowledges God’s wisdom. You must know and do! ACTION!   One reason why many believers have no clearer understanding of God’s word is, they close their eyes to TRUTH which they do not wish to practice.(Philippians 3:8)
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

Lord, thank You for one of the greatest freedoms You have given all of us is the freedom to be ourselves. Help us NOT to  focus on trying to be like everyone else and focus on what YOU have planned for us to be!  Knowing You Lord through Your Word for who You are is a powerful and freeing feeling. Increase Daily Lord my  personal relationship with Christ that everything will fall into place for Your Glory and my Joy! Amen

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, (Philippians 3:10).

WE are the BRIDE of CHRIST!

Paul describes the bride of Christ as “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing”
(Ephesians 5:27).

JESUS WANTS THE BEST FOR HIS BRIDE-THE CHURCH BODY!

How it must break the Lord’s heart when we question His ability and desire to do the best for us!
The Bible for example, tells us clearly how the Lord took wonderful, care of Ruth. Ruth pledged her love to Jehovah God and told Naomi, her mother-in-law: “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16).

God loved Ruth and opened up every door for her. She was poor and had to glean in the fields, but Scripture says, “She happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz . . .” (Ruth 2:3).
When Ruth Went Out into the fields, God provided for her.
If you are waiting for God to provide, consider this: He may be waiting for you to take the First step to demonstrate just how important your need is.
Ruth task was tough, tiring, & perhaps not a custom to that type of work, but she did it faithfully.
*What is your attitude when the task you have been given is not up to your true potential?
**The task at hand may be all you can do,
** or it may be the work God wants you to do.
**Or, as in Ruth’s case, it may be a test of your character that can open doors of opportunity.
Not only did Ruth take the initiative to work, she worked hard.
There are times when hard work with little rest is our only option.
* Boaz noticed Ruth’s hard work. Had she considered herself too proud or embarrassed to work that particular job, she would have missed the opportunity of meeting Boaz, changing her life, & becoming the ancestor of a king and Messiah.
Boaz gladly welcomed Ruth, because she was hard working, loving, kind & brave.
These qualities gained her a good reputation, but only because she displayed them consistently in all areas of her life.
Where ever Ruth went or whatever she did, her character remained the same. **Your reputation is formed by the people who watch you at work, in town, at home, in church.
** A good reputation comes by consistently living out the qualities you believe in no matter what group of people our surroundings you are in.

Boaz saw Ruth in the fields and
immediately discerned, “She’s different, really different.” His heart was
captured!

What a love story and what incredible circumstances brought it all about. Ruth
married this godly man, and if the Lord would do that for Ruth, Will He not do
right by His own bride, in EVERY circumstance?

We have Someone who is richer and mightier than Boaz. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He knows all and can do all and He loves His bride!
***Yes, the Lord works Everything in your life for YOUR absolute Best. And He takes great pleasure in doing so.

Even in suffering and trials, every lover of Jesus gets His full attention!
*Yet, sadly, we often do not Rest in that. *We doubt He is on the job at all
times, working out all things to our good.(Ro. 8:28).

Paul describes the bride of Christ as “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing”
(Ephesians 5:27). “Wrinkle” here means “fold,” as on one’s face—a wrinkled brow.
This speaks of worry, fretting, and Paul is saying that Jesus’ bride will have no “worry lines” on her face.
*The bride of Christ Rests in Jesus love.
*The Bride of Christ is confident-Jesus knows where she is, how she feels, what she is going through, and what is best for her.
* Jesus love gives her peace and calm. *She knows He will not allow anything that will cut her off from Him or hurt her.
* Jesus is going to preserve her because He said, “She’s mine!”

The light of revelation is shining as a beacon of understanding to reveal your own heart.  You can’t do anything about what you cannot see.  But, when the light comes you will be able to see your thoughts, emotions, desires and will more completely and make adjustments where necessary.  The Lord is calling you to Himself to be the Bride without spot or wrinkle, and this is a time of preparation.

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
**This is what it means when Jesus laid down His life for His bride. This is what it means when Paul said: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:25-28).

This principle is key to impacting the world for Jesus Christ.
* The family has been greatly wounded by a failure to understand this principle. *This has also led men and women to become slaves instead of sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.
Today, if you are a husband, commit yourself to laying down your life for your bride.

