MONDAY
Comfort in Times of Tragedy
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT).
We should be continually reminded of how blessed we are to have a God that loves us and will hold us up during our times of loss, trouble, and tragedy. He is there for us. He never leaves us. He will never abandon us. He is our Comforter. He is our Savior. Jesus Christ is our Lord and King. Trust in Him and let Him have control. Get out of His way and Let God be God.
After the loss of a dear, lifelong friend, I'm reminded of how much God loved him and loves his family. I saw that love, in the presence of my buddy's friends, at the hospital. I saw first hand how Christ administers His comfort, through us. I'm reminded of how God uses us, to comfort others, in times of need. We should also reflect on how God has comforted us, in our times of need.
We are the hands and feet of Jesus. We must never forget to go and comfort someone that needs a hug, a kind word or just being there and standing with them in their struggle. Thanks be to God for using us as His comforters.
Lord God, go with us, go before us and prepare the way that we might comfort others in their struggles. Help us to be Your hands and feet. Lord, be with those that are experiencing tragedy, trouble, and loss. Hold them close to You and bring us alongside of them to hold them up. I ask and pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
TUESDAY
We Are All A Work-In-Progress
Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience (Titus 2:2 NLT).
Hmm, self-control, respectful, full of faith, love, and patience...I have some work to do on myself. How about you?
Dear Father, let us be raw steel and be ready to be shaped into Your likeness. Father God, hone us into what you want us to be. Lord, put us into the fire to harden and strengthen us. Put us to Your grinder stone and shape us to what You desire. Finally, put us to the final sharpening stone, the smooth stone that brings forth a flawless edge and razor sharpness. Gently guide us over this stone so we might be made perfect, in Your image. All of this is for Your glory, not ours. Then Father, use us for Your purpose. We lay our lives at the foot of the Cross as we are Yours, Father. Amen.
WEDNESDAY
We Are His Children
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you (Psalms 37:4-5 NLT).
Will anyone join me in this prayer? Can you only imagine the Power of God that would be unleashed if we did this? Thank you, God! You give us your love and your Amazing Grace.
Dear Lord, I pray that I will do my best to live more like your child today than I did yesterday. Amen.
THURSDAY
Your Gift – It's a God Thing!
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord (1 Corinthians 12:4-5 NLT).
We serve an awesome God. He is a God who has embedded in each of us, a gift. Our gifts vary from one person to the next. Some people are great communicators, some are great builders, laborers and some are great counselors. We all have abilities that are far beyond our human abilities. What is your gift?
It may be easy to determine the spiritual gift that God has blessed you with, then again it may not be so easy. Our abilities and gifts may change as we grow in our relationship with Jesus. I believe that God defines and redefines His blessing of gifts in each of us. He might add more gifts to our “plates” as we work for His kingdom. The main thing is keeping the “main thing” the “main thing”. Jesus Christ is the main thing!
What are your gifts? I can't tell anyone that. Some people struggle to find exactly what their gift might be. By working to share and spread the Gospel, our spiritual gift will become apparent. We might even find that we are blessed with more than one gift, but we might not find that gift(s) unless we get out and work for God's Kingdom.
We work for our Lord, not out of a works based salvation, but we work for Jesus because of what He did for us. Because of His gift of salvation, we use the gifts that He gave us for His glory.
Lord God, thank You for for Your amazing gifts. I praise Your holy name. Amen.
FRIDAY
Always There
I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me (Psalms 16:8 NLT).
Do you know that God is always with you? He is there in good times and especially there in bad times. During the bad times, He is the One who is picking you up, then holding you up. God will sustain you through the valleys of life. Trust in Him and praise Him in the good times but exclaim your love and need for Him in the bad times.
Lord God, help us to feel Your presence when we are in the valley of life. Help us to realize that You will never leave us and will always be there to help us pick up the pieces when this world comes crashing down around us. Lead us Lord into a closer relationship with You. I ask and pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
SATURDAY
Our Every Cry
I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies (Psalms 17:6-7 NLT).
God hears our every prayer. He cries with us in our every heartbreak. He walks with us, every step. He picks us up when we fall. He carries us when we can't walk. He helps us run when we can barely crawl.
God also answers our every prayer; "yes," "no," or "not yet." I know that "no" sounds bad but His "no" is always the best thing for us. In fact, a "no" to our request is many times better than a yes. I can personally testify to that.
Dear Lord God, Your love endures forever. Thank you Father. I praise Your mighty name and pray in the mighty and matchless name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
SUNDAY
Discernment
“I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment” (Proverbs 8:12 NLT).
Sometimes we must make decisions that others don't understand. Many times don't we don't understand those decisions ourselves. But, when you feel something deep inside your heart that directs you in a certain way, it's best to pray about it and go with that gut feeling. In other words, lay it at the feet of Jesus and don't waiver at what you feel is what He desires you to do or not do.
Dear Lord, thank You for Your guidance in our lives, even and especially, when we don't understand. In Jesus' name, Amen.
