Tag Archives: Prayer

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Be Strong and Courageous

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May 2, 2016

Read: Joshua 1:5-9

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. (v. 9 NIV)

Does fear constrain you from what the Lord calls you to do? It’s not easy to follow God when we feel pressures on all sides. We all have fears that seem to loom so large—fears for our children, work pressures, and violence in the world.

In this passage, the Lord affirmed to Joshua that he would be with him to lead the Israelites and help him overcome his fears. He would be facing armies, fierce opposition, and treacherous territory without his trusted mentor, Moses. Now it was his responsibility to lead the people. Several times the Lord commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous, gracious encouragements to trust God. The Lord also told him to meditate on Scripture day and night and to obey its instruction so he would have good success wherever he went (v. 7).

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Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Boot Camp Blessings

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If you decide to become one of “The Few, The Proud, The Marines,” it is not a matter of signing some forms and then shipping off for the battlefront. First, you will go to boot camp – and it’s not likely to be enjoyable. For three months, you will be subjected to all manner of physical duress, mental torment, sleep deprivation, mind games, seemingly pointless procedures and rugged routines. None of this is done out of hatred, but rather to make you a successful Marine and give you the best chance of surviving in combat.

I will turn to you and make you fruitful and multiply you and will confirm my covenant with you.

Leviticus 26:9

Leviticus is a book of rules, many of them unfathomable to the modern mind. But the Israelites were living in a world filled with pagan, demonic practices that saturated everyday life. God wanted to reorient them to a proper worldview so that they could worship Him in holiness. In return for their obedience, He promised life and unparalleled blessings.

The key themes in Leviticus from the Lord: “be holy for I am holy,” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” Today, pray that America’s citizens and leaders will embrace those commands…so that God might pour out His unprecedented blessings on the nation.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 112:1-10  Click to Read or Listen

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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Darkness to Light

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“For you were once full of darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. So live as people of light.”—Ephesians 5:8

I think there are a lot of people running around today who think they are Christians, but really are not. They may believe in the right things, but they don’t act on those beliefs. Sometimes what appears to be a conversion to Christianity is nothing more than some visible changes in a person’s life.

For instance, you can pray and not be a Christian. Just because someone prays doesn’t mean they are a believer. Polls show that nine out of ten Americans pray.

You can keep the Ten Commandments to the best of your ability and not necessarily be a Christian.

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Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Is Bigger than His Enemies

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“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” (Psalm 110:1)

This verse talks about God speaking to Jesus. God tells Jesus to sit and He will make His enemies a “footstool” for Him. What is a footstool? It is a thing designed to help you prop up your feet. A footstool is not a fancy piece of furniture, and it is not very costly. It gets knocked around and used a lot, because it makes people more comfortable when they are sitting down. To sit down is one thing. To sit down and prop up your feet — well, that means you are really settling in and getting comfortable! You are planning to stay there a while, and that is your place.

A footstool is great to have close by you when you sit. But why does God use a word picture of a “footstool” to describe His enemies? When you think of enemies, you really probably do not think of wanting them sticking around nearby. You do not think of enemies being nice, useful, or comfortable. Usually, they are under your skin–not under your feet! Enemies cause problems, whether they are real people or spiritual struggles. They try to mess up your plans and hurt you emotionally and physically. Why would anyone want to keep an enemy close by?

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Request or Command?

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Today’s Scripture: John 15:14

“You are my friends if you do what I command you.”

Under the reign of grace, is the moral will of God (considered as a whole) a request or a command? The word request connotes desire; whereas the word command connotes authority to require. Response to a desire is optional; response to a command is not.

So when Jesus said we love him by obeying his commands, was he using the word command as we ordinarily understand it, or was he using it as an expression of God’s desire? In the realm of grace, does the moral will of God express the desire of God as to how he would like us to live, or does it express the requirement of God as to how we are to live?

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Savior of the World

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Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 9-12

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. – John 1:41-42

In Isaiah 9, we find a prophecy portrait of the coming Messiah, painted more than seven hundred years before Jesus was born. Let’s compare Isaiah’s prophecies and their fulfillment.

Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” When Jesus came, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Isaiah referred to the coming Messiah as the mighty God (Isaiah 1:24). When Jesus came, He lived a life of power in the things He said, the miracles He performed, and most of all, in His resurrection from the dead. The New Testament says that the Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead shall also give life to your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you (Romans 8:11, KJV).

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – PAUL’S OPENING PRAYER AND AFFIRMATION

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Read 1 Corinthians 1:4-9

In an interview about his book The Church Awakening: An Urgent Call for Renewal, pastor and author Chuck Swindoll worried that the church today is too focused on entertainment rather than worship. He offered this perspective as a corrective: “When you come Sunday, you’re going to focus on One who is eternal, and we’re all going to meet him together. And in doing so, we’re going to leave different than we came because we will have been in his awesome presence, and we will be ignited by the work of the Spirit within us.”

Paul’s pressing word for the Corinthians was much the same. But before he began exhorting and correcting them, he first affirmed the power of God’s grace in their lives. Compared to other epistles, he spent less time commending them and more time commending God to them. God is the One in whom they should boast and find their true identity.

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – WEASEL SHUTS DOWN THE WORLD’S LARGEST MACHINE

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The Large Hadron Collider is the world’s most powerful particle smasher and the largest machine on earth. Last Friday, a weasel wandered into a 66,000-volt transformer, causing a “severe electrical perturbation.” The collider will be shut down for several days. The weasel did not survive.

The previous Sunday, a man shot and killed a fellow worshiper after fighting over a seat in the church sanctuary. Last Friday, two teenage girls were launched off a carnival ride at a Texas fair; one of them was killed, while the other suffered minor injuries. The next day, a woman in Boston was struck and killed by an amphibious sightseeing vehicle known as a duck boat.

What has most surprised you lately? Was it something in the news? Something in your personal life? Unpredicted events are a symptom of the fact that we live on an unpredictable planet. From severe weather to previously-unknown diseases to fallen people who act like fallen people, we live in a world that requires courage.

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – RESCUED AND RECONCILED

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Read Colossians 1:3-23

Roman emperor Caesar Augustus understood the value of political propaganda. In addition to his military victories that ended a civil war and his extensive public works campaigns, he also commissioned poets to sing his praises. Virgil, who wrote the Aeneid in honor of Augustus, also penned these lines: “He shall have the gift of divine life, shall see heroes mingled with gods, and shall himself be seen by them, and shall rule the world to which his father’s prowess brought peace.”

Despite the lofty attributes ascribed to him by poets, Augustus did not in fact have divine life. But as we see in our passage today, there is One who is truly worthy of such lavish praise. The apostle Paul wrote a magnificent hymn of praise to Jesus, every word of which is true. This text also describes how our identity as blessed in Christ flows from His unique being and nature.

We’ll focus on two parts of our identity mentioned in this passage. First, we have been rescued and redeemed from the power of sin (vv. 13–14). We had no claim based on our own merit or qualifications to enter the kingdom of God, but we have been given this privilege based on the work of salvation that Jesus accomplished for us (v. 12).

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – IS THERE A SPIRITUAL LESSON IN THE NFL DRAFT?

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The first round of the NFL Draft is over. Jared Goff was drafted first by the Rams, followed by Carson Wentz, drafted by the Eagles. (For more on the latter, see Nick Pitts’s The Life and Faith of Carson Wentz.) Both teams gave up a great deal to be in position to choose them. Will they become Pro Bowl quarterbacks, or will they soon be forgotten?

NFL teams do their best to draft the best players for their teams, but no one knows if their best will be good enough. Of the eighty-one players chosen number one, only fourteen have made it to the Hall of Fame so far. No team has drafted number one and won the Super Bowl the same year. Only eight have even made the playoffs that year.

Now consider this miracle in God’s word: When the priests of Israel stepped into the flooded Jordan river, “the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan” (Joshua 3:16). The town of Adam was twenty miles upstream. It took several hours after God stopped the river there for the rest of the water to reach the place where the priests stood.

But the moment they set their foot in the flood, the last of the river reached them. God began this miracle hours before his people knew it or could participate in it. They did their work while trusting God to do his.

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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Special People

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1 Peter 2:9-10

Whenever feelings of low self-worth threaten us with discouragement, we need to rely on the truth of God’s Word rather than on our emotions. Today we are going to examine four phrases that describe how the Lord sees every believer.