*We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corin.  5:20-21

The best way to know if you’re grown in faith is to ask yourself if you look more like Jesus.
See to it that you are not harboring any offenses or bitterness in your heart so that there are no divisions among you.
Division will hinder your walk with the Lord and keep you stuck in the flesh instead of walking in the Spirit.
You need to be free, but you cannot attain that liberty until you truly forgive and release others.
Don’t let another day go by allowing this judgment to stand.
1 Corinthians 3:3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

Lord, thank You for Your Church the Bride of Christ. Help us ALL to go out and Boldly proclaim the Love You have for ALL people. Let others see Jesus in an through us as the Body of Christ. Let the divisions be no more!  Let us Lift up Jesus in Unity for Your Glory and our Joy. Amen

Jesus said Come, follow Me!

We love others by being real and genuine with them. If we are being transparent with God (on the inside), He will enable us to be real and genuine with others (on the outside).
*  “…in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”
2 Corinthians 1:12

Vision, no matter how clear, tends to rust over time. We need to hear it again and again.

‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.'” Matthew 4:19

There is one basic difference between a man who fishes for fish and man who fishes for men. When you fish for men you never throw anyone back. Men who are caught for Jesus do not go back to swim in the cesspool of this world. Once you have been caught by God you are set free to swim forever in the crystal clear water of life!

Our calling has three distinct stages, which we can see in the lives of many called before us, to become mature fishers of men who greatly impact God’s Kingdom.
* First, there is the gestation period. This is the development stage of our lives. It may involve years of normal work experiences. You may be a Christian during this time, or you may be following after worldly success as a non-Christian.
*Paul spent years in religious and political training, persecuting believers most of his early life.
* Moses spent years in the court of Pharaoh and 40 years tending flocks in the desert.
*Jesus spent 30 years living at home and working in His father’s carpentry business.
However, all these years were part of their preparation.
***For you, the gestation period was_______________

*Second is the Crisis Stage.
Sooner or later, God calls you into relationship with Him.
For many, like Paul, it comes through dramatic encounters like being knocked off a horse, blinded and spoken to personally by God.
*Some people are more difficult than others to reach and so require this level of crisis.
*This is a time when God requires major changes so that you follow Him fully. It can be a time in which God harnesses years of experience for a new life purpose.
* Paul’s earthly experiences would be used in his calling to the religious and political leaders of his day.
*For Moses, the burning bush experience would begin his journey in which he would discover his ultimate calling after years of preparation.
* For Peter, it was his denial of Jesus three times that allowed him to face his shallow commitment to Christ.
** For Jesus, it was the garden of Gethsemane.
**These were the benchmark turning points for men who made an impact on their world.
***For you, the Crisis Stage was_______________

**Third is the Fruit-Bearing Stage.
In it, God’s power is manifested in your life like never before.
God takes all your experiences and uses them to build His Kingdom in and through your life.
*Your obedience to this final call results in fruitfulness you could never imagine without the long preparation process. *For Abraham, it resulted in becoming the father of many nations.
* For Paul, it resulted in bringing the gospel to the Gentiles.
* And for Peter, it meant becoming the leader of the Church.
*For Jesus, it was salvation for the entire world.
***For you, the fruit-bearing stage was_______________

What does God want to achieve through your life?
God has a plan that is so incredible you cannot comprehend it. It requires only that you love Him and follow Him. Then you will become fishers of men like the world has never known.

2 Timothy 2: 2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.
The Lord is enlightening the eyes of your understanding so that you can see beyond your circumstances and temporary issues to view and understand your calling more fully.  This light will bring perspective so that you don’t obsess about that which will come to pass.  Set your eyes and your faith on the things that matter long-term, and don’t worry.
**Ephesians 1:18  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

Lord, You know where we are, You know what to say and You know how to make it ALL work out for Your Purpose and Your Glory.  Help me use the giftings you have given me to help  Seek & save the lost and Count the cost.
God spark the enthusiasm in my life-help me see today from your perspective. Amen
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  TEACH these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:19-20).
‘Come, follow Me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.'”

Jn 17:17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.

Absolute Truth can only be found in an absolute God.  Truth is the Word. The Word that became flesh. Jesus. The complete and concrete physical evidence of truth.
When we do the truth, we are exercising “Jesus” and thus we are in Him. There is an anointing that comes from the Holy One, the Holy Spirit. This Spirit of Truth leads us into the Truth, teaches us the Truth and keeps us in the Truth.
“because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever”(2JN 1:2).

