Pray without Ceasing

By repenting of our sinful lifestyle and believing in Christ as our Savior, we are made children of God (John 3:16-18). We are set free from the law of sin and death by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).

Exchanging our old nature for a new nature in Christ creates true righteousness and holiness in us (Ephesians 4:24). God helps by disciplining us for our sin, in order for us to share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:10).  

Submitting to His discipline allows us to exhibit His fruit to the world around us. We know that when Christ does appear, we will be exactly like Him, because we shall see Him in all of His glory (1 John 3:2).

Growing in our union with Christ starts each new day in a time of aloneness with God. Night owls do this before they go to bed, and morning doves pray when they wake up.

God also created the earth in such a manner that half the world is awake while the other half is sleeping. This way, we keep God company twenty-four hours a day!

We enter a realm of oneness with His Spirit and pray according to His will. We thank Him for His daily provision of our needs and appreciate Him for who He is.

Then we share our apprehensions and questions with Him. We feel His presence in our spirit; and sit quietly, listening for His still, small voice in answer to our prayers (Philippians 4:6; 1 Kings 19:11-13).

Once we make our requests known to God, we release all anxiety. Discarding all doubt and fear, we feel the peace of God, which transcends human reasoning and protects our soul and spirit in Christ (Philippians 4:6-7).

Prayer:

Father God, Jesus is part of Your Trinity, yet He spent hours communing with You while He lived on this earth (Luke 6:12). Prayer is essential, but the way that we insist on praying could prevent us from walking in Your Spirit. You taught the disciples how to pray and never told them stay in their prayer closet.

You love our focused attention during our times alone with You in our prayer closet; yet You also encourage us to pray throughout our day and walk as Your Spirit directs each moment. You may lead us to sit in our prayer closet to remove us from all distraction; but remind us that we do not stop praying when we leave our secret place.

Thought for the Day:

The Lord draws near to everyone who comes to Him with sincerity and integrity as the motive of their heart. 

- Psalm 145:18

Joy Comes in the Morning

At any given moment of the day, when we least expect it, circumstances arise that cause fear and despair to darken our attitude. Heaviness shrouds our spirit and joy flees in retreat. Other people are making decisions, which adversely affect our life.

They ignore our wishes and do not consult our opinion first. They drag us through the negative consequences of their decisions. Eventually anger may arise to shield us from imminent suffering, and we explode and strike out at those causing the issues.

It seems to them that we are reacting with severe sharpness at some small offense, and this leaves them wounded and resentful.

We are only attempting to restore order to our life; but our soul pours forth a storm of accusations, which drench the recipient to the point of drowning. Then we feel guilty for over-reacting.

Our anxiety and depression deepen and we withdraw into a stoic abyss, shutting our self off from life. Our heart is full of anguish and fear, and we feel horrible and overwhelmed.

We wish we could fly away with the wings of a dove and be at rest. We would gladly stay in a desert, if it was far enough away from the torment we currently feel. We cry out for shelter from the tempest of disappointments (Psalm 55:4-6).

The good news is that our Lord is our Shepherd. He provides all of our needs and shelters us from every storm. He walks with us, even through the valleys of the shadow of death.

We can trust God to restore our soul and help us to bring order back to our life. He will heal our wounded soul with His love, joy and peace (Psalm 23, 30:5).

Prayer:
Father God, You lead us to fountains of living water and You dry all of our tears (Revelation 7:17). Now, teach us to get along with difficult people who make a mess of our life, and then condemn us, because we get upset with them.

They act like we are the ones at fault, and they blame us for all of their problems. We cannot dwell in unity with this type of person, unless You come to our rescue. We ardently trust You to work out even these alarming situations for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

Thought for the Day:
As we dwell in the secret place of the Most High, He will lead us, guide us and make all things work out for our good. - Psalm 91

Amazingly Made

 

God knows everything about each of us. We were not hidden from His sight, even when we were formed in the dark, secret place of our mother's womb. 

He knitted our bones and organs together in the depths of the earth. Before we were ever born, He designed all of our days and kept a record of each one of them in His Book.

The Lord God interlaced all of the intricate parts of our spirit, soul and body in our mother's womb. From the hairs on our head to our complex inner organs, He created us all as unique individuals.

We are awesomely and amazingly made. Our individual cells, our DNA, our internal organs and even the correct mix of chemicals, which keep us alive, work together so perfectly.

He knows us intimately. Even as we stand up, sit down, leave and go to sleep, He distinguishes every detail of our life. He recognizes all of our habits. 

He perceives our current, as well as our future thoughts and words. He puts boundaries around us and guides us with His hand. There is no place to go to escape from His Spirit.

