Turning to Almighty God as the One in Whom We Trust

Romans 10:3
For being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

Most of the Jews at the time of Christ were more interested in an outward show of their piety than to submit to the new freedom and righteousness offered by Jesus. Jesus offered two commandments. Love God above all things and love thy neighbor as thyself. Yet the Jews clung to their traditions. The Pharisees followed 248 commandments and 365 prohibitions. There was no room in their lives for the message of the Gospel for it was crowded out by their obstinance in sticking to their own man made laws. Their lifestyles were dictated by their independence from God.

Move forward some 2000 years. Our nation was born under a call for fierce independence from a government that wanted to control how individuals related to their Creator. The early founders, while becoming fiercely independent of England, became fiercely dependent on Almighty God. But over time, Satan has done his evil work in our nation. Many individuals in America have become arrogantly and selfishly independent of God. They have built their lives around self-manipulated lifestyles that require no God and they have fashioned laws to fit their choices.

As a nation, let us firmly grasp the way, the truth and the life that is Jesus Christ. Let us pray for our leaders to make God’s Word and His commandments the foundation of our legal system. Let us once again look to Almighty God as the God in Whom we trust.

As citizens, let us keep His laws and observe them in our hearts. Let us delight in the path we follow when we follow the Lord’s commandments. Let our lives become living testimonies of His righteousness.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for placing Your laws on our hearts. We praise the name of Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life. We bless the name of the Holy Spirit who stands with us to incline our hearts toward the ways of Our Savior and not our own. We pray, Father, that as You touch our hearts with Your laws that You will also touch the hearts of the leaders of this nation. May we once again return to be a nation that has its trust in You. May we once again be a nation whose laws are the same as Your laws. We ask all these things in the name of the Mediator of the new covenant, Jesus Christ.

The Supernatural Birth of the Son of God

1 John 4:9
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

Christmas is the celebration of a spectacular supernatural event. Our Heavenly Father sent His Son to this earth so that we might have eternal life through Him. This event was one that could not be accomplished by the efforts of man. Only God could orchestrate such an act of love and supernatural endowment.

There are scoffers around each Christmas season who try to deny the great gift that has been provided for all mankind to receive. They try to logically dissuade others from having faith in the true story of Christmas. Yet to do so, they must try to make others believe that the God who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of the sun and who upholds the entire universe itself will prove unable to fulfill His own promises.

Is it possible that the One who hangs the world on nothing is unable to deliver on His promises to His children? Does He not hold the winds and the clouds and the oceans themselves in His hand? How can He fail His children? We have every reason to be absolutely firm in our faith.

Let us celebrate openly and with great fervor the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us freely share the love that He has manifest in us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son to live in this world so that we may be supernaturally endowed with His presence in our lives and we may become heirs to Your eternal kingdom. We bless the name of Your Son, Jesus, who became poor so that we may have all the treasures of heaven. We rejoice in knowing that the Holy Spirit is with us each day to provide us with the peace that only Jesus can offer. We pray that as we receive these wondrous gifts that we surrender to the reign of Our Savior in our lives. May our lives become our love gifts to You, Father. May the world know us by our fervor for Our Savior. We ask all these things in the name of Our New Born King, Jesus Christ.

At Christmas Time Children Teach Us All We Need to Know about Our Heavenly Father

Matthew 18:3
Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

What a wonderful time Christmas is to a small child in our culture. They go to bed on Christmas Eve eagerly anticipating the arrival of the gift giver. They burst from their beds on Christmas morning knowing that they will find gifts with their names on them under the Christmas tree. Many of the gifts will be there simply for their pleasure. Other gifts will be there for their comfort and provision. They receive them all with great joy. All the while, they never doubt that the gift giver will provide for them that which they could not provide for themselves.

This is the type of reliance that God wants to see from all of us. God wants us to rely on Him for everything without ever considering that we could provide for ourselves just as well. Of course, the gifts that He gives to us are far more valuable than anything we could find under a tree. Almighty God provides us with the gift of life. He sustains our lives with every single breath we take. Along the way, He sees that our pleasures, our provisions and our comforts are taken care of. Then He provides the greatest gift of all – eternal life in His heavenly kingdom. All He ever asks from us is to accept His Son as Our Savior.