The Cross has been forgotten in many Christian homes and churches, simply because we have chosen to place our human happiness above God’s Will.
*”For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Sometimes the enemy whispers, “You don’t really love yourself, and that’s why you can’t love others”. This way of thinking only reinforces our root problem of self-centeredness, and Satan rejoices.
** “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh…”
Romans 13:14
*That’s where the battle begins! God calls me to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”, & to make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires. This is a daily, hourly focus – putting on Christ as our Lord & Master, & planning instead to honor & glorify Him!

Why then, must the church be unified?
* The church is supposed to mirror God…it should be the most important institution in the world.
*Unity in the church has been totally confused…we have a generation of confused Christians…
*People today are more loyal to their culture or denomination than their Christian faith…
*A divided church keeps the Lord at a distance…
*Humanity should adjust to our faith…not the other way around…
*Biblical Unity has to be a premium if we want the church to succeed.(TRUTH)

Jesus Prayed for You and Me!!
John 17:21 “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
*Jesus is praying for all believers to be ONE as He and the Father are ONE.

This goes far beyond what many promote as unity today. Paul besought the Corinthians to “all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). This is God’s standard of UNITY.

*This oneness among believers is what Jesus said would cause the World to KNOW that Jesus is the Son of God.
*This oneness is the greatest tool for evangelism that the church has.
** The only way that Christ’s body will be one as the Father and Jesus are One is through God’s kind of love.
No wonder Satan tries to get believers to go at each others’ throats. We spend billions of dollars a year on evangelism through television, radio, conventions and crusades, yet, the world is not evangelize—- BECAUSE the Body of Christ is NOT United in LOVE.

* Regardless of what strife and division has occurred, all believers are still one in Christ and will live in perfect oneness throughout eternity.
*We are now one in Spirit. We just need to experience that unity here on earth.

It is only when we move past discouragement to Praise that we begin living above our
problems.

“For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But
God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No
discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a
peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way”. Hebrews 12:10-11

GOD KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR US!

*”Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive
mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16

There are times when God takes things from us and other times when we pray for things
we think we need and God does not give them to us. Nevertheless
“…the Lord knows the way of the righteous” (Psalm 1:6).
** One day God’s action will Prove to be for the benefit of us and for His kingdom!

*The truest satisfaction in life comes from being in the perfect will of God,
doing His work, living according to His choosing.
* But most of us are convinced
that only we know what we need in order to be fulfilled and happy.
* And, in most cases, what we believe is best for us actually would ruin us!

Never in the history of mankind has God taken anything from one of His children
without bringing in something better, more beautiful, more fulfilling.

God’s best is not something to fear; He not only knows what is best for you,
He wants you to have His best!

* If we truly believed this it would produce such rest, peace and joy in us! *We would
not grieve over letting go of things.
*We would know we’ve been set free from all bondage!
*We would say, “Lord, if You are taking this from me, it must mean You have
something much better for
me. So take it—You can have it!”

We need to rest in the loving hand of our Father! We need to come to
the point of trust where we say, “I have a loving Father who wants the very
best for me. He knows it all!”
How did Job finally come to a place of rest?
Job persuaded himself that God knew what He was doing and that everything was under
control!

Job said “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as
gold” (Job 23:10).

Many Christians see God at work in their lives yet they still wonder, “What
if I blow it? What if I do something wrong and God gets angry or impatient with me?
Will all His promises fail me? Will I have to settle for something less than
His best?” No—never!
If your heart is right before God, if you keep returning to Him and seeking Him with all
your heart, nothing will change His plans for you!

It is impossible to appreciate any valley experience while we are in it. However, once we
have reached the top of the mountain, we are able to appreciate what terrain we have
passed through. We marvel at what we were able to walk through. The valley of the
shadow of death has yielded more than we ever thought possible. We are able to
appreciate the beauty of the experience and lay aside the sorrow and pain it may have
produced

Look around you, and see economies and governments beginning to crumble. Truly, the
signs of end-time events are all around you. Yet, this is not a time when you should be
afraid, but a time to rejoice that the day of redemption draws near. This is a time when
your hope will be realized in putting your trust in the Lord, and not in world systems.
Your faith is too precious to waste on man-made empires. Set your heart and faith on
things Eternal and not on the temporary.

