This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rise, and rejoice in the God Who saves. Let us give Him thanks for another day to serve Him. I fall on my knees and worship the God Who is my Maker and Savior. I raise my hands to His holy heaven. He is a God of answered prayer. He is Grace. Unmerited favor. He is Joy, and Peace, and Strength from above. How can we not praise the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth? The One Who knitted us together in our mother's womb? If your eyes can see, then He is your God. If your ears hear, or your hands touch, then He is your God. The strong hands of Jesus were nailed to a cross, just for you. As the Blood poured down, He was thinking of ME! Oh, how I love those hands. So gentle, yet so full of power. They are the healing hands of God Almighty! The same hands that shaped the stars and brought forth light to the earth are holding you fast and keeping you safe every second of your life. Through valleys, and on the mountaintops. And oh how the tears of joy fall down His face when He sees us obey Him! Yes, God is a good God. Sovereign. All Powerful. Never giving us more than we can handle. The word says Jesus is the Giver of peace. Mighty Warrior, Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace. Do you need peace this day? Call upon Him, and be made anew.
Father God, I love You and I praise You for the many blessings You give to us. O Lord, You are ever present in our life. You know when we lay down and when we rise up. Our thoughts cannot escape You, O Lord of Hosts. Our needs are plain before Your sight. You satisfy us like no other, Lord. You are the Source of strength and power and might. Oh let us feel Your presence all around us today, Lord God. Open our eyes that are so often closed to Your beauty. Take away any obstacle that keeps us from You, Lord God. Make us whole again. For You are our very life's breath, and we cannot live without Your saving grace. How I love You, my God. Shower us Your children with blessing today, and may we live for You alone all our days. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayers. Through Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
NEVER DOUBT THE POWER OF PRAYER. What does that mean to you today? To me, it means this. Let me briefly explain. NEVER: Don't think God doesn't hear you. He always hears. DOUBT: Don't be like Thomas, who wouldn't believe till he had seen physical evidence. We walk by faith, not by sight. THE POWER: God's Holy Spirit is our Enabler, our Comforter. He gives us the words to say, and "fills in the blanks" when we are at a loss for words. OF PRAYER: This is the way we talk to God. It is through prayer that our souls are saved, our needs are met, and our faith is strengthened. We can be assured that He answers our prayers, even in ways we don't expect. Sometimes He just flat out tells us NO. That's something we don't like to hear, but Father knows best. Prayer changes things. It transforms lives. It puts miracles in motion. It heals. It uplifts. It causes us to love others, instead of ourselves. It gives new strength. Think about it. When you first came to Christ, what did you do? You PRAYED. When storms roll over your life, what is your first impulse? To PRAY. The Word tells us over and over that prayer is something we must do, and often. Unceasingly, even. Not vain repititions, but speaking to God from the heart. If you don't pray, then you don't talk to God. If you don't talk to God, how can you expect your life to be fulfilling? How do you expect to be in the center of God's will if prayer is seldom said, or absent? We HAVE to pray! Only the non-believers have nothing to say to the Lord. But look how they are. Miserable. Worthless. Always complaining, or in want. They are dying inside, and already dead to sin. There is a saying I just love: "KNOW JESUS, KNOW PEACE. NO JESUS, NO PEACE." Amen? Let me tell you today, friend. Prayer is the ONLY way we can live a fruitful life. A life that's pleasing to our God. If we stay in constant communion with Him, then it's going to show. Our very countenance will shine with His life and love. How many times have I walked down the street, and given a downtrodden person a smile, or a nod, and then felt so good inside? I wonder if they say to themselves, "There's something DIFFERENT about that woman... I wonder what it could be..." Only God can see the full picture. But we can be assured that He is waiting to hear from us. Every moment of every day. He desires to be our Refuge, to Whom we flee in times of trouble, and our Goal, to Whom we strive for excellence. Because when we pray, we are harnessing the very creative power of Almighty God. Words, powerful and Spirit-given, brought forth from the lips of His chosen ones. That amazes me. A little human being like me, with the power of God on my lips? The very force that caused this universe to be, is the same power I use to adore and worship my Savior? WOWIE! Gotta dance before the LORD! If THAT doesn't lift you up, then you really need to get on your knees and ask Him to forgive you! See, God loves you so much. He desires to be your ALL. And through prayer, we literally talk with Him, just like we talk to a friend. He holds your hand in His, and you and He are as one. Come closer. Let me tell you a secret. When we talk to God, He talk to us too! He manifests Himself in ways we can understand. I was broke once, didn't have a penny to my name, and God knew. So while I was doing my wash at the laundromat, he directed my eyes downward to the floor. There, beneath the dryers, I saw a five-dollar bill. You want to tell me He isn't an awesome God? I say AMEN AND HALLELUJAH! He sure IS! Take a moment right now to bow your head and say a prayer. You know you want to. He is right there, just waiting to hear your voice. Worship the King in prayer. I love You, Jesus. Amen.
There is great burden on my heart these days. We are living in a time of great change. The Book of Revelation is literally being unfolded and taking place before our eyes, and people are being moved either forward unto Jesus, or backward unto hell. I have said before that people are hungering for something more, something new in their lives that will make a difference. This war against the powers of the enemy is just one of the birth pangs that are ushering in, right now, the coming of the King. Wars and rumors of wars, just as Jesus said. I know you may have heard this many times before, but it is happening. For those who are young in the faith like me, it is hard to grasp. But indeed so. Just look in the Bible. Last book. Revelation. That means, "revealing". God is revealing, or making known, those events which will happen at the end of the world. May I be blunt? I didn't believe it at first. I was scared, perhaps even doubtful. Nahh, that's not gonna happen till after I'm long gone, right? Guess what. Only God All-Powerful knows how long my and your life is, and will be. I could get hit by a truck after I get out the door. You can trip down the steps and suffer a broken neck after you visit the bathroom. We just don't know what will happen to us, unless we consult the Word. We MUST be armed with the whole armor of God AT ALL TIMES (Ephesians 6:13). Cause I'll tell you, my friend, Satan aint going to sleep, nor is he going to give up. He is desperate. He's going to chase you, and hound you, and say all kinds of things that are not the truth, just to bring you down into his hell. DO NOT fall victim to his lies. He knows his time is short, and growing ever shorter. Jesus beat him at the cross, but he just can't get that through his thick skull. But we, in believing that Jesus Christ indeed has him under foot, are freed from Satan's tyranny. GOD IS IN CONTROL OF ALL, EVEN THE WORKS OF SATAN. Nothing, not one detail, happens without the Almighty's knowing it. We DON'T HAVE to live in fear during these end times. In Christ, we have hope, a truly blessed hope, that we will soon see Him coming in clouds of glory, surrounded by His angels. We have the promise of being caught up with Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17), never having to be tied to this miserable earth again. We have the assurance that we will know Him face to face, and reign with Him forever. I know this sounds incredible, but it is true. I have noticed in the movie "Jesus of Nazareth" that Robert Powell, the actor playing Christ, is constantly gazing heavenward. Especially when He was before Pilate. What does this tell us? It means that even in His most wretched hour of suffering, even Jesus sought the Father's face, the Father's comfort, and the relief and relishment of the Father's presence. How could we not imitate the same? When you go out, look up. Don't look down. Look towards the heavens. Make it a habit of turning your eyes upward and giving thanks for just one more day to live for Him. Don't put it off. Who knows? You really may see Jesus. Father God, thank You for using me this day, to exalt Your Name, and to edify Your people. May You be forever praised and glorified, in Jesus Christ Name, amen.