Prayers Devotionals

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24 NLT). The most difficult response to accept is no response at all. When we pray for something repeatedly, it’s hard to understand why God doesn’t answer us in the affirmative. One possibility is there may be something going on behind the scenes. There may be a spiritual battle raging that we know nothing about. We find an interesting story in Daniel 10 where an angel appeared to Daniel and said he had been dispatched from Heaven with an answer to Daniel’s prayer, but he was delayed for 21 days by “the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia” (verse 13 NLT). As a result, God sent Michael the archangel to come to his rescue. Another reason God may not answer our prayer in the affirmative is that we have unconfessed sin in our lives. The psalmist wrote, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord wo...

Are we such cowards that we cannot bear to suffer with our Lord?  https://biblehub.com/2_corinthians/4-14.htm  

Psalms 25:12 What makes a person acceptable to God? The path to redemption begins not with the decision to live a better life or to stop doing something wrong, but with the realization that we cannot correct our sinful nature. To find favor with the Lord, we must grasp that it's impossible to make ourselves righteous; instead, we need to depend on the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. When we trust in Christ as our Savior, God the Father applies the benefit of Jesus' atoning sacrifice to our sin debt, thereby making us "saved," or acceptable in His eyes. Your good works and righteous acts are of absolutely no value in the mind of God. Compared to others' actions, your generosity and good works might seem like enough to bring favor with the Lord, but Jesus said, "Not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph. 2:9). When you stand before God, the only way you can be forgiven of your sins is through Jesus Christ and His sacrificial, substitutio...

“If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (Jeremiah 29:13 NLT). It’s a pretty big deal when Jesus calls someone out in a positive way and says, “Great is your faith.” After all, He was an expert on the subject of faith. In Matthew 15, we read of Jesus specifically commenting on the faith of someone who didn’t have the privilege of walking and talking with Him, hearing His great teaching, or seeing His powerful miracles. More to the point, she was a Canaanite, and she had a demon-possessed daughter. She was the mother who wouldn’t give up, because nothing would stop her from getting to Jesus. However, she didn’t come to Him with demands but instead begged for mercy (see Matthew 15:21 NLT). Jesus knew that she had amazing faith, and He wanted to draw her faith out. So, He put up a hurdle, if you will. He said, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel” (verse 24 NLT). But she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Again, she asked Him for help, and He told her, ...

You Don't Need To Live In The Shadows Many have been struggling in their bondages, past failures, bad habits. They have been working so hard trying to defeat the enemy and overcome their problems. Once we accept Jesus as our Lord and savior, Jesus will set us free. Sin's power over us will been broken. Satan will be defeated by Jesus, therefore he has no power and authority over us. All he can do is to deceive our thoughts into believing that we are nothing - a product of the past - prone to failure and bondages. God has power and authority over us, Jesus said we are free, and the only thing you to need do is believe, without doubt.

" The Son of man." — John 3:13 How constantly our Master used the title, the "Son of man!" If He had chosen, He might always have spoken of Himself as the Son of God, the Everlasting Father, the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Prince of Peace; but behold the lowliness of Jesus! He prefers to call Himself the Son of man. Let us learn a lesson of humility from our Saviour; let us never court great titles nor proud degrees. There is here, however, a far sweeter thought. Jesus loved manhood so much, that He delighted to honour it; and since it is a high honour, and indeed, the greatest dignity of manhood, that Jesus is the Son of man, He is wont to display this name, that He may as it were hang royal stars upon the breast of manhood, and show forth the love of God to Abraham's seed. Son of man-whenever He said that word, He shed a halo round the head of Adam's children. Yet there is perhaps a more precious thought still. Jesus Christ called Himself the Son of ma...

" Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?" — Luke 22:48 “The kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” Let me be on my guard when the world puts on a loving face, for it will, if possible, betray me as it did my Master, with a kiss. Whenever a man is about to stab religion, he usually professes very great reverence for it. Let me beware of the sleek-faced hypocrisy which is armour-bearer to heresy and infidelity. Knowing the deceivableness of unrighteousness, let me be wise as a serpent to detect and avoid the designs of the enemy. The young man, void of understanding, was led astray by the kiss of the strange woman: may my soul be so graciously instructed all this day, that "the much fair speech" of the world may have no effect upon me. Holy Spirit, let me not, a poor frail son of man, be betrayed with a kiss! But what if I should be guilty of the same accursed sin as Judas, that son of perdition? I have been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus; I am a member...

  Disastrous Disobedience “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7 NKJV). Moses was fed up. And he was in no mood to speak to some rock. In the past, God had directed Moses to go to a rock and strike it with his staff, and then water gushed out. But this time the God didn’t tell him to do that. He told Moses to just speak to the rock, and water would flow out to satisfy the thirst of the people and the livestock. Moses, however, wanted to hit something. Therefore, he didn’t speak to the rock. He didn’t even whack it once like he had before. No, he said to the people, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10 NKJV). Then he lifted his staff, struck the rock twice, and water came pouring out of it. There are a number of things that went wrong here, but clearly Moses hadn’t done what the Lord called him to do. As a result, God said to Moses and Aaron, “Be...