Luke 21:28 “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads,
because your redemption draws near.”

It’s only in GOD and his WORD that we find all the happiness that we need on this earth.
He never brakes you down but lifts you up, His word gives and rejuvenates lost hope and
energy.
By meditating on God’s word we find all reasons to rejoice thus happiness that never
ends, for you are not conformed to earthly ways.

Lord, Thank you for being my defender and I thank you Lord for being my provider. I
thank you Lord for fighting my battles. I thank you Lord for guiding my footsteps. Thank
you Lord for not allowing me to slip, I thank you for holding me up. You are so great and
so awesome and I love you Lord with all my heart. Draw me near Lord to you. I just
want to know you more. Keep my mind right Lord. I bless your holy name. In Jesus
name I pray. Amen

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Scriptures are God’s Words!!
Jesus did not say “My sheep hear my scriptures”.
Scriptures ARE God’s Words!!

Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into
practice.” Luke 11:28

We don’t just listen or read what the Bible says but we listen to the Holy Spirits Words
and apply its teachings (His Voice) into our daily life, making us more and more like
Him.
*We can hear God’s voice through the pages of His Word.
*We can hear Him through that still small voice within.
*God can communicate to you through a dream or vision.
* God, at times will use another person as His vessel through which He will speak.

The Common Method that God speaks in this season is through His word.
If we want to understand anything about God-we have to study his word to understand
His Nature and His Character.
The word is living and active and is proceeding truth for today.

Luke 11:28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and
put it into practice.”

This is a profound message from The Lord that is often overlooked. To hear the Word of
God & not follow it is a curse. We need some Action.
The Christian world has become immune to the holy wisdom of God. Most believe that
memorizing the Word of God is better than Doing that which the Word commands.
Likewise, we have reduced ourselves to speaking profound words that have no substance
in Christ.

*Unless we place the Truth of God in our hearts, we cannot and do not have a
relationship with The Lord.
*We cannot will it to be. We must become intimate with the Lord!
* Words spoken by man means nothing to God.
*Demonstrating intellectual knowledge of the scriptures have no merit, unless it is
demonstrated in our Actions and instilled in our hearts.

As I meet more & more self professed Christians, I am amazed at the lack of
understanding of the need for man to have an Intimate Relationship with God.

*How can we follow him, if we don’t know him?

*How can we teach of him, if we don’t spend time learning from him.
**We have reduced God merely to a “thought” rather than Lord of our life…Lord of our
hearts….Lord of ALL!
* Where do you stand? Where are you in your relationship with Christ? Do you have an
intimate relationship with Christ Jesus?
*The greatest gift you can give to God is your heart. Amen!

“The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, ‘Get up and go out to the
plain, and there I will speak to you.'” Ezekiel 3:22
* God speaks in many different ways to His children.
*Again—We don’t just listen or read what the Bible says but we Listen to the Holy
Spirits Words and apply its teachings (His Voice) into our daily life, making us more
and more like Him.
*We can hear God’s voice through the pages of His Word.

Mark 7:13 And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition.
And this is only one example among many others.”
The Word of God has power. However, you could loose the value or the effects that the
Word has in your life by focusing on excessive rules and standards.

The Lord is enlightening the eyes of your understanding so that you can see beyond your
circumstances and temporary issues to view and understand your calling more fully.
This light will bring perspective so that you don’t obsess about that which will come to
pass. Set your eyes and your faith on the things that matter long-term, and don’t worry.
* Ephesians 1:18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know
what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the
saints.

Jesus explains clearly that we who have trusted in Him for salvation not only know the
voice of our Savior but also are kept securely by the Almighty, unfailing Heavenly
Father.

We can know we are saved and can rest secure in His salvation. Because it is the perfect
and all-powerful God Who saves us, keeps us, secures us for eternal life and the joys of
heaven. We cannot lose salvation because we have not attained it ourselves. Salvation is
God’s to give, and “no man can pluck [me] out of my Father’s hand.”

Lord, help me to stop and listen for you! I want to hear you! Jesus, teach me your word
so I will know your voice.
In Jesus Name, Amen
John 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the
Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything
through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to
everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
Have a great WEEK!!!!!