We cannot run from God. He is in the heavens, the depths of the distant seas, and in the early morning clouds. His hand is right there directing our steps. 

His light shines like the day even in the darkest times of trial. He loves us with an eternal love, which never ends (Lamentations 3:22). He is merciful even to the wicked, who misjudge Him and use His name in vain (Psalm 139:1-24).

Prayer:

Father God, we thank You for the vastness of Your wisdom that is more numerous than the sands of the sea. You are with us during each new day and Your mercy is new every single morning (Lamentations 3:23). 

Investigate our motives and discern the intentions of our soul. Analyze us and point out the areas where Satan can tempt us. See if there are any sinful tendencies in us and direct us in Your eternal ways.

Thought of the Day:

For authentic Born Again Believers, God brings to light the mysteries, which He hid from the time He created all things. 
- Ephesians 3:9

Living Moment by Moment

 

In our quest for more intimacy with God, we spend time each day by sitting quietly in our prayer closet and listening to the voice of our Beloved Lord. If we fail to spend time alone (all-one) with God in physical quietude as well as silence, we will never hear Him in the midst of the chaos and noisy activity of our day. In our quiet time, we can also write in our journal all the words of wisdom, which God gives us about our day, life, relationships and duties. We also write down praises and prayer requests.

We also seek God during our quiet time for His to-do list for our day, which helps in prioritizing our activities (Proverbs 3:5-6, 16:3). This is why a daily quiet time of praise, devotion, and meditation in God’s Word is so important. We encounter God on a personal level. As we emerge from our quiet time, we do not leave Him behind. We stay in His presence. All through the day, we radiate joy, and walk in His calm peace, even in the midst of difficulties. In this union with our Father, we realize the extent of His love for us as His unique child.

As we leave our secret place, we pay attention to what we see and hear in each moment of time. So often, people function in the present moment on automatic pilot! Usually, our thoughts are either on the past or on the future. Neither of those topics is very useful for the present moment. The trauma of the past and the fear of the future have no place in the present moment (Psalm 22:8). Once we repent, we are saved. The past is over and forgiven, therefore, dwelling on it only hinders the present. We are not promised a future; so dwelling on the future is also futile. God’s gift to us is the present moment. 

As we remain in His presence all day long, God removes our shame for past failures and assures us that we have no worries about the future. We are safe and secure in His arms in this present moment, even if the circumstances around us are full of turmoil and conflict. God makes all things work together for our good, even if we experience something unpleasant (Romans 8:28). As we dwell in the moment, we become increasingly conscious of our union with God through Jesus Christ by His Holy Spirit (Colossians 3:3).

By living in the moment, we practice paying attention to the here and now. The key is to concentrate on what is happening to you now in this very present second. It is through this attentiveness to what is actually going on around us, that we become completely aware and fully alive. We also become more effective in ministry, because we are in tune with God’s Spirit moment by moment. His awesome presence permeates our being as we learn to consciously live each moment by faith in His love (Matthew 6:25-34).

God did not put us on earth to amass worldly goods, but to be His vessel from which He can change our world. We serve as a lifeline to all those around us. Proficiency in using God’s Word is not a prerequisite for helping others in their walk with the Lord. We just need to be willing for God to use us. When the Holy Spirit leads us moment by moment throughout our day, we truly make a difference.

We will exercise when the Spirit leads us, in the manner in which we need, in order to be physically fit. We also eat what He guides us to eat, resulting in physical fulfillment. We will become fulfilled spiritually by what He directs us to read during our devotion, and by the church to which He leads us to make a covenant. He helps us to minister to people and to be ministered to by people according to His timely schedule, and here we find our physical, emotional and spiritual fulfillment.

What we do with each moment of our day is our choice and our gift back to God. As we give our prayerful attention to the moment as God gives it to us to enjoy, we are aware of God’s presence in our lives. This allows us to follow the leading of His Holy Spirit moment by moment throughout the day. If you think about it, in actuality the present moment is all we really have. God leads us to make the most of each minute for His glory.

Prayer:
Father God, the problem we often have with living in the present moment is that we are hurt by the past and fearful of the future (1 Peter 4:19). As we cast our concerns on You (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7), You deal with the painful parts of our past. You often even lead us to a counselor who functions in the ministry of inner healing. You also help us to begin the process of relinquishing our fears and entering into Your rest (Hebrews 4:10). As we focus on Your Word and meditate on those You bring to our mind during the day, we find our peace restored (Philippians 4:5-7).

Thought for the Day:

Without faith, it is impossible to please God; therefore, as we come to God, let us believe that He is the Almighty, and that He wants to reward everyone who diligently seeks Him. - Hebrews 11:6