Monday
Zero, Zilch, Nothing!
No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39 NLT).
Nothing can separate us from the love of our God. NOTHING! We might choose to separate ourselves from Him but His love remains for us. He comes to us as we are but will never leave us as we are.
God has given us free choice and free will so be aware that what we choose has eternal consequences.
Dear Father, help us all understand how important it is what we choose you. Father God, you have given us free will, and we pray we will understand our decision to accept Jesus affects our current life on earth and, more importantly, our eternity. Your love, Father, remains, but our decision must be made. It is a decision with eternal consequences. Father God, help us to realize we must choose Jesus. Amen.
Tuesday
Our Real Home
[Jesus speaking]
"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT).
I know we must live, work, and survive in this world, but we are really only visitors. Our eternity is in heaven. That is our real home. That is our destination. No, we are in no hurry to get there, but God's promise to His children is right, dependable, and true. The key to securing our heavenly home is to accept Jesus, repent and follow Him. Thanks be to God.
So live and enjoy God's gifts even when you must fight the world. When you hit those gravel roads and stumble into the wilderness, just remember, God is with you. He will bring you through these trials and troubles. Life's trouble will draw you closer to Him.
Lord God, draw us closer to you, and let us know you are with us through the trials and tribulations. I ask and pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Wednesday
Warfare
Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies" (Zechariah 4:6 NLT).
We are in a battle. The battle rages in the spiritual realms. Corporately, our nation is under attack from evil forces, but individually, we have major skirmishes going on around us. These battles are not fought with blood and guts, but with the very power of God. It is by His power evil is defeated.
I'm a firm believer in the unseen battle going on in this world. I personally know and understand the battles that go on in my life. This is not hand-to-hand combat but a battle between good and evil. This is a war for our very souls. In the times of being under attack, we must rely on God to send His warring angels to help us engage the enemy.
Over and over, Scripture says we do not battle flesh-and-blood enemies, but those from the unseen world.
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12 NLT).
Spiritual battles are impossible to win without the very powerful arm of God in our lives.
The battles we face might be attacks on our health, on our homes, our family, our jobs...anything we hold dear to our hearts. We must stay diligent in prayer. We must continue reading and studying God's Word.
The devil is full of lies and deception. They are his weapons, and he uses them to attempt to conquer us and draw us away from God. Be aware my friends, the devil wants to control this world and he is only able to do this by controlling each of us. Be strong brothers and sisters. Put on the full armor of God. (Read Ephesians 6:10-18)
Dear Lord, protect your people. Bring them to your Holy Word and the understanding of your mighty power. The evil one has no authority over us, by the power of your Word. Jesus Christ has already won the battle for us. He has victory, we must stand firm and understand the battlefield is set before us. Father God, I pray you will bring more people to you, and more will read and understand your Word. Father, there are many battles going on. Stand for us, as we aren't capable, but you are. I pray this in the mighty and matchless Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thursday
Embrace His Grace
Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2 NLT).
Through God's grace and our faith, anyone can have a total life change. This is not a change that is of this world or by worldly standards. This is not a change that today's culture can seem to understand. This is a change coming from the grace of God.
This change forgets our past sins. It changes our present lives. This change has eternal promises. Thanks be to God!
Lord God, wash us, cleanse us and restore us. We are broken sinners with no hope, outside of your mercy. In Jesus' mighty name, I pray. Amen.
Friday
Thankfulness Brings Peace
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful (Colossians 3:15 NLT).
If you are feeling sorry for yourself, just look around. I bet it won't take you long to find someone in a lot worse situation in life than yours.
The world is broken, and we must live in this broken world. This world brings us many trials and tribulations to endure. It is part of life. Remember today is the first day of the rest of your life, so use it to praise God. Today, demonstrate to the world how to live a good, Christ-following life.
Dear Father, lead us to the realization that no matter what we are going through, you are with us and will never leave us. Remind us of how blessed we are, no matter the situation we might be going through. Teach us how to pray for the lost and those who are struggling. In the mighty and matchless name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Saturday
Our Faith
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1 NLT).
We can't see Him or touch Him, but we can know Him. We can pray and speak to Him. He speaks to our hearts. God is omnipresent. He is God. He is the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We can know His ways by studying His Word, the Holy Bible. God sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts, where He presides.
We will never understand all of what God is, His ways are not our ways. In our times of turmoil, we must understand we must walk by faith. We walk by the faith of knowing the He is God, and He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins by His sacrificial death on the cross. After He was dead and buried, Jesus was raised to new life by our heavenly Father. God then sent us His Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to lead and direct our lives and to dwell in our hearts. Oh, what a blessing God has given us!
By our faith, we are saved by His grace. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Sunday
Praise & Worship
That is why I can never stop praising you;
I declare your glory all day long (Psalm 71:8 NLT).
All the praise to our God, who continues to bless us, far more than we deserve. Thanks be to God. Praising and worshiping Him all day long!
Dear Father, lead us and direct us today so we might understand how blessed we are by you, Father God. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