Let us learn to respond to Our Heavenly Father like small children. Let us run to Him for everything. Let us seek the arms of our gracious Father whether we need comfort, provision or direction. Let us rejoice in knowing that He has the power to provide whatever it is that we need or desire. Most of all, let us completely trust in Him for the true treasures of His eternal kingdom.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessings and the benefits that we receive as Your children. We bless the name of Jesus who made it possible for us to inherit Your kingdom and all of its provision and protection for all eternity. We pray, Father, that we be renewed in our minds so that we may become as simple, as humble and as teachable as small children. May we discard forever all the self-seeking lifestyles, distrust and deceit that we learn from the world. May we walk in the excellence of Our Savior. We ask all these things in the name of Our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

The Birth of Christ Was Perfectly Timed

Galatians 4:4
But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was born when He was? Mankind certainly could have benefitted from His arrival at any point in time. So why was He born exactly when He was born?

Consider that Jesus was born at a time when the whole world spoke and understood one language. The Greek language, which had been mandated during time of Alexander the Great, remained the prevalent language spoken throughout all of Rome’s conquered territories. The early evangelists could travel to any point in the Roman Empire, deliver their message in Greek and know that their message would be understood.

Because the Romans had built a massive road system unlike anything the world had ever known, travel was relatively easy. The early evangelists were able to get to any major population group within the Roman Empire. To add to the ease of travel, unlike most other time periods before Christ’s arrival, the Roman Empire quieted the warring factions. Worldwide peace was established for over 200 years. During this time frame, Roman centuries were posted along the major roadways to insure that there was no impediment to safe travel within the conquered territories.

As a final element of God’s perfectly timed plan, we find that the Jews had been dispersed throughout the Roman Empire. Even though there was no longer a central temple for the Jews, there were active synagogues built throughout the Roman territory. These synagogues were attended regularly. They made for easy access points to disseminate the Good News of the Gospel throughout the land.

With all these factors coinciding perfectly, it is remarkable how ideal the circumstances were for the rapid spread of the story of Jesus and His salvation message for all of mankind. And it was all in perfect accordance with the many prophecies that were fulfilled to the letter. The arrival of Our Savior was not only perfectly timed, it was a confirmation of the infallible nature of the Word of God.

Let us consider in awe that Almighty God was just as purposeful in selecting our time on this earth as He was in selecting the time for His Son. Let us recognize that we were all created for this exact time and place in the history of mankind. Let us rejoice in knowing that Our Father in heaven has a specific plan for our lives on this earth and with Him for all eternity.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the miraculous birth of Your Son, Jesus. We thank You for giving each of us the gift of life. We rejoice in knowing that You created each of us with a sovereign, gracious purpose for our lives. We bless the name of Jesus who shed His blood so that we may be worthy to do the things that You have created us to do. We exalt the Holy Spirit for standing by us so that we may overcome our weaknesses. We pray for the strength to persevere in pursuing Your will for our lives and not our own. May the fruit of our efforts be our gifts back to you this Christmas season and all the days of our lives. We ask all these things in the name of Your dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

God is in Control of Everything in Our Lives

2 Corinthians 4:17
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

As Christians, we all love the promise of Romans 8:28. We all take great comfort from the idea that all things in our lives are going to work together for good. We are certain to be very disappointed, however, if we narrowly define “good” in a temporal sense and not in a spiritual sense. Our frustration will be even greater if we fail to measure the “good” in our lives from an eternal perspective.

There is simply no question that God orders or allows everything in our lives. To think that one iota of our lives can pass by without Almighty God being in control is heresy. God created us and wants to use us for His eternal purposes. He will control every component of the people, places and things in our lives in order to see that we are successful in fulfilling His eternal calling on our lives. He will measure the good that He provides for us only from an eternal perspective. If temporal goods help us meet our calling, they will be poured upon us. If temporal goods become a stumbling block for us, they will be replaced by trials and affliction. If our trials and affliction work for our eternal good, then God will consider them as a good things and He will allow them to be poured out upon us so that He may produce a glory in us that vastly outweighs the burden of our trials.

Just as the Father called His Son into service, so does He call us. The good that God works in our lives will be reflected in the things that He brings to us in order to take us from darkness to light, from bondage into liberty and from the company of sinful men into fellowship with Jesus Christ for all eternity.

Let us recognize that Almighty God is in control of every single element in our lives. Let us find the good that He has in store for us whether it comes from earthly provision or earthly burden. Let us rejoice in the meticulous plans that He has for our eternal good.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for setting aside roles for us in Your eternal plans. We rejoice in knowing that You will work out every single element of our lives in order that we may fulfill the purposes that You have created us to meet. We pray, Lord, for the grace to be able to live with our focus on our eternal good and the eternal good of those around us. May the Holy Spirit help us and strengthen us when we weaken because we cannot see the good that You are putting into place for us. We praise Your Name because we know that Your way and Your work are perfect. We ask all these things in the name of God incarnate, Jesus Christ.