Judge By God's Standard And Love Jesus' statement "Do not judge" is against the kind of hypocritical, judgmental attitude that tears others down in order to build oneself up. We long for fair treatment from others, but do we do the same to others? Nobody wants others' judgements on appearance, false evidence, false statement. When we must judge others, let's give constructive feedback to build up others by God's standard and love. Prayer: Jesus Lord, help us to be patient and not to criticize people by making rash judgements. Let our judgement build up others and not tear others down. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The People of Ministry In His Presence: Ephesians 2:10   Some people believe Christianity is self-service only, but we can’t just take in the gospel and not share it with others. God wants to empty us of ourselves so He can fill us with something new. Then we can give of what He has given us. This is accomplished through ministry, or as the Bible calls it, good works. A good work is always done to benefit someone else so that God publicly gets the glory. Matthew 5:16 says: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Our good works give the world a glimpse of God. Hebrews 10:24 says that the church should “stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” What constitutes a good deed? Jesus said that anyone who gives a cup of cold water in His name will not be forgotten (Matthew 10:42). We do good works in the name of Jesus to give Him the credit and the proper due. Ministry is for the benefit of several g...

Since we know that Hashem is good, sometimes we assume that bad things happen despite Him. This verse reminds us that everything, even that which we perceive as evil, was created by God for a purpose. Though the reason is not always clear, we must look for the good that comes from every situation. The slavery in Egypt, for example, led to the formation of the Nation of Israel, the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, and ultimately the acquisition of the Land of Israel. With this verse in mind, we can rest ass ured that Israel’s many enemies and the threats facing the Jewish state today are also part of Hashem’s divine plan and will lead to the greatest good: The redemption of Israel and the world. https://biblehub.com/proverbs/16-4.h tm

 We Need Faith And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. —Mark 11:22 Dr. Wernher von Braun, the guiding scientist in the development of our great space rockets, has said, “The materialists of the 19th century and the Marxist heirs of the 20th tried to tell us that as science yields more knowledge about the creation, it makes us able to live without faith in a Creator. Yet so far, with every new answer we have discovered new questions. The better we understand the intricacies of the atomic structure, the nature of life and the master plan for the galaxies, the more reason we have found to marvel at the wonder of God’s creation. But our need for God is not based on awe alone. Man needs faith just as he needs food, water, and air. With all the science in the world, we need faith in God.” Prayer for the day Father, man's incredible inventions are so insignificant when I contemplate Your magnificent creation. Yet, in complete dependence, I realize my need of faith in You f...

 Christian, take good care of thy faith; for recollect faith is the only way whereby thou canst obtain blessings. If we want blessings from God, nothing can fetch them down but faith. Prayer cannot draw down answers, from God's throne except it be the earnest prayer of the man who believes. Faith is the angelic messenger between the soul and the Lord Jesus in glory. Let that angel be withdrawn, we can neither send up prayer, nor receive the answers. Faith is the telegraphic wire which links earth and heaven-on which God's messages of love fly so fast, that before we call He answers, and while we are yet speaking He hears us. But if that telegraphic wire of faith be snapped, how can we receive the promise? Am I in trouble?-I can obtain help for trouble by faith. Am I beaten about by the enemy?-my soul on her dear Refuge leans by faith. But take faith away-in vain I call to God. There is no road betwixt my soul and heaven. In the deepest wintertime faith is a road on which the ho...

Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. And grace is getting what we don’t deserve. https://biblehub.com/1_john/1-8.htm We think we sin when we do things like lose our temper or think a lustful thought. And yes, those are sins. But we also can sin when we say no to God’s prompting to open His Word and read it. We can sin when God leads us to pray or share the gospel with someone, and we refuse. We need God’s grace every day. Just as surely as we need God’s daily provision, we need His daily forgiveness as well. That’s where grace comes in.

The Holy Spirit: An Absolute Luke 24:36-49 Salvation occurs when we trust Jesus as our Savior--He forgives us, transforms us, and sees us as righteous. In that moment, we are redeemed, and though we continue to struggle with sin, it is a defeated foe. Then as time goes on, our service, gifts, and l ove for Him should naturally become greater. Unfortunately, a lot of Christians sit in church week after week, going through the motions yet lacking passion and failing to grow. How is such a thing possible? Tragically, many believers are unaware of the essential ministry of God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity and co-equal with God the Father and God the Son. The opening chapter of Scripture tells us that He existed before the formation of the earth and in fact participated in creation ( Gen. 1:2 , Gen. 1:26 ). Today, He has the critical role of helping and counseling all believers. The Holy Spirit is a gift to every child of God. His presence within us isn't so...