  1. A Chosen Race. God chose you and me to be part of His kingdom and family because He wanted us. No one who has been specially selected by almighty God is insignificant.
  2. A Royal Priesthood. As believers, we are children of God and, therefore, part of a royal family. In other words, we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). Just as Jesus fulfilled the roles of both king and priest, so God has also entrusted us with priestly responsibilities of worship and intercession for others.
  3. A Holy Nation. The church—or body of Christ—is a group of people who are holy, which means “set apart” for the purposes of God. Our lives are never meaningless, because living for the Lord is the greatest purpose one can have.
  4. A People for God’s Own Possession. You and I are the heavenly Father’s personal possessions. (See Deut. 14:2; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 2:9.) Because He sees us as precious, He sent His Son to die on the cross in our place so we could belong to Him.

Each of these descriptions shows the high value God places on you. Satan may whisper lies of condemnation and criticism, but he can’t change who you really are. Begin today to demonstrate the truth of Scripture by remembering your real identity and living out your high calling from the Lord.

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 18-20

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — An Amazing Love

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Read: Malachi 1:1-10; 4:5-6

Bible in a Year: 1 Kings 3-5; Luke 20:1-26

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. —Malachi 1:2

The final major historic acts of the Old Testament are described in Ezra and Nehemiah as God allowed the people of Israel to return from exile and resettle in Jerusalem. The City of David was repopulated with Hebrew families, a new temple was built, and the wall was repaired.

And that brings us to Malachi. This prophet, who was most likely a contemporary of Nehemiah, brings the written portion of the Old Testament to a close. Notice the first thing he said to the people of Israel: “ ‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord.” And look at their response: “How have you loved us?” (1:2).

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Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – The Ultimate Spotter

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Have you ever been in this plight before—commissioned to pick up an international guest at the Mumbai airport at 2 a.m.? It’s not so much the time that I want you to empathize with me about, but the sheer task of spotting a face that you have never seen before, especially when you are myopic like me. You might well be thinking: why not simply use one of those good old placards? Well I did have one, an A4 sized, Times New Roman, uppercase, bold, 56 font sized “Guest Name.”

Even so, this was a guest whom I know not and who knows me not, a guest whom I’ve seen not and who’s seen me not, a guest whom I’ve heard not and who’s heard me not!

And if that doesn’t quite impress you, here’s one more detail that might surely be helpful: I take my missions quite seriously and could wait forever for my guest to arrive. And this I did, my eyes glued to that single exit door for a full three hours standing with placard in hand.

I did more.

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – The Resurrection: Motive for Sanctification

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“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’ Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:33-34).

Trusting in the fact of Christ’s resurrection and looking forward to our own rising from the dead ought to stimulate us toward sanctification.

Like any essential teaching of Scripture, the doctrine of the Resurrection can be studied and discussed from an academic standpoint only. When that happens, we usually acquire a factual understanding of the topic and perhaps some appreciation of how the doctrine supports our faith—but that’s as far as we go.

However, our studies on the Resurrection have already taught us some of the implications this Bible truth ought to have for our conduct. The hope of the Resurrection can give everyone an incentive to be saved and believers an incentive for service. This hope also provides a third incentive: the motivation toward sanctification.

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Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Soul Care 

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So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7

My wife and I often joke about having the gift of a “black thumb.” Each year, our goals for a healthy and vibrant garden are very high, yet rarely if ever has that initial goal led to the fruitful harvest we envision- disappointment is the inevitable outcome. Though there may be multiple reasons for this challenge, there is one that stands out above the rest: neglect.

In the midst of work schedules, parenting three young children, and frequent travel during the spring and summer months, our poor backyard garden doesn’t stand a chance. Though it may start off strong, we aren’t able to continue to provide the attention and care it needs to thrive and flourish. However, the few times that we have had success with this garden, it has been because we were able to prioritize and build into our lives ongoing and intentional care and nurture, ensuring the healthy beginning continued day-by-day, week-by-week.