The Joy Found Through Spiritual Discernment

1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Check out the news. The foolishness of carnal men and women rejecting the things of the Spirit of God are rampant in our society. Carnal men and women look upon the things in the Bible as absurd and contrary to reason. They find the truths in God’s Holy Word to be weak and distasteful. They are quick to ridicule anything having to do with Jesus and delight in bashing anyone who stands up for their Christian beliefs.

It is easy to see why Jesus said that it was so hard for the rich man to get into heaven. In his comfort, the rich man feels no need for a Savior. The rich man finds all of his satisfaction from the things of the world. Unfortunately for the rich man, he will soon enough find out that the cravings of his flesh will never be satisfied. His flesh will always demand more than he is ultimately able to attain.

Fortunately for all of us, the Creator placed a void in our hearts that can only be completely and perfectly filled by Jesus. Nothing of the flesh can bring the satisfaction that is derived from fulfilling the spiritual need that is within us. If we will recognize the folly in our carnal ways and surrender to Jesus Christ as our Savior, we will find satisfaction far beyond anything the earth promises or can deliver. Only when we are inspired by the Holy Spirit to submit to the governance of the King of Kings, and not to the kings of the earth, will we receive the fullness of life that Almighty God planned for us.

Let us seek spiritual discernment. Let us learn how to reject the empty promises of this world. Let us flourish in our joy as we learn to live in the fullness of the indwelling spirit of Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for creating a void in our hearts that only You can fill. We bless the name of Jesus who died for our sins so that we can be deemed worthy to become His disciples and live under His Lordship. We pray, Lord, for the strength and the wisdom to see the folly in the things of the earth. May we live in the fullness of Our Lord, Our Master and Our King. We ask all these things in the Precious Name of Jesus Christ.

Choosing to Submit to the Power of God in Our Lives

Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

In Paul’s final letter to the Ephesians, he was making emphatic closing statements. Paul sought to alert the Ephesians that they had a mighty foe that wished to come against them. He made it clear that the battles that they would face would not be battles against flesh and blood, but battles against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Paul then emphasized to the Ephesians that they had all that they needed to stand firm against the enemy. All they had to do was put on the whole armor of God.

In other words, Paul was making them aware of their choices. They could choose to fight against the evil and iniquity in their lives through their own strength or they could choose to take up the strength promised to them by their Savior Jesus Christ. Such is the choice that we have been given.

One of the basic principles of human existence is that God has given us free choice. Even though He has a specific plan for our lives, He allows us to make our own choices along the way. Knowing our frailty, God has given us the Holy Spirit to stand with us as we wrestle with all that the enemy brings against us. God even promised that He will perfect His power in our weakness. 2 Cor 12:9

So why is it that we still wrestle with personal decisions? These personal decisions that tend to overwhelm us can be made a lot easier to handle if we are willing to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in Truth and we are willing to forego the choice of navigating through the trial on our own.

Let us choose to be strong in the Lord. Let us be resolute in our desire to turn everything in our lives over to Him. Let us rejoice in the victory that is promised to us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing the weapons that we need to carry us through spiritual warfare and the trials of every day life. We humbly submit to Your power in our lives. We ask that the Holy Spirit stand with us against the wiles of Satan so that we may oppose his schemes and resist his temptations. We pray for the wisdom to understand that we cannot stand against our enemies alone. May we become victors through Christ Our Savior. We ask all these things in the name of the ever victorious King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

Becoming a Repository of God’s Truth

2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

The Bible is the infallible Word of God. The Bible is a repository of God’s truth. The truth is held there for us to absorb and apply to our lives. But we have to persistently study the Word of God to find the truth. Or as the scripture indicates, we must rightly handle the word of truth. To rightly handle the word of truth requires study and hard work. It is good work but it does require industry, diligence and application.

It is work that cannot be done without the grace of God. The grace of God is extended to us as we strive to arm ourselves with the truth. His grace provides the Holy Spirit to insure our understanding of His Word and to show us how to apply it to our lives. Keenly aware of our need for His truth in our lives, Our Heavenly Father encourages us with the promise of comfort through our struggles when we seek His truth. He then delivers on His promises by comforting us as He shines divine enlightenment on our lives even when we are going through the darkest of times.

