Answered Prayer

 

In these last days of the Church Age, people are ever-learning, but never walking in the Truth of God's Word. They go to multiple conferences and Bible studies and take veracious notes, but never apply the Truth to their life.

They fill their mind, but their heart is hardened. They do not keep their focus on Jesus, but on the letter of the law; becoming legalistic and judgmental (Hebrews 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:6).

They lack a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and they do not walk in the Spirit. Knowledge is their God and focus, which puffs us up with pride (1 Corinthians 8:1). They fall apart in trials, because their faith is based on information rather than relationship.

Jesus gave us His Word, but He also gave us Himself and abides within our Born Again spirit. He gives us His peace and an eternity to worship Him in His comfort and joy as we live a life of praise to His Holy Name (John 14:27).

We are often too busy with our worldly pursuits to spend time listening to God. We are anxious and stressed because we do not have His peace to guard our heart and mind (Philippians 4:7).

When we trust in God, our mind is focused only on Him and is immovable and resting in God's peace (Isaiah 26:3). His Spirit takes up residence in our spirit and we are filled with all of His fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Only a life which is totally surrendered to God's control and walking by His Spirit's direction can experience this peace in the turmoil all around us in this world.

God hears our prayers and provides us with everything we need to live Godly in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12). He supplies all of our needs according to His glorious riches, turns every trial into a blessing, and keeps us in the center of His will - the happiest place on earth (Romans 8:28).

Prayer:

Father God, we choose to follow hard after You, rather than pursuing the things of this life (Psalm 63:8). We come to You in repentance and enter into Your rest; in quietness and confidence in Your faithfulness we find our strength (Isaiah 30:15). We bask in Your presence as in the noonday sun, and we rest in Your warmth that envelops us with Your healing touch.

Remind us to spend quality and quantity time in prayer with quiet reflection, repentance and dedication of our time, resources and talents to Your service. We rest in Your loving, everlasting arms and hide under the shadow of Your wings. We vow to boldly walk in Your ways and to serve at Your pleasure. We thank You for Your provision, which You give to us, even before we get a chance to ask for it.

Thought for the Day:

Prayer is not our last offense, it is our first defense.

A Quiet Place of Holiness

 

Fear and worry tend to infiltrate the soul of every human being at one time or another. We all share the penchant for trying to control our circumstances to keep us safe. We fear the future and cling to the past. What if all the orange trees in Florida feared losing their fruit, so they clung to the oranges? We would miss a whole year of orange juice, and the fruit would just sour and rot in a few weeks. There is no reason to allow fear or worry to dictate our mood; we will only sour and decay our soul if we do.

Instead, we can still and quiet our soul by keeping a journal of the things that bother us (Psalm 131:2). This allows our soul to let off steam and rid itself of any dangerous, pent up negative emotions. The Lord tells the righteous that it will be well with us, for we shall enjoy the fruit of our labor (Isaiah 3:10). As we yield our self to faith, worship and obedience, He works His mighty works in and instead of us. We are the glove, but He is the hand.

An attraction to the world causes us to slip into debauchery of our body and soul and leads to physical sickness and mental illness. On top of this it is sin, which causes spiritual sickness too. Dabbling in the world does us no good in any way. Sin is only enjoyable for a short time. It causes us to miss the joys of serving in God’s Kingdom. It forces us to reap the consequences of our behavior for the rest of our life, as well as in eternity (Hebrews 11:25).

Even the good things in life can become the enemy of the will of God for our life. Many of us are so preoccupied with living life that we forget that we are dead, and that Christ now lives His life instead of us. We are too busy to slow down and abide in Christ, and we frustrate the plan of God for our life (Ephesians 2:8-10). God’s work is delayed by our obstruction of His will. However, in His will, we accomplish much more than we do by living life according to our will and in our own strength.

God calls us to be still and to acknowledge that He is God (Psalm 46:10). We sit in blessed silence and still our racing soul. As we wait upon the Lord, we stand against anything deterring us from seeking God. He brings peace to our soul and fills us with His joy as our strength (Isaiah 40:31; Nehemiah 8:10). We abide in Christ and enter into His rest while we wait on His direction (Hebrews 4:10; Proverbs 3:5-6); then, we walk in obedience to His will moment by moment throughout the day (Deuteronomy 28:2).

Prayer:

Father God, You can work through us only when we cease from our human labors and enter into Your rest (Hebrews 4:10). You give us both the desire and the power to accomplish Your will in our life (Philippians 2:12-13). We relish Your divine presence within us and we desire nothing more than to walk in Your power through each moment of our day at work, at home, in the community and in church services. We want nothing more than to abide in Your presence and to be led by Your Spirit and to watch Jesus work through us during each moment of the day.

Thought for the Day:
May our soul yield its thoughts, choices and emotions to the direction of God's divine Spirit one moment at a time.