This image of a healthy and thriving garden can be directly applied to our spiritual lives and the need for continual growth into Christ’s likeness. As St. Paul reminds us, “just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him.” Our initial reception of the Lord Jesus is a profound and wonderful mystery. It is the joy of new life, freedom from sin and death, and the hope of resurrection life in Christ. Yet our Christian lives are meant to be so much more than a one-time encounter with the Lord!

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Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Acceptable Words

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Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer. —Psalm 19:14

It is acceptable to God when we use our mouths to bring joy, love, and good to others. It is not acceptable to God when we use our mouths to bring hurt and destruction. We are still acceptable to Him, but our behavior isn’t because it will not produce the good results in our lives that God desires for us.

Ephesians 4:29 teaches us not to use our words to cause the Holy Spirit any grief and gives clear instructions concerning what grieves Him: Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.

Properly chosen words can actually change lives for the better. What you say can tear down or build up, so choose words that are agreeable with God’s will.

Power Thought: My words are wholesome and acceptable to God.

From the book the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer.

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Girlfriends in God

Girlfriends in God – Unshakable Peace

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I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 16:8

Friend to Friend

Susan lived “the good life.” One filled with prosperity and love. For years, she and her husband owned a thriving business that allowed them and their children to be surrounded with beautiful material things. They had a glorious lake home, a lavish boat, and luxury cars. Everything the world counts as gain.

In spite of their earthly wealth, when faced with the truth of the Gospel, Susan and her husband realized that they were spiritually bankrupt and in desperate need of a Savior. Within months of each other, Susan and her husband both accepted Christ and began to thrive in newly found faith.

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Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – Fullness of Joy

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“Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11, KJV).

“If you have lost the joy of the Lord in your life,” someone once observed, “who moved, you or God? For in His presence is fullness of joy.”

That saint and prophet of earlier years, A. W. Tozer, suggested several ways for the believer to achieve real joy:

  1. Cultivate a genuine friendship with God. He is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.
  2. Take time to exercise yourself daily unto godliness. Vow never to be dishonest about sin in your life, never to defend yourself, never to own anything (or let anything own you), never to pass on anything hurtful about others, never to take any glory to yourself.
  3. No known sin must be allowed to remain in your life. “Keep short accounts with God” – never allow unconfessed sins to pile up in your life.
  4. Set out to build your own value system based on the Word of God. Meditate on the Word; practice the presence of God. Set priorities as you realize what is truly important. It will be reflected in the standard of values you set for yourself.
  5. Share your spiritual discoveries with others.

Bible Reading: John 15:7-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT:  Knowing that the best witness in the world is a joyful, radiant Christian, I will try to be that kind of believer, trusting the indwelling Holy Spirit to thus empower me and radiate His love and joy through me. I will share my spiritual discoveries with others.

 

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman -The True Basis for Social Concern

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Read: Leviticus 25

Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold. Lev 25:24-25

As you read this chapter you can see that these are God’s instructions on how to deal with poverty. This is an issue which seethes and throbs beneath the surface in every land on earth today. What is causing the sense of injustice and inequity among peoples all over the world? It is the fact that they face a system which, at least in their view, does not permit them to recover out of poverty. They have no way of breaking the stranglehold upon them and of improving their economic lot. God says, You must do something about that. You must help your brother.

The passage goes on to outline specific circumstances: First, in verses 25-34 God says you must give a person the right to redeem his own land. The next division, Verses 39-46, takes up the case of slavery. No Israelite was to be a slave. Finally, Verses 47-55, there must be the right to redeem slaves, to buy a person back and restore him to his dignity as a human being.

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Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – The Rest of the Story

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Read: James 4:11-17

But who are you to judge your neighbor? (v. 12)

About 15 years ago, I worked as a substitute teacher in an elementary school. Normally the teacher would leave a note about what to expect from the students, what lessons to cover, and anything I would need to know about the classroom. One December day, however, I was called in to a 1st grade class in an emergency, and there was no note. I did my best to improvise, and gave the students some worksheets to do.

At 10:30, an unkempt little girl walked in to class. She was wearing a pair of shorts, flip-flops with mismatched socks, and a coat that was easily three sizes too big. She sat down, put her head on the desk and promptly fell asleep. I couldn’t help wondering what sort of family this child had. Clearly no one cared enough to dress her appropriately, or get her to school on time! “She’s obviously neglected,” I thought, getting angrier by the minute.

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