Through yet another extension of His grace, He will use us to comfort others as we have been comforted. We will find this play out in every area of our lives. When we struggle with anything, we might as well look around because there will be someone near us who is struggling with the same thing. As the Holy Spirit directs changes in our lives through the application of God’s Word, we should prepare ourselves to comfort others with what we have learned and experienced. As we receive revelation, we should be alert to passing the truth on to others in need. It is all a part of rightly handling the truth.

Let us build ourselves up through the diligent study and application of God’s Holy Word in our lives. Let us look to comfort others with the divine comfort and inspiration that we have received through our right handling of His truth.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that Your Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, constantly drawing us to the way, the truth and the life that is in Your Son, Jesus. We thank You that Your Word enlightens us and comforts us in our struggles. We pray, Father, that the Word that we have received from You will be at work within us. May that good work in us pour forth, as we become founts of the Living Truth for the thirsty that surround us. We ask all these things in the name of the True Light and the Truth, Jesus Christ.

The Long Journeys of Intercessory Prayer for Salvation

Mark 2:5
And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

As we examine God’s Word, we find that Jesus never healed anyone physically without mentioning that their sins had been forgiven. It is the will of God the Father that none shall perish. It is consistent with our position as disciples of Jesus Christ that we focus our prayers on the needs of the unsaved people who surround us. We surely may pray for their natural needs, but our responsibility as true intercessors calls us to pray first for their supernatural needs. The proper prayers of an intercessor will always focus first on salvation and then on provision, just as Jesus focused on deliverance and then healing.

As we take on our intercessory roles for salvation, we need to know that often we will be on a long journey. Jesus, who controls the timing of all things, understands that the journey can seem unbearably long to us at times. He is well aware that in our weakness we tend to give up when we see those around us losing the battle to time. Thus, in Luke 18:1, Jesus taught us “to always pray and not lose heart”. In doing so, He sought to give us confidence in knowing that all things are set and delivered according to His perfect eternal timing. And He certainly sought to emphasize that He never drops any man from His salvation plan nor should we.

Let us seek deliverance first, then healing. Let us come into agreement with the Father’s will that no man shall perish. Let us not lose heart when we find ourselves on the long journeys of intercessory prayer for salvation.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You giving us Your Son to instruct us how to pray in accordance with Your will for all men. We ask for the supernatural inspiration to pray for all the people who surround us. We pray for the fortitude to maintain our battle for their salvation even when it seems that the war is being lost. We beseech You, Father, that You would show us how to bring our prayers into alignment with the plans that You have for those that we pray for. We celebrate our roles as intercessors. May You bless us, Lord, by allowing us to see the fruit of our labors. We ask all these things in the name of the Deliver and Healer of all men, Jesus Christ.

The Limitless Productivity Provided Through Our Relationship with Jesus

John 17:22
The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.

Jesus prayed that all of His disciples might be as one, united in the fullness of the Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Ghost. In this fullness, Jesus wanted all of His disciples to have the glory that He shared with the Father. He wanted His disciples to have the holy character that He had. He wanted His disciples to lead fruit-filled lives supernaturally inspired by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew and taught that this was all possible through Him.

A life like the one that Jesus prayed for His disciples is possible for each of us. As written in Psalm 139, each one of us is wonderfully made by God. Just as God created every aspect of the universe, He created each of us to fulfill a unique and wonderful element of His plan for all eternity. Through His Son, he released capabilities to us that are beyond our imagination.

Our flesh will always limit us as we try to reach the awesome and productive place that is ours through our relationship with Jesus Christ. We will only reach the fullness of our lives when we surrender completely to Our Savior so that He can give us the glory that was given to Him. We are freed to become all that the Creator of the Universe planned for us to be when we let go of our carnal lives and grasp on to our supernatural lives through Jesus Christ.

Let us become one with the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Let us fulfill the unique purposes that Our Father in heaven set aside for us before we were even formed in our mothers’ wombs. Let us rejoice in knowing that we will stand in the glory that Jesus has set aside for each of us.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that we were formed in our mothers’ wombs with the exact set of capabilities that You set aside for us to be able to serve You for all eternity. We praise You that we were fearfully and wonderfully made in accordance with Your perfect plans. We pray, Lord, that Your Holy Spirit will reveal to us the frailties of our flesh that grieve You, so that we may turn away from them all. May we grasp the fullness of the way everlasting that You have provided us through Your Son. May we be one with You and one with Holy Spirit just as the Son is one with You. We ask all these things in the name of the Son of the Most High God, Jesus Christ.