 

Walking in the Spirit

Read: Romans 8:3-4

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” - Romans 8:14

Living a holy life by keeping the law is impossible. Biblical characters in the Old Testament tried it and failed. Human flesh is just too weak to keep the law. Therefore, God sent His own Son to earth to live as a man and to die as an offering for our sins. Jesus fulfilled the law by living a perfect life and then dying in our place. Once we exchange our sinfulness for Christ’s righteousness, we no longer live by the Law according to the flesh, but according to grace by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:3-4). We are holy, because He is holy within us.

Walking in the Spirit requires reliance on God moment by moment throughout the day. Everything from justification through sanctification and on into our future glorification is all a work of God's Spirit on our behalf. We cannot sanctify our self any more than we can save our self (Galatians 3:1-3). It is a work of God from beginning to end. As we open our hearts to be used by God as He wills, He puts us in the right place at the right time to carry out His perfect plan and to affect the lives of everyone around us.

As we surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ in our life, He works all things out for our good (Romans 8:28). He provides exactly what we need when we need it the most. He gives us unmistakable evidence throughout our lives that we are walking in the Spirit and that He is hearing our prayers. He leads us as we provide for our family, lead someone else to faith, sing a special in a church service, teach or assist in a class, help in the church kitchen, direct a ministry or Pastor a church. As we live a surrendered life, He accomplishes His work through us for His glory.

Doing the Will of God brings with it not only spiritual blessings, but physical and emotional blessings as well. The fruit of living righteously is peace in every area of our life; the effect of living righteously is quietness and confidence forever. God’s people live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes and in undisturbed places of rest (Isaiah 32:17-18). His hope fills us with joy and peace as we trust Him, and our life overflows with hope (Romans 15:13).

God desires that our good lives silence those who foolishly condemn the Gospel without knowing what it can do for them. They never experienced its power, but we have. Therefore, as we live as those who are free to do only God's will at all times, our light shines and makes them realize their need to glorify Our Father in heaven (1 Peter 2:15-16). As we delight in the LORD, live according to His precepts and meditate day and night on His Word, we live like a tree that is planted by streams of water. We always have all the nourishment we need to yield spiritual fruit when we need it. Our life flourishes and everything we do prospers (Psalm 1:2-3).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, keep us from hypocracy, which turns people away from a life of love and peace with You. Help us to walk Holy, even as You are holy (1 Peter 1:16), because You live in us and Your holiness can flow out from us (Colossians 1:27). Give us the strength to walk away from opportunities to sin (1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22).). Let our light so shine that men will see our good works and glorify You (Matthew 5:16).

Thought for the Day:

Reading the Bible turns you wholly and solely to the Holy Spirit of God, and brings you into full union with and dependence upon Him.






Thank you, Thomas Castler, for the use of your photo.

We Make The Difference

Read: Luke 10:38-42

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” - 1 Corinthians 10:31-32

The facts of creation prove to me that God intended for us to live in paradise. He wants an intimate relationship with each one of us. Instead of receiving His gift, mankind chose to exalt himself as equal to God and we ended up in this pain-filled world. There is good news, however. God’s Spirit within us makes this life not only bearable, but also victorious (Isaiah 41:10).

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit are gifts from the Lord that we can enjoy every day of our lives (1 Corinthians 13:14). We only need to accept God’s complete forgiveness and to surrender our will to His in order to make a lasting difference in our life and in the world around us.

In Luke 10:18-42, Mary realized this truth and she relinquished her need to control her environment and chose instead to sit at Jesus feet. Martha, on the other hand, assumed the leadership role in order to impress Jesus with her self-efforts. She ended up with bitterness and anger eating at her soul. Attempting to maintain control often causes mental breakdowns and emotional wounds.

Intimacy with God is available to every Believer. He longs for our fellowship (1 Corinthians 1:9). We only need to take the time to meet with Him in absolute quietness (Psalm 46:10), waiting and listening, getting to know Him intimately and experiencing first hand the width and length and height and depth of His love  (Ephesians 3:18). Tranquility of body, soul and spirit is the key to attaining this union with God.

Your flesh, the world and the devil will raise roadblocks to keep you from spending this quality time. As we simplify our lives, however, and walk in the Spirit, we end up doing only those activities, which the Holy Spirit leads us to do each moment of the day. This does not mean that we cannot plan ahead, but we follow the Spirit’s leading as we plan.

If we cannot hear from God, negative emotions in our soul, such as anxiety, stress, unforgiveness and anger, are probably the impediment. Negative emotions are our soul’s way of communicating to us that something is out of synchronization within us. If you pay attention to what your body, soul (mind, will and emotions) and spirit are telling you, then you can deal with the root cause. Then the negative emotions will disappear as well.

Another facet, which blocks communication are the lies, which Satan often whispers to us, and which we actually believe. These negative statements cripple us emotionally and limit us from realizing our potential in Christ. Ask God to reveal your negative beliefs and to replace them with His truth. Freed from these unconstructive restraints, we live productive, God blessed days.