  "God hath made of one blood all people that dwell upon the face of the earth." No neutralities can exist in religion. We are either ranked under the banner of Prince Immanuel, to serve and fight His battles, or we are vassals of the black prince, Satan. "To whom belongest thou?"  We press the question, "To whom belongest thou?" Answer honestly before you give sleep to your eyes. If you are not Christ's you are in a hard service—Run away from your cruel master! Enter into the service of the Lord of Love, and you shall enjoy a life of blessedness. If you are Christ's let me advise you to do four things. You belong to Jesus—obey Him; let His word be your law; let His wish be your will. You belong to the Beloved, then love Him; let your heart embrace Him; let your whole soul be filled with Him. You belong to the Son of God, then trust him; rest nowhere but on Him. You belong to the King of kings, then be decided for Him. Thus, without your being bran...

. . . not having mine own righteousness . . . —Philippians 3:9 People go through many doors which do not lead to the Kingdom of God. Some try the door of good works. They say, “I can get to heaven if I only do enough good things, because God will honor all the good things I do.” It’s wonderful to do good things, but we cannot do enough good things to satisfy God. God demands perfection, and we’re not perfect. If we’re going to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we have to be absolutely perfect. You ask, “Well, how will I ever be perfect?” We need to be clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus. There is one door to the Kingdom and it’s Jesus. And we will never get to heaven unless we go His way. Prayer for the day Almighty God, there is nothing I can do to be worthy of Your love, and yet You have given me Jesus—my Savior and Lord!  BG

In His Presence: John 12:24-26   An axiom is a governing principle or rule of thumb. Examples of axioms include: birds fly; water is wet; fire is hot; what goes up must come down; and—the one relevant to our study of stewardship—a man reaps what he sows. That axiomatic statement is as real as any of the others, but it’s not believed to the same degree. We reap what we sow in all of life, not just where money is concerned. What we plant determines what we harvest.   A little boy was told by his father to go outside and do some planting in the garden. The boy was lazy and didn’t feel like doing all that work, so he dug one hole, dumped all the seeds in, and covered them up. He went back inside and told his dad the work was done, forgetting that what he planted would reveal itself—and his laziness—in time. He would one day reap what he sowed.   According to our axiom, if there is no sowing of seeds, there can be no expectation of harvest. There are many Christians who want a...

 Faith is the foot of the soul by which it can march along the road of the commandments. Love can make the feet move more swiftly; but faith is the foot which carries the soul. Faith is the oil enabling the wheels of holy devotion and of earnest piety to move well; and without faith the wheels are taken from the chariot, and we drag heavily. With faith I can do all things; without faith I shall neither have the inclination nor the power to do anything in the service of God. If you would find the men who serve God the best, you must look for the men of the most faith. Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God. Poor Little-faith could not have fought "Apollyon;" it needed "Christian" to do that. Poor Little-faith could not have slain "Giant Despair;" it required "Great-heart's" arm to knock that monster down. Little faith will go to heaven most certainly, but it often has to hide itself in a nut-shell, and it...

“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one” ( Ezekiel 22:30 NLT). C. H. Spurgeon, known as “the prince of preachers,” had this to say about sharing your faith : “The Holy Spirit will move [nonbelievers] by first moving you. If you can rest without their being saved, they will rest too. But if you are filled with an agony for them, if you cannot bear that they should be lost, you will soon find that they are unea sy too.” I think, if we were brutally honest, we would admit that one reason we don’t intercede for the salvation of others is because we just don’t care. And if we don’t care, we’re not going to share. For instance, Jonah didn’t want to go and preach the gospel to the Ninevites because, frankly, he did not want them to repent. They were cruel people, and Israel had suffered under their hands. Moses, in contrast, interce...

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” ( Romans 5:12 NKJV). Sickness was never part of God’s original plan. We weren’t supposed to get sick or age. In fact, we weren’t supposed to die. But it goes back to our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. If Adam and Eve hadn’t eaten the forbidden fruit, we wo uldn’t get sick or age. But because they did, we age and have illness, and ultimately, we die. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” ( Romans 5:12 NKJV). Even so, why does God allow sickness? Here’s a short answer. Sometimes God allows sickness in our lives to bring us to Him. The psalmist said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word.” ( Psalm 119:67 NKJV). I’ve heard many stories of people who felt they had no need for God, but then the...

WORD OF THE DAY: Simony: buying your way into church offices  Jesus says it all starts with bad teaching (prosperity preachers, be careful who you follow). Teaching like indulgences: paying off sins by donating to the church, as if God  accepted bribes. And simony: buying your way into church offices.    With  His eyes of fire, Jesus says: “I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds” (2:23) So who are you following now God and Jesus OR a prosperity preacher who waters down the TRUE WORD to there own desires?

How can a young man stay pure? By reading your Word and following its rules. —Psalms 119:9 (TLB) Many of the difficulties we experience as Christians can be traced to a lack of Bible study and reading. We should not be content to skim through a chapter merely to satisfy our conscience. Hide the Word of God in your heart! A little portion well digested is of greater value to the soul than a lengthy portion scanned hurriedly. Do not be discouraged because you cannot understand it all. Go on reading. As you read, the Holy Spirit will enlighten the passages for you. Reading the Bible has a purifying effect upon the heart and mind. Prayer for today: Let the enlightenment of the riches of Your Word sink deep within my soul, Lord. BG