Perseverance is the key to finding regular time to spend with God each day and then to guard it, making it a priority in your life.  You can choose morning, afternoon or evening to spend this quality time with Him. It depends upon the other demands in your life. If you force yourself to get up too early in the morning, you may end up resenting this time instead of looking forward to it. You can even spend time with God during your lunch break or while the children nap in the afternoon. This may be the best opportunity for you to focus on God. I love to spend the night watches (Psalm 119:148) with God. The world is quiet all around me and there are no distractions or needs that interrupt my time with the Lord.

It is impossible for God to love you more than He does right now (John 3: 16). He loves you infinitely and He exults over you with joy (Zephaniah 3:17). Your unrighteous behavior will grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30), but that does not alter His unconditional love for you. We cannot earn His love and we cannot earn intimacy with Him either. Both are free gifts from our loving Father (Romans 5:16).

Know without a shadow of a doubt that God wants to spend time with you. In fact, He is prepared to spend eternity with you. The relationship you build with Him here on earth will remain in place forever. You may think that you do not have time in your day to develop this intimacy with God. Nevertheless, it is actually all a matter of priorities. We make the difference through our choices. Trim the unnecessary activities in your schedule to free up your resources and to give you time to spend with Jesus, the lover of your soul (John 14:21).

Prayer:

Lord, teach me to adjust my priorities and to eliminate busyness and negative emotions from my life. They needlessly contaminate my thoughts and clutter up my time. Help me to make a difference for You in Your Kingdom on the earth by following the leading of Your Spirit moment by moment throughout the day.

Thought for the Day:

Though many things may seem important, only God’s will is necessary.

Slow To Wrath

Read: Eph 4:31-32

“A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted.” – Proverbs 12:16

I am a hot-blooded Italian, and I grew up with anger all around me. Anger is a natural, God-given reaction to the pain of being hurt. When we perceive the danger of being hurt, the fight or flight mechanism of anger helps to ensure our protection. The Bible says to be angry, but not to sin (Psalm 4:4). This tells me that the feeling of anger is totally justified most of the time, so anger should never be repressed or the feelings behind it denied, belittled, diminished or invalidated. However, when we react in anger, we only complicate the situation. 

Anger is trying to portray a very real message to us. Anger motivates us to make a needed change in our life. We can either use anger constructively or destructively. I've learned that simple relaxation tools, such as deep breathing, can help calm down my angry feelings. Then I ask myself what's really bothering me. I often journal my feelings until I get rid of the extreme emotions. Then I can calmly discuss how I feel. I am slowly learning to express the sentiments behind the anger, rather than the anger itself.

Before you assume that you know what is going on, learn the facts. Before you judge another person’s motives, understand their reasoning. Before you hurt someone with an angry response, imagine how they will feel. Before you speak…think.

In dealing with an issue, start by listening to the other person's side of the issue, ask them to consider your side of the issue, and then come to a compromise that you both can live with, rather than insisting on your own way or constantly giving in to the other person (James 1:19-21).

If we do not control our temper, people will label us as a fool (Ecclesiastes 7: 9). Expressing your angry feelings in an assertive—not aggressive—manner is the healthiest way to express anger. To do this, you have to learn how to clearly communicate what your needs are, and ask for help to get them met without hurting others. Being assertive does not mean being pushy or demanding; it means being respectful to yourself and others (Prov 19:11).

It's the little irritations that add up during the course of the day that lower our tolerance for frustration. When we do not deal with those frustrations as they arise, they fuel one another. Dealing with the issues as they arise, rather than the person causing the issue, will resolve the anger without hurting the other person's feelings. You can have quietness and confidence as your strength, rather than using anger to fight your battles for you.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, people with understanding control their anger. Those who give in to a hot temper show great foolishness. Give us a peaceful heart, which will lead to a healthy body (Proverbs 14: 29-30a).

Thought for the Day:

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. - Proverbs 15:1

Be Still and Know

Read: Psalm 55:16-17, 22

“Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Ps 131:2 (NKJV)

The soul is the most overlooked of all human entities. Our mind, will and emotions play an enormous part in our life, but we often negate the soul to the realm of the “flesh” and crucify it. I am not talking about carnal thoughts and feelings, but about the God given emotions and mental needs, which we get too busy during our day to satisfy. We end up stuffing our body, soul and spirit with junk food rather than with truly fulfilling nutrition.

Confusion and haste fill our day and rule our behavior. We rush through life without giving a thought to the flower peeking up through the sidewalk, to familiar shapes in the clouds, to the butterfly flitting across the landscape or to the look of worry or depression on our co-worker’s face. We constantly bombard our nervous system with chaotic trivia and ignore the important things in our life. We chat or text on the cell phone more than we talk to God.

To change this mad rush through life, we simply need to make a slight adjustment in our mindset. Rather than focusing on completing our list of things to do, we can listen to and follow the Spirit of God as He leads us through every moment of the day.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help me to be still and to acknowledge that You are God.

Thought for the Day:

“The work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” – Isaiah 32:17